MRS - Concept Writing Web

Marketing Development
ConcepL Wrlung
Wlndsor 2010
Charloue kwlsL
CONCEPT WRITING MARKETING COLLEGE
Training objectives
By the end of this module, you will:
! Understand
" what a concept is and how it is used
" what its key components are, and
" what differentiates strong from weak concepts
! Be able to start writing strong concepts
Agenda
! Building brand equity
! Intro to concept development
! Writing concepts
! Evaluating concepts
8u||d|ng 8rand Lqu|ty
What is a brand?
What is positioning?
! The place you occupy relative to your competitors in the
consumers mind
! Concentrating on one appealing idea that distinguishes our
brand from the competition in the mind of the target
audience
Relevance
! Positioning means concentrating on
one appealing idea that distinguishes
our brand from the competition in the
mind of the target audience
If youre on the wrong train, every stop
is the wrong stop.
David Verklin, ex-CEO Carat
App|e |s on earth to
make great products.
A pr|me mover
of creanon.
Never, ever an add-on.
A Iorce.
The desire to be
empowered as a
creative, unique
individual
Man is the creator of
change in this world.
As such he should be
above systems and
structures and not be
subordinate to them
iPhones sold in 2008:
11.4 million
(index 246 vs. YA)
2008 revenue:
$720 million
#
Vicks Breathing Sensations is
a new way to experience the
stimulating power of menthol in
a delicious chewing gum.
- The crunchy white layer
contains a high level of arvensis
mint that instantly gives you an
intense feeling of cool breathing
in your mouth and nose.
- The smooth blue gum layer
contains Vapocrystals that
continuously release menthol
vapours to make the feeling last
whilst you chew.
Focus
The essence of positioning is sacrifice. You
must be willing to give up something in order
to establish that unique position
Distinctiveness
#
Products are made in factories brands are made in the mind
W. Landor

! Positioning means concentrating on one appealing idea that
distinguishes our brand from the competition in the mind of
the target audience
Perceptions
Perceptions
! Marketing is not a battle of products, its a battle of
perceptions
!"#$% !"#!
S1
44
3
prefer
eps|
prefer
Coke
no
preference
!'($%)% !"#!
23
6S
12
prefer
eps|
prefer
Coke
no
preference
1he 'rea|' eps| test
producL prlce
sLores servlce
hlsLory brand name
promouons packaglng
personnel adveruslng
users ulrecL Mall
8 corporaLe lmage
sponsorlng lnvesLor relauons
ercepuons
= Moments at which the target audience comes in contact with
the brand
weblogs, chaLs
word-of-mouLh
Touchpoints
Perception
Perception
Perception
Brand Equity
Perceptions. The role of marketing
! Brand equity is the added value that a brand brings to a
product
! Benefits of strong brand equity:
" consumer information processing
" increased profitability
" reduced vulnerability to competition
" the ability to charge premium prices
" a platform for introducing new to market products carrying the
same brand name
What is brand equity?
! Great brands are:
" relevant to the target consumer
" focused on one big idea (tennis ball)
" distinctive vs. competitors
! We often use concepts to develop new brand or product ideas,
so
$ all concepts should meet these same criteria
CreaL brands begln wlLh greaL concepLs
Introducnon to concept deve|opment
Concept. Definition
A concept captures the core idea of a product or service,
answering the questions:
! Whats in it for me?
! Why should I believe that?
Concept. Purpose
! Helps us assess the likelihood of success of a new product idea
with consumers
! A way to capture the core of a new idea in such a way that the
target audience can easily understand and react to it
! A starting point for the development of products, packaging,
promotional ideas and communication
Sometimes I long for time to stand still, so I could
lose myself in a moment of chocolate bliss.
Indulge yourself in Galaxy Cream with our
signature creamy chocolate that melts your
senses.
Galaxy Cream is smooth, delectable chocolate
blended with rich cream that makes each piece
slowly melt in your mouth, in a lingering moment
of chocolate pleasure.
This creamy selection from Galaxy can be
enjoyed with 3 distinctive fillings Hazelnut
Cream, Caramel Cream and Chocolate Cream.
Galaxy Cream for Long-lasting Pleasure
Concept. Elements
Sometimes I long for time to stand still, so I could
lose myself in a moment of chocolate bliss.
Indulge yourself in Galaxy Cream with our
signature creamy chocolate that melts your
senses.
Galaxy Cream is smooth, delectable chocolate
blended with rich cream that makes each piece
slowly melt in your mouth, in a lingering moment
of chocolate pleasure.
This creamy selection from Galaxy can be
enjoyed with 3 distinctive fillings Hazelnut
Cream, Caramel Cream and Chocolate Cream.
Galaxy Cream for Long-lasting Pleasure
Headline
Insight
Benefit
Reason-to-
Believe (RTB)
Relevant
details
Concept. Elements
Concept. Elements
! In the development process, all concept elements need to be
worked
! When working with consumers, some of the elements can be
left out:
! In qualitative: to assess strength of individual sections of the
concept
! In quantitative: to reflect levels of support for the initiative
! Consumer Hotshop / Concept Lab
sessions with (creative) consumers to
explore product ideas, develop and
optimize concepts prior to concept
screening
! Mix of consumer contact sessions and time for the team to
Stop&Think and improve the concepts
! From exploration to validation
! Multi-disciplinary, very time-intensive effort
Concept. Process
Wr|nng concepts
Concept writing
! Its like a puzzle
Concept writing
! It all begins with the Insight
! then comes the Benefit
! then the Reason-to-Believe
! The Relevant Details, a Headline and Visuals (if appropriate)
come last
Insights. Definition
! A penetrating discovery about consumer motivations that
can be applied to unlock growth
! Reactions to real insights
" The universal head nod, and flow of personal examples
" Thats sooo true!
" You obviously understand me
! Short paragraph written in consumer language
" Thats something I could have said!
Inuenna| |earn|ng or
|nterpretanon &
understand|ng of
facts and nuggets of
|nformanon
Aga|nst wh|ch we can then
de||ver some re|evant brand
va|ue, or product aur|bute or
beneht
Create a connecnon
between the
consumer and the
brand ]product
Insights. Why?
! Creates a context or perspective for the rest of the
concept. It opens up the mind in order to make the
promise more relevant (the hook)
! The Benefit paragraph in your concept will be an
answer or solution to these thoughts
! Insights must make a CONNECTION hit a rational or
emotional nerve
! They should be INCISIVE, so consumers can react to
something
! Insights must be SIMPLE
! Insights must be MOTIVATING
Insight is correct when consumers can say
Yes, it is true: thats exactly what I think/feel
Insights. How?
! Good ideas CAN be rejected if framed by the wrong insight!
! Great insights dont necessarily make a good idea if the
benefit is wrong, or not linked to the insight, the idea will fail!
! Insights need to be specific enough to be relevant and
motivating but have broad enough appeal to meet your
business objectives! Not always easy
! Its perfectly fine to use a fact or ACB in your business
projects if that is all that is necessary to create a hook not
everything needs a deep psychological insight!
Insights. How?
Insights. Writing them
! One common format:
" Consumer truth
" Reason-why
" Friction
I try to drink 1.5L water a day
to stay healthy
but its so hard to do
! May be less appropriate with brands that are highly
emotionally-driven (e.g. Galaxy)
" Artificially forces us to search for a problem when one may not exist
Insights. Writing them
! Are they using the targets language?
! Are they empathetically expressed?
" Personal and inclusive language: I not you/your
" Avoid patronising or authoritarian tonality: Sometimes, its good to,
It may happen that
! Are you unintentionally arousing or prompting negative
emotions? Is the consumer enhanced, not criticised?
" Avoid questioning their current habits/choices if it makes them appear
stupid or inadequate
" Fear of fear
! Do you focus on one dilemma or belief?
My daily commitments demand that I stay
positive, even as I take on countless pursuits
and responsibilities. That is why I need special
moments to enliven my spirits.
Heighten your mood with a little indulgence
from Galaxy Moments. Galaxy Moments most
involving chocolate journey begins with its
premium and elegant box, followed by
opening each of the 3 pieces and exploring
pure pleasure with their smooth, creamy taste.
Galaxy Moments is a decadently delicious
chocolate, blended with divine rich cream that
makes each piece slowly melt in your mouth.
Lacing your moments of indulgence with softly
melting, creamy delights.
Savor your special moments with Galaxy
Moments.
Special Indulgent Moments
Women have changing feelings and moods and we need people
around us to understand these moods and help us thrive
through them.
Thrive through Galaxy Moods. A divine experience of chocolate
therapy, Galaxy Moods is a blend of smooth and creamy Galaxy
chocolate infused with drops of Chamomile that soothe stress,
or drops of Jasmine for moments of serenity, or drops of Ginger
for moments of spontaneity.
Theres a Galaxy Moods for all your different moods.
Thrive with Galaxy Moods
Casework 1. Insights
! Agree a project with your team
! Develop / improve as many possible insights as you can come
up with
Benefit. Definition
! What the consumer receives, enjoys or experiences in
exchange for his time, trouble, trust or money
! The most compelling and distinctive thing your product idea
can do for the consumer
! Answers the question: whats in it for ME?
! Can be more functional (product benefit) or emotional (people
benefit), or both
Benefits. Functional or Product benefits
! What the product tangibly does for the consumer
" What does this give me, or do for me?
! Example:
" Gillette: closest shave
" Head & Shoulders: removes and prevents dandruff
" EasyJet: makes flying euros cheaper than traditional airlines
Benefits. Emotional or People benefits
! Explains what the product benefit means to you
" How does it make me feel when I get it?, or
" What does it allow me to achieve when I get it
! Example:
" Gillette: confirms male success
" Head & Shoulders: greater confidence
" Easy Jet: smarter choice
Benefits. Developing them
! The benefit can follow from the Insight (top-down)
" Often a solution to the dilemma/unmet need
! ...but can be made more specific or distinctive by looking at the
product ideas (bottom-up)
" Laddering product features up into customer benefits
" Ask: why should I care about this feature?, why is it important?
! Laddering is based on Reynolds and Gutmans Means-
End Chain
! Qualitative interview technique that
exposes all possible connections
between a products attributes and its
end values
! Helps identify the higher meaning of
your product idea
" What is the best benefit to use?
" What are the best reasons-to-believe that
supports this benefit?
WHY?????
Benefits. Laddering
Benefits. Window of opportunity
Attributes
Consequences
Values
Here?
Here?
Or Here?
Emotional
Functional
Benefits. One clear benefit idea
! New benefit
" Now theres a delicious meaty snack thats perfect for between meal
feeding
! New level of a benefit
" Now theres a Celebration selection created to satisfy the richer
tastes we want for these occasions
! Eliminates a negative
" So we have taken some of the sugar out of Milky Way to make it
even lighter and fluffier, but it still tastes as good as ever
! Solves a paradox
" With flutes from Maltesers you can have a real chocolate treat and a
clear conscience
Benefits. Writing them
! One clear benefit idea
! Distinctive in the market
! Relevant answer to the Insight
" Logical build-up
! Clear, concise language
" Short sentences
" Is every word necessary? Does every word only have one interpretation?
" Dont exaggerate
Core Pro-X
Reason-to-Believe
! The RTB has one important function: to convince the consumer
shell get the benefit
" Proof point
! It also provides distinctiveness vs. other products when
benefits sound similar
RTBs. Types
! Magic ingredient (or lack of it)
" Breaker is made with whole fruit and sunflower seeds
" Natural PRO-tect active probiotics to help support a healthy
immune system
" Not an E-number, colouring or artificial preservative in sight
! Mode of action
" Our vegetables are picked and packed the same day
" Delicately slow-cooked over low heat to produce the most tender
meaty chunks
! Endorsement (testimonial and pedigree)
" BT Mobiles reach is rated best by the Consumer Association
" Recommended by most dentists
" Established in 1869
" From the makers of Apple
Example. Red Bull
! Red Bull has a unique combination of
ingredients containing carbohydrates,
taurine, glucuronolactone, caffeine and
vitamins. Working together, they
significantly enhance physical and
mental performance. Energising mind
and body when most needed, ensuring
you get the most out of your working
day.
! Red Bulls effects have been recog-
nised by world class athletes, busy
professionals, active students and
long-distance drivers the world over.
RTBs. Developing them
! They should be obvious as a result of the concept building
phase
! If not, talk to product developers about:
" Taste or taste-experience?
" Heritage/source of ingredients, recipe etc.?
" Way of production/preparation?
" Convenience aspects?
" Health aspects?
" Packaging aspects?
" Special applications?
! Be inspired by other categories
RTBs. Writing them
! Simple, consumer-friendly language
" Avoid jargon, technical language
! Limit the number of RTBs to what is:
" Necessary to support the benefit
" Executable in for example advertising
! Do not add new benefits disguised as RTBs
" Dove wont dry out the skin like some other soaps do. Thats
because Dove moisturizes your skin so it looks radiant
! Ensure a logical link with benefit
Benefits. The ladder
eop|e
beneht
roduct
beneht
Pow wlll l feel
when l geL lL?
WhaL does
lL glve me?
keason-to-
8e||eve
luncuonal
Lmouonal
Why should l
belleve you?
My LeeLh are sensluve someumes. So l Lry Lo avold some of
Lhe Lhlngs LhaL seem Lo worsen lL llke lce-cream and cold
drlnks, buL LhaL's noL always easy Lo do
8egular brushlng wlLh Sensodyne helps relleve Lhe paln of
sensluve LeeLh, allowlng you Lo en[oy Lhe food and drlnk
you've been avoldlng
Lvery ume you brush wlLh Sensodyne you're bulldlng up a
barrler Lo palnful sumull
MosL frequenLly recommended by denusLs and oral hyglene
speclallsLs
Sensodyne
It now contains more
peanut power than ever
before
We have taken out the bad fats
and replaced them with
sunflower oil, a good fat.
Its packed full of peanuts
which are naturally high in
protein to really fill you up
Its now made with peanuts that
have their skins left on to
provide even more goodness
We have found a super peanut
which means your Snickers
bar is now packed with more
peanut goodness than ever
before
Your Snickers bar now
contains 30% less fat as the
peanuts have been steamed
not fried
It contains as many proteins,
minerals and vitamins as a
slice of brown bread with
peanut butter
74
Asking the consumer to play Wheres Wally
Casework 2. Benefits and RTBs
Per insight / product idea combination:
! Write down benefits for each
! Develop RTBs that support them
Review. Iterative process
Benefit RTB
Relevant
Details
Visuals Headline
Relevant Details
! Aspects like:
" Preservation method, preparation, flavor, size, packaging
! But only as needed for good understanding of the concept
! Writing
" Separate part in the concept, not buried in the text
" Stated in a neutral manner to enable a valid assessment
! Parent brand reference
" Line extension: All other Brand X products remain available
" Restage: New xx will replace the existing Brand X product
Relevant Details. Price
! Price is added only in the quantitative phase of concept
development
! Should match what you actually plan to introduce in market
" Do ensure accurate pricing
" Do ensure accurate sizing
Working title vs. Headline
! Working titles are used in the process of concept writing
" For identification
" To check core idea of the concept
" For assessing whether concepts are sufficiently different
! They are not usually included on concepts shown to
consumers (in qualitative)
! Headlines are included for final quantitative testing
Headline
! The last thing you do
" Great acid test for simplicity of the concept
! Short, core-idea encapsulating title. It sums up the
essence of the concept
! Treat it as if its the only statement consumers will
remember
" Clear, single-minded
" Benefit focused
" Include the products name (be consistent throughout the
concept)
" New signals that product is new to the market and reassures
consumers that it will not replace their old product
! Note: you are not writing advertising!
Visuals
! Watch-out: Visuals can have unpredictable effects!
" Especially when using a few, individual pictures vs. collage
! Visuals can be used to clarify the concept:
" Emotional benefits can sound hokey when written down
! Or as a shorthand for the respondent on
" Pack type, usage, cooking method etc
" Do ensure correct relative (!) sizing
In a two-concept study with a 25g pack concept and one 45g pack concept
$ the 25g pack needs to appear smaller than the 45g pack!)
! If using visuals: comparability amongst concepts is key
" If you decide to use visuals, they must be comparable in type, number
and level of finish for all concepts tested
" In qualitative, we usually dont include visuals in the concept, but may
assess visualization separately
Lva|uanon
Evaluating concepts. Criteria
Content Writing
! Relevant answer to a
real insight
! Short and simple
- Maximum of 80-100 words
! One tight idea (tennis
ball)
! Logical build-up
- Well-structured
- Tight link between Insight, Benefit
and RTB
! Distinctive versus
competition
! Do not over- or under execute
85
Board 1
New M&Ms Selects
Who says good chocolate always has to be serious?
colourful soft outer layer, with
no candy shell
M&Ms Milk Chocolate, Peanut, Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate and Almond will still be available for purchase in the candy section
-
Available in a 170g box for $3.99:
Raspberry Almond
Caf Mochaccino
White Mint
Chocolate Almond
Triple Chocolate
Sharing special little treats, is like having a
celebration everyday you feel light
hearted and happy. Wouldnt it be nice to
have a rich, chocolate treat thats perfect
for those light hearted times?
Introducing M&Ms Selects creamy,
satisfying chocolate in colourful
sophisticated varieties
M&Ms Selects redefines what it means to
be sophisticated, with these bite size
chocolates in unique flavours, surrounded
by soft colourful outer layers with no candy
shell
New M&Ms select Indulge your playful
spirit
86
Board 2
M&Ms Selects
no candy shell
-
Eating your own special little treats, is like
having a celebration everyday you feel
light hearted and happy. Wouldnt it be
nice to have a rich, chocolate treat thats
perfect for those light hearted times?
shell
spirit
Available for $3.99:
Raspberry Almond
Caf Mochaccino
White Mint
Chocolate Almond
Triple Chocolate
87
Board 2
M&Ms Selects
no candy shell
-
Eating your own special little treats, is like
having a celebration everyday you feel
light hearted and happy. Wouldnt it be
nice to have a rich, chocolate treat thats
perfect for those light hearted times?
shell
spirit
Available for $3.99:
Raspberry Almond
Caf Mochaccino
White Mint
Chocolate Almond
Triple Chocolate
No size indication
No indication to consumer that the M&Ms products they are currently aware of remain in-store
Only slight change to concept
wording / positioning. Cannot be
picked up by consumer and will
show little variation in results
Need to include NEW or Introducing,
so that consumers are aware that this
doesnt already exist in market
Consumers need to be aware of the
size/amount they will receive for the
stated price, or they cannot accurately
determine their PI of the product
Casework 3. Finalizing the concepts
! Write full concepts for the two routes you have selected:
" Insight
" Benefit
" RTB
" Relevant details
" Headline
! Present to the group
Management alignment
! You are now ready to move on to the next stage
! Make sure Management is aligned
" But preferably already involved in the consumer work
After the Concept Lab / Hotshop
! Quantitative screening
! Use as basis for:
" Product development
" Packaging briefing
" Communication briefing
" PR briefing
" Sales briefing
" Etc.

Wrap-up
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