STRATEGIC

ADVERTISING

Alpana Devarkonda | Disha Rathor | Smriti Vinod | Ankita Mohapatra

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would first like to thank our mentor, Ms Shweta Minocha at Pearl

Academy, Mumbai for her valuable inputs, able guidance, encouragement,

cooperation and constructive criticism.

We also thank Mr Ushnav Shroff and Mr Anup Jerajani for assistance in the

help of an interview that helped the paper with its integration. We would

also like to show our gratitude to the respondents who took the time of

filling out surveys. Lastly, we are immensely grateful for the discovery

of coffee and tea which pushed us to our utmost potential and aided the

research to its completion.

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 CONTENTS 4

02 INTRODUCTION 8

03 LITERATURE REVIEW 12

04 METHODOLOGY OF STUDY 30

05 ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION 36

06 SUMMARY & CONCLUSIONS 44

07 BIBLIOGRAPHY 48

08 APPENDICES 55
01 CONTENTS

1.1 List of Figures

1.2 List of Abbreviations

1.1 List of Figures

Figure 1 AIDA model

FIgure 2 Behaviour propensity

Figure 3 Classification of advertising strategies

Figre 4 Sales of McDonald’s India

Figure 5 McDonald’s India at a glance

Figure 6 Five Human Factors- McDonald’s India

Figure 7 Results of survey for McDonald’s India

Figure 8 Wordcloud based on interview

Figure 9 Themes derived from questionnaire

Figure 10 Question 1- Suvey Result

Figure 11 Question 2- Survey Result

1.2 List of Abbreviations

Ad- Advertisement

AIDA- Attention, Interest, Desire and Action

AIDAS- Attention, Interest, Desire, Action and Satisfaction

AISDALSLove- Attention, Interest, Search, Desire, Action, Like/dislike,

Share, and Love/hate

DAGMAR- Defining Advertising Goal for Measuring Advertising Result

QSCV- Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value

TVC- Television Commercial

6
02 INTRODUCTION

2.1 Context of study

2.2 Research questions and

objectives of the study

2.3 Operational definitions of

terms
2.1 Context of Study

Have you ever wondered about the relevance of the advertisement for a

product? How an advertiser persuades you to buy their product? Masses

like to believe that advertising doesn’t work and deny its effect on us.

However, the fact is that advertising does work and does so really well.

The realm of advertising has evolved into a booming industry that is now

ubiquitous and hard to miss. More and more companies are investing a

good share of their capital in reaching their customers. Advertising is

just not the predictable 30 seconds TVC anymore. It has advanced using

various modes and strategies to reach out to its target audience.

Let’s take the case of Nescafe. Moving on from its strategy of using brand

ambassador Deepika Padukone (Correspondent, 2010)1, Nescafe (since

2016) has chosen to advertise emotion, feelings, and state of mind, to

create a personal experience for the consumer. In its latest #StayStarted

ad campaign (Srivastava, 2016)2, it solves the problem of an RJ by

compelling the consumers to see the brighter side of life. They changed

the behavior of consumers towards the product by targeting youth with a

relevant need for motivation that in turn helped achieve their goals.

With an interest in knowing about how companies pitch their product

and persuade the consumers to buy, we delved into the psychology of

consumers and studied the effective ways to change behavior. There

is more to the conventional practices of advertising that deal with the

emotional aspect of persuasion.

2.2 Research Statement and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the research is:

To study the advertising strategies for two brands belonging to different

industries.

Objective of the study:

Analyse the advertising strategies for McDonald’s India and The Write

Place and determine which works best for them.

2.3 Operational Definitions of Terms

A. Behaviour Propensity- an inclination or natural tendency to behave

in a certain way.

B. Benjamin Franklin Effect- a proposed psychological phenomenon

which states that a person who has performed a favor for another is more

likely to do another favor for the other than he or she would be if he or she

had received a favor from that person.3

C. Cognitive Dissonance- a situation involving conflicting attitudes,

beliefs or behaviors producing a feeling of discomfort leading to an

alteration in one of the attitudes, beliefs or behaviors to reduce the

discomfort and restore balance, etc.4

10
03 LITERATURE REVIEW

3.1 An Overview of Advertising

3.2 Advertising: Make it Effective

3.3 Advertising Strategies

3.3.1 Motivaton Ad Strategy

3.3.2 Ease Ad Strategy

3.4 Study the Brands

3.4.1 McDonald’s India

3.4.2 The Write Place

3.1 An Overview of Advertising

Advertising: the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to

get money from it.

- Stephen Leacock(Unknown)

Advertisements are notices designed to inform and motivate. Their

objective is to change the thinking pattern of the consumer so that he/

she is persuaded to take the action desired by the advertisers.5

Advertising is an act of calling public attention to convey the need for a

product for the consumer. The main objective is to create an experience

for the customer and make them feel connected to the product in order

to boost sales. Consumers tend to imagine brands as people because they

buy products that match best with the image of themselves (Sengupta,

2007).6 Thus, it becomes crucial to give them a feeling of comfort. The

key to success is to make the job easier for consumers and make them an

offer they can’t refuse.

A registered psychologist and one of Australia’s most respected and

successful advertisers, Adam Ferrier provides an insight into the

advertising industry through his book “The Advertising Effect” (2014).

In this report, the influence of action advertising on consumer behavior is

studied. The result has been concluded after analyzing various advertising

case studies.
3.2 Advertising: Make it Effective

The public remembers things they find interesting and thus it is necessary

to make the advertisements unique but understandable (Oetting, 2016).7

Over the years, there have been a lot of developments in the social and

technological fields but the process to make a good advertisements

remains the same. E St Elmo Lewis, an advertising advocate, used

his previous experience as an insurance salesman and developed an

advertising model in 1986 called the AIDA model (Anon, 2017) 8

Figure 1 AIDA model

There have been extensions to this model (for example- DAGMAR, AIDAS,

AISDALSLove), but the above points are usually used by several research

agencies to determine the vigour of a brand and also acts as a checklist in

the decision making process during a product presentation.

14
For the advertisement to have positive change in the sales of a product,

it is necessary to study the behaviour of the consumer to understand the

measures needed to get the consumer to adopt a profitable behaviour.

(Fishbein and Capella, 2006)9

Figure 2 Behaviour Propensity

According to a research conducted in Washington DC by Martin Fishbein

and Joseph N. Capella (2001) for the relevance of behavioral theory for

developing communications, there are three conditions necessary and

sufficient for persuasive communication :

a. Motivation- the individual must form a strong positive intention

to perform the behavior.

b. Ability - the individual has the required skills to perform the

behavior.

c. Opportunity- the environment is favorable without any constraints

for the behavior to occur.

Thus, two main variables determine the likelihood a behavior occurring-

motivation and ease (with the latter comprising ability and opportunity)
 3.3 Advertising Strategies

Evocation

Modelling
Individual
incentives &
Social norms
Reframing

Motivation
Play

Collectivism

STRATEGIES
Ownership

Utility
Ease

Ability
Skill Up
&
Opportunity

Commitment

Eliminate
Complexity

Figure 3 Classification of Advertising Strategies

16
3.3.1 Motivation Ad Strategy

In psychology, motivation is about making an individual move towards

or strive to achieve, a certain goal. It relates to physiology, cognition, and

social standing. When hungry, one is motivated to eat. To fit in a social

group, one is motivated to like what others like (Ferrier, 2014, p.51). The

question asked is always along the lines of “What’s in it for me?”

Motivation is thus affected by two factors: individual incentives and

social norms.

A. Individual incentives- With the aim of undertaking a behavior, an

individual makes two key considerations: pleasure and pain. In simple

terms, humans are driven to find rewards and keep away from pain. If

there are incentives to perform a behavior, then the behavior is more

plausible to occur. The greater the incentive, the greater the motivation

(Ferrier 2014, p. 51,52).

B. Social norms- As humans, we are contingent on others for survival.

We can’t live in a box. What others are doing has a greater influence on

human behavior than internal motivations. An individual subconsciously

weighs the perception of the people who are important to him/her and if

they think he/she should perform the behavior.

The following seven action spurs increase consumers’ motivation to

perform a certain behavior (Ferrier 2014, p. 52).

1. Reframing strategy

Frame an existing behavior in a more appealing way for the target

audience. According to a study conducted by Levin, Schneider, and Gaeth

(1988), it was revealed that 70% comply with a request if they are told

about the disadvantages of rejecting it. An idea has to be framed positively

or negatively after study the consumer behavior.

Example: McDonald’s - Happy Birthday TVC (McDonald’s India, 2012)10

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKCe0Za3lBA>

McDonald’s started it’s Advertising showcasing it as a place for families

to have a meal together (Unknown, 2016), but through this heartwarming

ad where a bunch of school kids buy a burger for the old school bus

conductor for his birthday sends a message that McDonalds is a place for

everyone (Unknown, 2016). They released a chain of other ads where they

have people celebrating their birthdays (Unknown, 2016) to portray that

it is a place to fun and celebration.

2. Evocation Strategy

Stir powerful emotions in order to persuade the viewer to change his/her

behaviour. In a study by Hamish Pringle (Director General of Institute

of Practitioners in Advertising) and Peter Field, they concluded that

our brain is more attracted to powerful emotional stimuli and is able to

process emotions without cognition (2012, p. 113,114). Emotion opens

door to behaviour change (Ferrier 2014, p. 148).

Example: McDonald’s India celebrating 20 years (McDonald’s India,

2016)11

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uinj0JXQ8oI>
18
In 2016, McDonald’s celebrated 20 years in India by releasing a video with

a story that is simple yet touching-- a family growing with McDonald’s.

It also showcases how individuals that are generations apart still consider

McDonald’s as their companion for all occasions. The tagline “A lot has

changed. Nothing has changed” focuses on how the global food service

platform has transitioned itself to stay relevant today with its presence

of over 400+ restaurants and serve over 32 million annually (Afaqs.com,

2016).12

3. Ownership Strategy

It involves the people in finding a solution to the problem, which increases

the value of the product for the consumer. They make the audience feel

as co-creators simply by asking their opinion. Action changes attitude

faster than attitude changes action (Ferrier, 2014, p. 70). Thus, when a

company invites the consumers in the process, the consumers hold a

higher value for the product.

Example: McDonald’s - Battle of Spicy ad (McDonald’s India, 2015)13

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-CffGP8W7k>

A new idea of “The Battle of Spicy” was rolled out where the customers

will decide which burger will stay on the menu - the original McSpicy or

the new Indi McSpicy. They included a burger that had hot spices that

catered to the Indian audience. Involving the consumers in the process

of deciding on what stays on the menu, gave the consumers an added

incentive to buy their product. The campaign created a solid engagement

platform that had a lasting effect on the minds of the consumers (Leo

Burnett, 2015).14
4. Utility Strategy

The brand provides added benefits to the consumers. According to Phil

Barden, a marketer with over 25 years of experience and author, explains

in his book ‘Decoded’ (Barden, 2013)15 that the greater the reward, the

higher the value for the product is perceived by the consumers and thus

are more willing or put in efforts to by the product.

Example: McDonald’s Double Fest (McDonald’s India, 2015)16

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B_zBpSgg1s>

McDonald’s India started a limited time offer for double patty burgers at

low prices. The advertisement created an insight that it is better to have two

than one of something you love and used words that related to everyday

moments of fun and joy. It proved to beneficial for the consumers as it

was better to buy one double patty burger than two single patty burgers.

5. Modelling Strategy

The actions performed by models become a new social norm or a fad

which everyone wishes to have. In a psychological experiment conducted

by Bandura (Bandura, Ross & Ross, 1961)17 it was concluded that people

change behavior by copying models. When the audience hears positive

testimonials, hear about celebrities that use the product or have a huge

social media connect, the value of the product increases.

Example: Manyavar-Mohe “Naye Rishte Naye Vaadey” (Manyavar,

2017)18

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaQIlKnpf_I>

Manyavar had recently launched its new ad campaign on a wedding theme

20
with one of the most popular real-life couples Virat Kohli and Anushka

Sharma. Role model for youth, Virat Kohli is the perfect fit for the brand as

he is the most relatable figure for the audience that Manyavar is targeting

(More, 2017).19 Anushka Sharma, who is an iconic movie star was to

endorse Mohey (an ethnic celebration wear for women). Both have huge

fan following (Chopra, 2017)20 who want to follow what their role models,

thus promoting the brand.

6. Collectivism Strategy

People influence each other; it’s common for them to pick up on each

other’s actions. They do this because consciously or unconsciously

they fear exclusion and go along with the crowd (Ferrier,2014, p. 154).

Collectivism strategy is used to create a new social norm. Social norms

are the unwritten rules of behavior that are considered acceptable in

a group or society. The advertisements show how a group of people is

already behaving in a particular manner to get everyone actually behaves

in that particular manner. Collectivism uses the psychological principles

of obedience, conformity, action and purpose to influence behavior.

Example: McDonald’s Sharing Packs (McDonald’s India, 2015)21

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hryEm7m5QAo>

A group of friends is seen enjoying and having fun. They urge each other

to leave their phones and instead spend time making memories. As one

leaves the phone, we see all the friends gradually leaving their phones

behind and joining the group. This is a great example of collectivism as

there is conformity thus, boosting social norms.

7. Play Strategy

Play is an effective way to influence consumer behavior, but only when the

wider environment can be controlled and manipulated. When something

is turned into a game, it becomes more enjoyable and fun. People like

games because of their brain’s reward mechanism. Nowadays advertisers

use social media to promote their products with daily quizzes, questions

and games, this allows the brands to interact with people. Play Strategy

leads to higher engagement of the consumers with the product (Ferrier

2014, p. 203,214).

Example: McDonald’s Happy Meal (McDonalds India, 2013)22

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO1Tdil9cSM>

McDonald’s has a wide consumer base, with individuals between the

ages of 8-45 years. The happy meal was an initiative introduced in 1979

(Dudovskiy, 2016).23 The use of Play strategy caters to the kids’ needs and

desires. By rewarding them with a toy with each meal, the fast food joint

in India encourages more consumption which in turn results in a change

in the behavior of the target audience.

3.3.1 Ease Ad Strategy

Advertisers have often used motivation to change the behavior of the

consumer. As a result, ease has often been missing from the equation.

What people did not realize for a long time is that making a task easy

can also bring drastic changes (Springer, 2007).24 Even if a consumer

wants to perform a task, but lacks the skill, there is no demand. Thus by

removing the question of “Can I do that”, and making the task easier for

the consumer, the brand can be successful (Ferrier 2014, p. 53,55). As 22

mentioned earlier, ease has two components :

A. Ability- Is someone capable or have the attributes needed to perform

a task. Do they have the skill? For example, a person is motivated to lose

some weight, but every time she tries, she fails due to the lack of skill. She

is willing to perform a task but is incompetent (Ferrier 2014, p.53).

B. Opportunity- Does the person’s environment let the situation take

place. Are there any obstacles? The kind people or feeling a person is

surrounded by, affects the choices he/she makes (Ferrier 2014, p.53).

The following three action spurs increase consumers’ ability to perform

a certain behavior.

1. Skill up strategy

Teaching skills in advertising is important. It improves the chances of

behavior change. There are times when the motivation towards a product

is there but the consumers don’t know the utility of the product. It is

important for the customers to know how to use a product rather than just

being aware of the brand. Skilling up is about making a task easier through

training, practice providing information or resources to confidently

engage in the behavior (Ferrier 2014, p.270). An advertisement that uses

skill-up strategy shows the consumer either how to do target behavior,

or how to do it more easily. More and more people buy online products

these days, therefore, the use of explainer videos will help in increasing

the consumer’s self-efficiency which increase the likelihood of a product

getting sold.
Example: Trivago ad (Trivago, 2017)25

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA5MNQ4f1uc>

Trivago, a leading multinational hotel booking portal, explains to you in

its advertisement, the process of booking a hotel. With visually showing

the audience what they need to click to get the required information

makes it easier for when they want to book a hotel. Through a short clip,

the brand was able to teach a method of booking a hotel, thus making the

viewers capable of performing the task.

2. Eliminate Complexity

People like doing things when it is easier. Eliminating complexity is about

removing barriers and modifying the environment to make a behavior

effortless (Ferrier 2014, p.279). The easier it is for behavior to happen, the

less the motivation is needed to make it happen (Ferrier 2014, p.294). To

encourage a particular behavior, the advertisers eliminate any possible

complexity that could get in the way of that behavior and make tasks as

straightforward as possible.

Example: Mc Donald’s BF & GF ad campaign (McDonald’s India, 2011)26

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmNrvlQ73pU>

A boy is faced with a hurdle to fulfill the demands of his “girlfriend”, but

thanks to the McDonald’s happy price menu that offers Mc Aloo Tikki

for only Rs 25. It is the cheapest burger on the menu and also one of the

best selling burgers in McDonald’s, India. The affordable prices make the

burger accessible even to children, thereby communicating it as easily

affordable for anyone.

24
3. Commitment Strategy

Brands that use commitment strategy invite an initial small action that

is consistent with the target behavior. People tend to complete larger

tasks if they are asked to do a smaller task first. When the consumer

takes an action of committing to a particular behavior; they set the stage

for subsequent consistent behavior (Cialdini, 2009).27 The social media

platforms are great platforms for the marketing of companies by securing

a commitment towards their brand.

Example: The Familiarity Test (McDonald’s India, 2016)28

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM3lGoHnfBM>

By asking consumers for a favor, McDonalds India makes its way into

their daily schedules. By asking them to spend some time in their outlet,

they urge customers get familiar with one another and that McDonald’s

provides that amicable environment for people to get to know each

other better. This eventually led them to consume the services provided

by McDonald’s. The Benjamin Franklin Effect plays a pivotal role in the

Commitment strategy.

It is important to keep these components in mind while devising a strategy

for a brand. There are a lot of factors affecting the behavior of a person,

thus, creating more opportunities or increasing the ability to perform a

task, helps bring about a change in behavior that can be favorable to the

company.
3.4 Studying the Brands

To analyze the various strategies used in the market by various brands,

two brands targeting two different industries were studied.

1. McDonalds India, a leading fast food chain in India (Keller, n.d.)29

2. The Write Place, a growing publishing house initiated by Crossword

Bookstores.

3.4.1 McDonald’s India

McDonald’s entered India, the 95th country, in 1996 via two partners-

Amit Jatia under Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. in the Western and

Southern Region and Vikram Bakshi under Connaught Plaza Restaurants

Pvt. Ltd in Northern and Eastern Region. For the first time, the menu

contained non-beef and non-pork items. Its philosophy of QSCV(Quality,

Service, Cleanliness, and Value) is the guiding force behind its service to

Indian customers (Anon, 2013).30

80% of the McDonald’s outlets are through franchise route. However,

when it entered developing countries, it did so via the ownership model.

With both joint ventures, McDonald’s signed a 25-year contract that

will run until 2025. As of the year 2013, the company churned out $27.5

billion. Nevertheless, in recent times, both partnerships have unraveled

financially, structurally and behaviourally (D and Chakravarty, 2013). 31

McDonald’s India has earned tremendous trust and respect from its

customers and has even won “The most trusted family restaurant brand

in the country” award consecutively for the years 2009, 2010 & 2011

(McDonald’s India, n.d.).32 26

 Figure 4 Sales of McDonald’s India

Figure 5 McDonald’s India at a glance

3.4.2 The Write Place

The Write Place is a Crossword initiative that provides a platform to

promote aspiring authors (Crossword Bookstores, 2014). The publishing

house is at a nascent stage, established only in 2014. The vision of the

house is to be the authors’ choice of publishing not just because they

were the best but owing to their innovative insight with regards to the

printing, packaging, marketing and retailing (Amit, 2016).33 Having

published 8 books in the year 2015, their target is 50-60 books a year

(Jerajani, Personal communication, 16 January, 2018). The Write Place

has the advantage of being a part of the largest bookstore chain in India

and uses this to attract their target audience.

In the year 2015, The Write Place came up with a two-minute video that

showcased how they are a one-stop solution for an author to convert the

raw manuscript into a finished book (YouTube, 2015).34 They also have

a contest called ‘I Want To Be An Author’ that focuses on encouraging

young children to submit their short stories and the selected ones will

be published across the 96 crossword stores in a book format. They are

publicizing this contest through social media posters and personally

approaching schools in Mumbai (The New Indian Express, 2017).35 To

further promote their publishing house, they post about their best selling

novels and authors on social media by creating posters of them. This

attracts the attention of the targeted audience in hopes of reaching that

same position someday.

28
04 METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY

4.1 Research Type

4.2 Method

4.3 Popultion of Study

4.4 Sample of Study

4.5 Tools of Data Collection

4.6 Procedure of Data Collection

4.7 Method of Data Analysis

4.1 Research Type

Descriptive- The goal is to understand the process of advertising and

the various strategies that make or break a brand in the market with the

help of two brand companies- Indian fast food joint McDonald’s and

Crossword initiative The Write Place. In order to explore a fresh outlook

on the advertising approach of The Write Place, the advertising strategies

that work for the food industry will be applied to the publishing sector.

4.2 Method

Qualitative- Qualitative method is good for fewer responses as more

information can be gathered from a small group of respondents. It makes

it a more personal and interactive kind of research.

• Describe the market and the need for advertising in the publishing

sector.

• Understand the perceptions of authors and publishing house.

• Explore the different kinds of strategies and their effects.

4.3 Population of Study

A. Customers of McDonald’s to get a holistic understanding of what

makes them consume the services provided by the food outlet.

B. Upcoming authors who have had one or two books published or are

aspiring to publish one as they are the current target of the publishing

house being studied.

4.4 Sample of Study

A. The population of customers of McDonald’s is way too large to take the

whole into consideration. Thus, simple random sampling will be taken.

Each individual has an equal likelihood of selection. The key to random

selection is that there is no bias involved in the selection of the sample.

B. A probability sampling (stratified random sampling) will be taken

of authors who have had one or two books published as well as those

who haven’t had any book published yet to carry out fair research.

Disproportionate stratified sampling will give a better idea as the target

is so heterogeneous that the entire population cannot be taken into

consideration.

4.5 Tools for Data Collection

A. Interview- An interview is more personal and is a credible source of

information. An observation can be carried out to get a better insight

into the personas of the target. An interview will be with authors and the

publishing house. Observe them based on the five human factors.

B. Survey- A survey gets a wider and quantitative response. In order

to understand which strategies work best in the food industry for

McDonald’s, an objective response will make the process of data analysis

and interpretation quicker and prompt.

C. Questionnaire- Can be mailed to authors and brand representatives

who are unavailable in person. Make the questions clear and easy to

understand. Make it interactive to get better responses. Record responses

an analyze them.

32
4.6 Procedure for Data Collection

A. Primary data collection

Observe the behavior of customers with the environment created by

McDonald’s.

Get first-hand response from customers of McDonald’s on which kind of

advertising attracts them most to the outlet.

A credible source of information and get answers to questions that

couldn’t be found through other sources. Observe and interview editors/

representatives of The Write Place publishing house. Get a better

understanding of the aspects that the authors look into when approaching

a publishing house.

B. Secondary data collection

Before going into the field, secondary research gives a brief introduction

and basic understanding of the question being studied through sources

available online in the form of research papers, newspaper articles, and

reviews as well as in books and journals. Study about the motivation and

ease ad strategies. Observe what makes these strategies work, what effect

it has on the consumers by using McDonald’s as a case study. Study the

history of The Write Place and its current status and scope in the market

with respect to advertising.

4.7 Method of Data Analysis

Qualitative-

A. Identify the main effect of advertising created by McDonald’s. Assign

codes to understand the number of times a theme has been repeated

during the survey to get a statistical result. Interpret the responses and

break down the spoken words into text. Classify them into categories

under the main theme.

B. Understand the needs and working of The Write Place to create an

advertisement and reach out to the target audience. Make notes on the

brand vision and mission. Align the data collected with the brand image.

34
05 ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

5.1 McDonald’s India

5.1.1 Observation

5.1.2 Analysis

5.2 The Write Place

5.2.1 Observation

5.2.2 Analysis
5.1 McDonald’s India

To study the effect of advertising strategies in the market, data was

collected through observation and survey for McDonald’s India.

5.1.1 Observation

The environment of McDonald’s was studied based on the Five Human

Factors. It is a method for supporting observation in the field, urging

researchers to observe physical, cognitive, social, cultural and emotional

elements present in an environment to understand user experience

(Kumar, 2013).36

Figure 6 Five Human Factors- McDonald’s India

5.1.2 Analysis

After making a qualitative observation, a survey was carried out with 32

respondents to determine which advertising strategy used by McDonald’s

India over time was best suited to bring about change in consumer

behavior. The respondents were customers between the ages of 8-45 years

walking into the restaurant. The strategies were categorized into various

themes so as to make the options easier for respondents to choose. The

results were then statistically plotted.

Figure 7 Results of surevy for McDonald’s India 38

Analysing the data collected through observation and survey, the

consumers’ preferences were understood which helped to select the

strategies that proved to be influential for consumers.

Out of the results obtained, it was found that these three strategies work

the best for McDonalds India in bringing about a change in behavior.

A. Evocation

B. Commitment

C. Collectivism

5.2 The Write Place

Upon studying the strategies that already existed with respect to

McDonald’s India in the food industry, strategies of The Write Place in

the publishing sector were studied to analyze which were most suitable

and influential among the target group of authors. Without using more

number of advertisements, The Write Place has managed to create

awareness and a market for themselves at an early age.

5.2.1 Observation

After an interview with the editor at The Write Place, Mr. Anup Jerajani,

a qualitative analysis of the data was made and a word cloud was created

to highlight the keywords of the interview.

 Figure 8 Wordcloud based on interview

5.2.2 Analysis

The target audience for The Write Place is aspiring authors (Jerajani,

Personal communication, 16 January, 2018). A questionnaire was

circulated among 15 upcoming authors in Mumbai. They fell between the

age group of 18 - 50. The data collected was analyzed and the common

themes were noted down.

From the questionnaire circulated to upcoming authors, it was found that

their preferences/ priorities fell under the following categories :

A. Relationship

B. Marketing

C. Character

40
Figure 9 Themes derived from questionnaire
Their current advertisement uses the strategy of eliminating complexity

effectively while play and modeling strategies support the campaign

where they interact with their target audience.

One such instance is the program called ‘I Want to Be an Author’ where

students from across Mumbai’s schools will be encouraged to submit their

short stories in the hopes of getting published. The maximum possible

number of stories, written by the children, will then be shortlisted and

published in a book format by The Write Place. The process also involves

mentoring and felicitation of the young authors by some of the most

reputed and renowned authors of India (Deccan Chronicle, 2017).37 With

teen authors on the rise, this program could create huge traction for the

publishing house.

42
06 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

6.1 Brief Overview of the Study

6.2 Major Findings of the Study

6.3 Implications & Conclusions of

the Study

6.4 Suggestions for further

research
6.1 Brief Overview of the Study

This study deals with the process of advertising and the various

motivation and ease ad strategies with respect to McDonalds India and

The Write Place. Action changes attitude faster than attitude changes

action (Ferrier, 2014). Thus, in order to demand a the desired behavior

from the consumers, it is imperative to strategize in a way that consumers

unintentionally give the brand what they are asking for.

Upon studying the motivation and ease ad strategies that work best for

McDonald’s, the advertising strategies for The Write Place were analyzed.

A hypothesis was formed to determine which would be most influential

for the publishing house based on a questionnaire created for aspiring

authors. The result will derive whether the advertising strategies that

work for a particular industry, work in another or not.

A qualitative research was conducted that ensures credible data. The

tools used for data collection were interview, survey, and questionnaire.

A survey was conducted to interpret which of the motivation and ease ad

strategies attracted consumers to McDonald’s the most. With the help

of a questionnaire, the expectations of aspiring authors from publishing

houses were determined. Based on the findings of the observation,

advertising strategies that would best suit The Write Place were proposed.

6.2 Major Findings of the Study

From the survey carried out for 32 customers of McDonalds India, it was
found that, out of eight, 3 of the advertising strategies were influential in

inducing behavior change. These three strategies were:

A. Evocation

B. Commitment

C. Collectivism

From the questionnaire circulated to upcoming authors, it was found

that their preferences/ priorities fell under the following categories :

A. Relationship

B. Marketing

C. Character

After evaluating the authors’ responses, it was found that the following

strategies would work best for The Write Place in addition to their current

ad that makes use of eliminate-complexity:

A. Ownership

B. Commitment

C. Utility

6.3 Implications and Conclusions of the Study

The brand needs to choose The advertising strategies carefully as they

create an impression of the brand for a long period.

Even a small number of strategies can help grow a company. The correct

process and attention to detail while making an advertisement can prove

beneficial. Some strategies come and go but there are a few that always

work for the brand. 46

6.4 Suggestions for Further Research

The Write Place is still growing and is capable of becoming one of the

leading publishing houses in India with its services and exposure. To

create more awareness and attract their target audience, the following

advertising strategies can be used :

A. Commitment

B. Ownership

C. Utility

These strategies can be tested by conducting an experiment. Test

samples of advertisements created using these strategies can be shown

to a selected part of the target audience using the proportionate stratified

sampling method which is useful when equal representation is needed

from each group. This will help to get more accurate answers to which

strategies work best for the Write Place.

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54
08 APPENDICES

8.1 Designed Questionnaire

8.1.1 McDonald’s Survey

1. Do you go to McDonalds?

a. Yes

b. No

2. Why do you go to McDonalds?

a. Food is inexpensive

b. For the happy meal (toy)

c. To hangout with friends/ family

d. For its combos and offers

e. It has become your go-to fast food joint

f. Because it’s a trend

g. Because of the contests

h. Other (please mention)

8.1.2 The Write Place Interview with Mr. Anup Jerajani

1. Why has Crossword come up with this initiative?

2. What is the USP of The Write Place?

3. Does the publishing house have any preferences when it comes to

genre? If yes, why?

4. You target aspiring authors. How do you make the process easy for

them?

5. How long does the process take?

6. Does the author get personal assistance till the book is published?

7. The website mentions that writers wanting to get their work published

can send their manuscripts. Is there any other way of approaching?

8. Does the house approach authors as well?

9. Being a part of Crossword, what privileges do authors enjoy?

10. Is there a reason why there aren’t many ads to promote The Write

Place?

11. Are the authors involved in the promotion of the books? If yes, how?

How has the journey been so far?

8.1.3 Questionnaire for Upcoming Authors

1. How long have you been writing?

2. Which genre interests you?

3. Do you know any publication house in India? How?

4. Have you ever tried publishing a book?

5. Have you heard about The Write Place publication house?

6. These are the advertisements used by The Write Place. Do any appeal

to you?

7. What do you look for in a publication house?

56
8.2 Collected Responses to Questionnaire

8.2.1 McDonald’s Survey

Figure 10 Question 1- Survey Result

Figure 11 Question 2- Survey Result

8.2.2 The Write Place Interview with Mr. Anup Jerajani

1. Why has Crossword come up with this initiative?

• To promote aspiring authors. Had got a lot of entries from people

wishing to publish them into books.

• Take care of processes from pre press till marketing

• Authors get a self esteem boost and connects readers and authors

2. What is the USP of The Write Place?

• Author gets space in Crossword bookstores and exposure

3. Does the publishing house have any preferences when it comes to

genre? If yes, why?

• House does not have preferences but a lot of entries are fiction works.

• Young writers pen fantasy fictions whereas people who are 40+ come

up with mythology fiction.

• All genres are welcome but those belonging to the non-fiction and

current affairs category are in demand

4. You target aspiring authors. How do you make the process easy for

them?

• They jut have to send a synopsis or copy of the manuscript.

• If the book is decided to be published, the house takes care of everything

there on, from its editing to its marketing via social media platforms

5. How long does the process take?

• Depends on the size of the book but on an average, takes upto 2-3 58
 months for the final book to be ready.

6. Does the author get personal assistance till the book is published?

• Yes, the author interacts with just one person throughout the time

period.

7. The website mentions that writers wanting to get their work published

can send their manuscripts. Is there any other way of approaching?

• Mostly get entries through e-mails

• House has organised contests in Mumbai called “I Want to be an

Author” where school children are encouraged to write short stories

and a selected few will be published as a book.

8. Does the house approach authors as well?

• No. Except when they want to commission authors.

9. Being a part of Crossword, what privileges do authors enjoy?

• Premium space in Crossword bookstores

• Their books are made available in numerous stores

• Featured on the social media pages

• “When we popularise, we popularise books which turn brings us

credibility”

10. Is there a reason why there aren’t many ads to promote The Write

Place?

• Ads are not the only thing that sells books.

• Authors themselves have to be involved in the promotion of books for

it to be successful.

• Target customers of Crossword for marketing.

11. How has the journey been so far?

• Have grown in the last three years

• Had started off with only 6 books a year. Now we publish upto 50-60

books a year.

• Through Crossword, had inculcated a reading habit. Through The

Write Place, want to inculcate a writing habit

8.2.3 Questionnaire for Upcoming Authors

1. How long have you been writing?

a. Since I was in school, so around 6 years.

b. I always like wiring but I recently reading but I recently started writing.

c. Past two years

d. Ever since I was in school. I used to write great essays in school exams

also.

2. Which genre interests you?

a. Science fantasy, mystery

b. Non fiction, mythology, romance at times

c. Fantasy, that’s the one I like the most. Sometimes mystery

3. Do you know any publication house in India? How?

a. Penguin. I read The Memory Keeper’s Daughter published by them 60

b. None of them are Indian

c. Not really. I don’t look at publishing houses

d. Penguin, Jaico, The Write Place. Penguin, well it’s very famous. Lot of

best selling novels. Jaico through a friend, I’m not sure if it’s still there

and I saw a Write Place contest poster on Facebook

4. Have you ever tried publishing a book?

a. No

b. I have had people telling me I should pursue writing, at least blogs but

I like to keep my writing private

c. I’ve had a few articles published in my office magazine but that’s it.

Haven’t pursued it further

5. Have you heard about The Write Place publication house?

a. No

b. Yes, like I said earlier. They have a writing contest plus I saw a section

for their books at Crossword

6. These are the advertisements used by The Write Place. Do any appeal

to you?

a. The video is nice. I need more information if I’m going to this publication

house.

b. They’ve published good novels from what I read here and the fact that

it’s a crossword initiative does intrigue me but I still need to know more.

If I could see more posts like Penguin, I would consider.

7. What do you look for in a publication house?

a. Help through the process, promote books well and get good exposure

b. They have to fair by all means. Stick to their commitments and discuss

every decision

c. Professional, promotion of books at events etc., friendly budget and

good exposure

d. On time completion, help through the process. Being professional and

fair is crucial in addition to getting good exposure.

62