WEEK 12: BATA

Week 12: Bata

Advertising: Project 4 (40%) Bata (Power: men's and women's shoes)

With the completion of Project 1, 2 & 3 you have gained empirical knowledge of Bernbach’s principles in advertising and the role and functions of an advertising art director. In the process, you have developed a basic understanding of advertising strategy, which you will further develop as you embark on Project 4.

Bata shoes first store opened in the Capitol Building, Singapore in 1930. In July the same year, Tomas Bata had established Bata Shoe Company Limited to carry on the business as manufacturers, distributors and marketers of footwear, as well as dealers in leather and rubber goods. Five years later, a factory was built in Klang, Selangor to produce PVC injected footwear for both domestic and overseas markets.

Bata is synonymous with affordable shoes of good quality, and seems to be a popular choice amongst the working class Malaysians. In order to cater to a wider market segment Bata has created different branded products e.g.: Marie Claire, North Star, Weinbrenner, Power, school shoes and others.

For the purpose of this project, your focus will be limited to Bata's Power brand of shoes (sports sneakers) for women and men. Your task is to identify the market segment, research competitor strategies, develop a distinct strategy upon which the visual and copy direction will be based on. As part of Project 4's requirement, the advertisement created must be copy heavy and typographically intensive. Visuals can be used to enhance and support the copy. (Examples have been furnished in the Facebook Group). 

The type of print media used must be determined based on sound reasoning; research, strategy and target segment. Upon completion of the print media, the ad needs to be translated into a TVC (Television or Online Commercial). The TVC ad must be based on the same strategy and consist of the same Ad/Campaign message. 

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Resource in Bata:

https://www.behance.net/gallery/16208835/Bata-Shoe-Museum-rebranding

http://www.bata.com

Deadline: Week 15 (28th April 2016)

Assessment Plan

Project 04 (40% Summative)

20% STRATEGY

10% Strategy: Research Strategy (Client strategy, Market Segment Study/Identification, Competitor Strategies)

10% Strategy: Direction & Communication Strategy (Copy/Visual Message & Media)

20% CAMPAIGN

10% Communication

10% Art Direction

Marking Criteria 

STRATEGY 20% 

Research strategy (10%)

There must be evidence of research on the client and competitors current marketing and advertising strategies. The targeted consumer must be clearly identified and described (using behavioral, demographic, psychographic and geographic segmentation would be an advantage). The journey from start to finish must be methodically documented and dated. Oral or written Feedback must be documented on a week by week basis. The written reflections must be clear, concise, revealing and insightful.

Direction & Communication Strategy (10%)

There must be visible evidence of exploration of a number of different strategies using mind maps, sketches, thoughts and epiphanies on the basis of the outcome of the research strategy. The exploration should result in a distinctive strategy that relates to the targeted consumer segment. The developed strategy needs to set the brand apart from its competitors within that market segment.

CAMPAIGN 20%

Communication (10%)

The message needs to be creative, clear and concise. The message has to be truthful and not gimmicky. The message must be unique in order to stand out from the rest of the competitors. The message must have a sense of personality that relates to, or reflects the target audience.

Art Direction (10%)

Art direction here refers to the visual and copy "style" for the overall design. The crafting of the visual and copy must reflect good composition, appropriate choice of typeface & visual, hierarchy in communication, appropriate choice of colour and a synergy of style between visual and copy. Good art direction (visual & copy style) will reflect strong proficiency in the use of relevant software to realize the style sought after. Good art direction (layout, visual & copy style) must consist of the detailing that is involved in the creation of the advertisement.

Research

Examples of copy heavy advertisements:

Research on Bata and its market:

Example of Bata advertisements:

Bata stores:

Strategies & Ideas

I am yet to have any ideas on how I will go through with this project this far.
Image:

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Copy:

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Feedback

Mr. Vinod:

I viewed your post for week 12 and your secondary research is good, you have done your research on copy heavy ads, which now give you a rough idea as to what they entail, you have done your research on Bata, the company, and it's advertising. All in all, it is a goo start. 

You have left out your reflection writing and your attempt at formulating a strategy and an idea. I hope you complete that before the weekend. 

My suggestion when attempting this kind of ad is to immerse yourself in the values of the company, it's current marketing strategy and an understanding of its consumers. One thing is clear about the consumer (target audience) they are your average individual, most likely middle/lower middle-class. This is not a brand that seeks to be NIKE. It is a brand for the average joe. But yet it provides a vital option for the average joe who isn't able to afford a NIKE/Adidas or any of the other premium brands. As, such in your strategy do not attempt to make it a premium brand in the tone/approach of your copy when you do attempt to write one. 

You can write a headline and then build a copy around it. Or you can write the copy and extract a headline from it (the latter is what I usually do).

This ad will need you to communicate (value) persuade (to buy) and inspire (that they are part of something? What that is, is up to you).

Use the above as a guide, but feel free to chart your own course if your research and thinking suggest something different. 

Remember the ad is a copy heavy ad, and the image plays a secondary role (if at all).

Reflection:

Experience

With there being a Bata in Zimbabwe, I was actually able to  visit the store and get a better feel of its 'personality'. I found this to aid in getting an idea of the client and it's image. Looking at the products and the store outlook was illuminating as well. 

Observation

This was actually my first time experiencing Bata in this way. Previously, in Malaysia, I was of the perception that Bata was expensive. I will try look into why I was of this impression and if I wasn't the only one who thought so. 

Findings

In fully experiencing Bata, I purchased two pairs of canvas shoes. I liked how down-to-earth they were, and they only cost $7.90 a pair. Looking forward to engaging conversations with others regarding them while wearing it.