Advertising in
Theory

Deficiency Needs
• The first four layers of needs are called
deficiency needs.
• Individuals don’t really feel anything if
they are met, but feel anxious if they are
not met.

Physiological
• These are the basic animal needs for food,
warmth, shelter etc.
• Physiological needs take priority when
they are not being met.
• They can control thoughts/behaviours
and can cause sickness, pain, discomfort.

Safety
• When our physical needs are met, we
yearn for a predictable, orderly world.
• We try to protect ourselves from
unpredictable events and from injustice.
• We develop systems of security and
insurance.

Love and Belonging
• These are social needs.
• We seek friendship, intimacy, and a
supportive family environment.
• Humans need to feel a sense of belonging
and acceptance – a connection to others.

Love and Belonging
• Can you think of ways in which people
might seek to meet these needs through
use of the media?
• More importantly, does the media actually
work in meeting these needs?

Esteem Needs
• People need to be respected, to have self-
esteem, self-respect, and to respect others.
• Seeking recognition, setting goals and
achieving results, making a contribution:
all are ways of trying to meet these needs.
• We also seek role models, heroes and
mentors

Esteem Needs
• Can you think of ways in which people
might seek to meet these needs through
use of the media?
• How successful is the media in meeting
esteem needs?

Self-actualisation
• This is the need for humans to make the most of their
abilities and to strive to be the best they can.
• Self actualising people:
• embrace the facts & realities of the world (including
themselves) rather than denying or avoiding them.
• are spontaneous in their ideas and actions.
• are creative
• are interested in solving problems; this often includes
the problems of others. Solving these problems is often
a key focus in their lives.

Self-actualisation
• Continued...
• Self actualising people:
• feel a closeness to other people, and generally
appreciate life.
• have a system of morality that is fully internalised &
independent of external authority.
• have discernment and are able to view all things in an
objective manner.

Self-actualisation
• There are a variety of ways in which the
media might work to meet self-
actualisation needs.
• More importantly, how might new
media technologies impact these needs?
• For example, to what extent does new/
digital media enable people to “do
things their own way”?

Translation into
Advertising
*adapted from a slideshow
provided by 4cs.yr.com

Post-War Period
• Immediately after
World War II, gender
and social
stereotyping was
prevalent.
• People viewed
themselves in terms of
class, role, and life
stage

Supermarkets
• Started to appear in the
late 1960s
• In the queue, you could
have a nose at what other
people were buying.
• A researcher came up
with the idea of brand
families...

Lifestyle
• What kind of life did
these brand families fit
into?

Values
• Underneath the
brand choice and
lifestyle were values.
• Advertising
researchers started to
refer to Values and
Lifestyles (VALS)

Young and Rubicam
• This New York Cross
advertising agency were
the first to start planning Cultural
advertising using VALS
Consumer
• They came up with an
international values
Characterisation
segmentation: 4Cs.

7
Seven Values
Self Expression
Individuality
Control
• There are seven 4Cs
values, all derived from Status
accepted theories,
including Maslow’s Security
Hierarchy of Needs
Escape
Survival

Individuals
Self-Expression (enlightenment)
Individuality (discovery) Groups based
on these theoretical
Control
4Cs values represent
Status individuals whose
characteristics can be
Security
instinctively grasped.
Escape
Survival

4Cs Values
enlightenment
discovery
• Seven ways of thinking, control
feeling, and responding
status
• Seven ways to choose
security
• Seven targets connecting
to meaning and insight escape
survival

Values Characterisation
enlightenment reformer
discovery explorer
control succeeder
status aspirer
security mainstream
escape struggler
survival resigned

Values, Influence
• People are attracted to different brands,
depending on their values
• Their values also influence the types of
advertising to which they will respond

Brand People
meaning lives
properties priorities
Communication Style
Tone of voice, use of space
colour, diction, moods

Mainstream
Security

security: brand
strong
brands carry
large emotional NOT stylish,
charge of popular - glamorous, upper-
trust and no fear of
disapproval class
reliance
kind, r
healthy T dis tant o
helpful, NO t
simple ar rogan
obliging
wholesome stylish
cha cha
value rm NOT
nat uvini ing NOT daring
for ion sm or
al p fun or dynamic
money ast
car NOT different (but
ing hone
calm st, unique)
straig
ht-
emotional forward
investment
gives
added value light

carefu
l with satisfied security: target
mone
y price
routine conscious
order AVOID
organisation
pleasing the sacrifice confrontation
-
family p leasure
home base sma ll treats D risk
A VOI
security freedom
confo
fam
rmin
conve g obe
ily
ntion yr
al ule
ro
nea s
les
t&
tidy
passive, religion
accepting, blend
recpetive in
family roles
lacking

security: communication
personal style
quiet
chat
human
easy-going NOT a social
warmth
, situation
simple s ensitive
instructions considerate
i guous
conventional u namb
safe complex
clean
se
and
nt
clear no
pu
im
(prim zzl
en
ary es
colour
t
s) ssuring NOT
nea rea
t& reason or
tidy the logic
familiar, past
consistent
impersonal

Brand: nice hot cup of tea – the
answer to life’s problems
Target: mirror to UK family life
Style: human warmth, simple, familiar

Brand: financial security
Target: universal value for security
Style: anthemic, pulling the heartstrings

Aspirer
Status

Status: brand
strong
High class
NOT
straig
htforw Projects
ard ‘sp ecial’
fashion a
healthy p erson
simple
wholesome stylish
tre
nd
y DYNAMIC
ORIGINAL …
unique
CHARISMA
sparkle & shine
fun
&f
light rie
nd
ly

Status: target
satisfied
Attention
NOT &
carefu
l admiration
mone with
y spect
home & money w ant re
family measure
security freedom
acq UNFULFILLED
uis DESIRE
itio
n
irresistible
envy
impulse
IM
US
TH
AV
EI
lacking T!

Status: communication style
unsur personal
e of ta
seek a ste –
dvice
NOT
easyg
? Social
oing situations
sensitive
intimate
safe complex
attractive & intriguing
fantasy persona –
imaginative, abstract,
un ambiguous, complex
sur
wa
nt e wh
?
for at t
mu o s
la f ay –
ram
ew
impersonal ork

Brand: hair spray
Target: mirror ideal: Friends TV star
Style: fantasy, abstract, ambiguous … shine, sparkle,
charisma, gold

Brand: perfume
Target: attention, admiration
Style: desirable fantasy persona,
bright lights, shine,
sparkle, gold,
reckless waste

Brand: fashion, classy, trendy
Target: respect, recognition
Style: assured, casual fantasy
persona

Succeeder
Control

Control: brand
strong
‘worth’
reliab
le,
trustw qu
alit Pro gress,
o rship
down rthy, y
leade
-to-ea
straig rth, performance
htforw
ard
-class
Craftsmanship e , high few
p restig or the
only f
wholesome traditional, stylish
OUTDOORS
authentic the lastest
thing
NO
stress relief
too T gla
cares calm we mo
ak ur
and or c
dep har
l ours – end m –
(seri ous co roon ent
e, ma .)
light d ark blu etc

Control: target
satisfied
high self-esteem
sat
organ isfi
isatio ed al-oriented
plann n, go
ing
careful with establishment e new
futu re - th
identification
money
s personal calculated
soci al skillconfidence
security risk
freedom
dress to impress
NO
Tl
ow
sel
f-w
ort
h
lacking

Control: communication
personal style
extrovert
good NE ations
with p exciti W social situ
eople ng
controlling orga nising
ambiguity reality
co mplex
personal experience
orga niser
safe practical thorough
complex
logical
can-do science
time & money problem
ana
control fac lytic solving
ts a al
nd
fig
ure
s
impersonal

Brand: business travel – expected high service
Target: decision maker
Style: man to man, assumes
high status

Explorer
Discovery

discovery: brand
strong progressive
NOT
trad innovative
itiona
l
NOT
hone intelligent
trustw st &
orthy
class style
wholesome stylish
NOT calm
& healthy trendy
DARING
energy differecnt
ha rm
ing
care-free
light

discovery: target
satisfied
frie confident change
NOT
rou
nd
s
NOT tine new & unusual
organ
isati
eclectic
on unconventional
NOT personal
home
-bodie
s difference SHOCK
security impulse freedom
NOT e
xpe
rim
certainty risk hedonism
ent
ANTI- sensation
censorship
adventure adrenalin
exp
eri
ANTI- enc
ANTI- break the rules e
authority sex-roles
lacking

Discovery: communication
personal style
people
im
agi
nat
people
p
ion eople colour
new, exciting, contrast, clash
futuristic
puzzles sensation
explosion
surreal, hyper-real
safe cle
ver
complex
NOT boxes witty crazy logic
BREAK
RULES
NOT rigid, NOT
analy
conventional tical
familiar
impersonal

Brand: travel … experience
Target: mirror ideal cool guy
Style: wild, witty, extreme, fast

Brand: wild & dangerous, reality risk
Target: shock, adrenalin, irony, hip-cynicism
Style: surreal, strange, puzzle

Reformer
Enlightenment

Enlightenment: brand
strong
strong
personality
per
for innovative
ms
straightforward up-to-date intelligent
dyn
unpretentious expressive am
wholesome ic
authentic distinctive stylish
friend
ship
light

Enlightenment: target
satisfied
freedom in
per
son every way
intrinsic values al c nothing tight
on
fid or restricted
enc
personal growth e
less impressed by ind pleasure principle -
status or wealth fre ividu aesthetics
less concerned with
edo al
ms
security impressing others social
freedom
no cer conscience the right to
tainti
not co es
ncern disobey
with ed
respe prefe
ctability r sligh
disor t
der
lacking

Enlightenment:
personal communication style
un
u
un sual free, open
challenge safe exp ,
ect
ed space
assumptions high culture
imagination - the
sen future
aesthetics
abs
col sua tra
ou l abstract ideas ct,
com
des r & ple
ign - fantasy des x
ign
safe fluid train of thought
in-dep complex
th dis
cussio science
n
r
ation
layers al arg
of - inform umen
comp ation t
lexity indep
enden for
decis t
ion
impersonal

Brand: innovative, intelligent, strong, friendly
Target: desire for information, intrinsic values
Style: free-floating, discussion, unexpected

fundamental human
values
CONTROL ENLIGHTENMENT
Succeeder Reformer
Goal orientation, self
determination: stability,
lasting, enduring – Freedom from restriction,
thorough, organising, intrinsic meaning, intrinsic
delegating, problem- identity, independent
solving, simplifying judgement, social
complexity, prestige, conscience, aesthetics,
hierarchy personal growth

fundamental human values
SECURITY DISCOVERY
Mainstream
Explorer
Avoid risk, human Adventure, exploration,
warmth, seeking, finding – who am
comfort, sentiment, I? What is out there? How
belonging, order, far can I go? What happens
familiarity, acceptance, if I do this? Adrenaline,
blending in, avoid hedonism, speed, danger,
confrontation risk, Instant gratification

fundamental human values
STATUS ESCAPE
Aspirer Struggler
Attention, admiration, Alienation, low self-esteem,
image, persona, extrinsics, repressed desire,
materialism, acquisition, disorganised, physical,
affiliation, charisma agression, anarchy
SURVIVAL
Resigned
Rigidity, discipline, limitation, imperative, tradition,
safety, authority, duty, roles, rules, chauvinism,
avoid complexity

Hierarchy of Needs
Reformer ENLIGHTENMENT
Explorer DISCOVERY
Succeeder CONTROL
Aspirer STATUS
Mainstream SECURITY
Struggler ESCAPE
Resigned SURVIVAL

Model of Adoption
Reformer
ENLIGHTENMENT
INNOVATIVE
Explorer
DISCOVERY
Succeeder
CONTROL
EARLY ADOPTER
Aspirer
STATUS
Mainstream
SECURITY MIDDLE MAJORITY
Struggler
ESCAPE
Resigned
LAGGARDS
SURVIVAL