ADM Foundations
A company uses Instagram to promote a product. Is Instagram itself the marketing strategy?
No. Instagram is a digital channel; the strategy explains whom the brand wants to influence, what it wants to achieve and how communication will help.
A client says, 'We want more engagement.' What is one important follow-up question?
What specific behaviour counts as engagement, and what outcome is the campaign meant to achieve?
'68% of surveyed Gen Z consumers discover restaurants through social media.' Data, finding, observation or insight?
Data.
Which C asks what the brand stands for and what makes it different?
Company.
Complete GET–TO–BY: GET identifies ___; TO identifies ___; BY identifies ___.
GET = the audience to influence; TO = the intended change in what that audience thinks, feels or does; BY = the strategic approach to achieving that change.
What is the difference between marketing and advertising?
Marketing is the broader process of creating, communicating, delivering and exchanging value. Advertising is paid persuasive communication.
The client requests influencers before sharing any evidence. Is that a complete strategy?
No. Influencers are a possible execution choice; the agency must understand the problem and audience first.
Researchers notice that young consumers save restaurant videos before deciding where to eat. What makes this an observation rather than a complete insight?
It describes a behavior but does not yet explain the underlying motivation or tension behind that behavior.
Which C explores why consumers start, stop or change their behaviour?
Consumer.
A fitness app wants inactive university students to exercise more. Write only the GET part of a GET–TO–BY statement. Why is 'all university students' potentially weak?
GET should identify the specific priority audience to influence. 'All university students' may be too broad if their barriers and behaviors differ.
Name four questions that help you unpack advertising strategy
WHO, WHY, WHAT and HOW. You can also ask WHERE to identify the channel.
Name three things you would clarify before accepting a vague advertising brief.
Target audience, campaign objective, underlying problem, desired audience response, evidence, constraints or deliverables.
Students say they want to exercise more, but many stop using fitness apps after missing one workout. State a plausible insight and explain what additional evidence would strengthen it.
Possible insight: some students may interpret a missed workout as failure, making it harder to restart. This needs validation through further research into their thoughts, feelings and behavior.
Which C investigates competitors, category promises and repeated messages?
Category.
A brand wants consumers to consider its product, but the team writes “TO make a funny video.” What is wrong with this statement?
It describes an execution or tactic, not the intended audience change. TO should state the desired change in thinking, feeling or behavior.
A funny video gets millions of views, but nobody understands which brand made it. What might be the strategic problem?
Attention or entertainment may not be translating into clear brand association or the intended audience response
Why is 'make it viral' not a sufficient campaign objective?
Virality is not a precise business or communication outcome; the client must clarify what the campaign should change or achieve.
A survey finds that 80% of consumers have heard of a product. The client concludes, 'People don't buy because they don't understand it.' What is wrong with this conclusion?
Awareness does not establish understanding or explain non-purchase. The conclusion is an unsupported assumption; research must identify the actual barrier.
Which C explores cultural behaviours, social media habits and wider tensions in people's lives?
Culture
Research suggests consumers are interested in a product but hesitate because they are unsure how it works. Write a GET–TO–BY statement. BY must describe a strategic approach, not just a platform.
GET: interested but hesitant consumers. TO: increase their confidence in considering the product. BY: address their uncertainty with clear, relevant information and reassurance.
A client asks for a TikTok video, but has not explained the objective. What should the agency do first?
Clarify the business/communication problem, audience and desired response before choosing a tactic.
The client insists on a tactic you believe may not solve the problem. What should a good agency do?
Explain the concern, ask for supporting evidence, clarify the objective and justify a recommendation against the brief's actual problem.
A study finds that consumers describe a reusable product as 'interesting', 'different' and 'probably not for me'. The brand concludes that consumers need more information. Identify a deeper possible tension and explain why the evidence does not yet prove it.
Possible tension: consumers may be curious about the concept but feel it is unsuitable, uncomfortable or risky for them personally. The comments suggest a gap between curiosity and personal acceptance, but further research is needed to establish why.
After researching one of the 4Cs, what three questions are you expected to answer?
What did you find? So what? What might this help us understand?
Two teams identify different barriers among potential customers. One prioritises lack of trust; the other prioritises inconvenience. With a limited budget, how would you decide which GET–TO–BY strategy to pursue?
Compare evidence for each barrier, its effect on behaviour, the priority audience, journey stage and the likelihood of changing behaviour. Choose the most consequential, addressable barrier and align BY with it.