Operating Within the Guidelines

Olivia Brewer
ob33ohio@gmail.com

In our current social media and mobile communication world, messages from companies or organizations can be delivered specifically to the targeted audience without the interference of the news media. However, there are regulations about the ethics of how these messages are constructed.

The AAF states, “Advertising, public relations, marketing communications, news, and editorial all share a common objective of truth and high ethical standards in serving the public,” meaning that advertising professionals practice the ethical standards similar to journalism.

So how can companies present their product in a competitive market while avoiding misconceptions? Or rather, how can they remain honest while presenting their product in the most attractive way?

This is achieved through strategic communication: communication that is expertly crafted to influence consumer behavior.

Strategic communication is an intentional message design. It isn’t just clever communication used in eye-catching advertisements. According to Defining Strategic Communication, “To create an intentional message, you must begin with a realistic communication goal for what you’re trying to achieve.” To achieve strategic communication, you must align your message with the goals of the company or organization and with the goals of the intended audience.

Companies can’t alter messages, but they can use our psychology to influence us. In some cases, advertisers use a tactic called framing. Framing theory is about analyzing how our perceptions influence our interpretation of the world around us. While there are many psychological and sociological definitions of the theory, framing in advertising is about shifting the perception of the product to ensure that it's presented appealingly.

Framing conflated with the strategic communication of advertising

In an article titled Framing Examples in Advertising, Gerald Hanks outlines four major types of framing in advertising: loss, gain, statistical, and language. “[P]rofessionals frame the aspects of an ad and adjust the meaning of its message with tools such as color images, strident music, and precise language,” Hank writes.

A loss frame may present an ad as something the customer could lose if they don’t act, while a gain frame shows the customer what they will gain if they use the product. Using precise language shapes the message. While all of the aspects of the message are honest, it shifts the perception of the message so that the content provokes action.

Recognizing framing

For example, look at this graphic created by Colin Finkle for Brand Marketing Blog that illustrates effective framing. Both statements are, technically, accurate; however, the statement in the first graphic isn’t nearly as appealing as the graphic on the bottom. Finkle explains that, by using framing and precise language, the perception of the truck is shifted to a gain rather than a loss. By just sticking to the fact that the truck gets 22 miles per gallon of gas, customers will think of the money they’ll spend on gas; however, focusing on the truck being best in class for fuel economy, whatever that may be for trucks, will insight a better response.

Framing is used to ensure the company operates within the guidelines while the product is still being presented in a way to provoke viewer response. With strategic communication, the principles for honesty in commercial communication are followed while still meeting the goals of the company and the audience.