Is The "Call To Action" Dead

The latest Harvard Business Review carries an interesting story on research done into how consumers react to logos, pay-off lines and other information in an advert.

The results are interesting.

For starters, the researchers found that consumers tend to rebel against slogans.

"When it comes to slogans (pay-off lines), participants exhibited the opposite of the desired behaviour. After reading a slogan meant to incite spending ("luxury, you deserve it") , they decided to spend 26% less than after reading a neutral slogan ("Time is what you make of it"). When a slogan invited them to save ("Dress for less"), they decided to spend - an additional 29%, on average. The slogans had a reverse "priming" effect.

The researchers, a marketing professor from the University of Miami, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the Haas School of Business at the University of California, go on to say that their studies suggest that "reverse priming occurs because because consumers recognise that slogans deliberately attempt to persuade them, whereas (in their perception), brands do not. The recognition may not be conscious. We found that consumers automatically resisted a slogan's message."

Hence, a brand with a pay-off line or slogan that positions the said brand or product as "exclusive" or an "indulgence" immediately trigger the "saving" instinct of the consumer, leading them to spend less.

Whereas a pay-off or slogan that positions another brand or product as a "money-saver" actually prompted the consumer to spend more on it!

We fully agree with the researchers' conclusions: "There is actually good news here for marketers, who need not simply abandon slogans for fear of adverse reactions. Slogans can exert a positive influence, we believe, if the consumer is led to focus on something other than the effort to persuade."

And the final kicker was this: Creativity sells and convinces. The researchers asked a group of consumers to rate a set of slogans on the basis of "intent to persuade", while the other group was asked to rate them on creativity.

The group that evaluated creativity decided to spend 58% more than the other group.

This is why you will never see a Jericho advert urging to "rush, rush rush while stocks last!"

This is also why Jericho always strives to be the most creative on every brand it handles.

It is also the same reason why all our clients have seen huge returns on the cost of their advertising....higher recognition, more sales and more love for their brands and companies by the market.

It is also the reason why ads done by Jericho are consistently the most noticed by the market, across the board, from Old Mutual campaigns, Toyota campaigns, iwayAfrica adverts and campaigns, Nandos advertising campaigns to Pathfiner Luxury Coaches, RM Insurance and many many others.

Our clients will tell you that we are always hounding them for figures. We want to know by how much sales have increased since advertising started, we want to do research to see how perception has shifted due to a branding campaign.

Consumers are, we believe, the same all over the world: a mother in London loves their child as much as a mother in Lupane. A Zimbabwean wants good health as much as a Canadian.

The only thing that differs is the cultural context, which is where we come in: marrying creativity to Zimbabwe's unique cultural atmosphere, delivering relevant, impactful and profitable advertising.


It does raise the question: "Is the call to action dead?" Is it wise to continue with it when research clearly shows that it leads consumers to resist that specific call?

The market is evolving, you either evolve with it or you die.

Jericho Wins Gloria Flour Account

National Foods has appointed Jericho Advertising the Agency of Record (AOR) on the Gloria Flour account after a nine-way pitch.

Gloria is the market leader in the self-raising flour category in Zimbabwe. The Gloria range also includes Cake Flour, Plain White Flour and baking aids.

National Foods is the largest manufacturer of FMCGs in Zimbabwe and one of the largest companies listed on the Zimbabwe Stock exchange, with an annual turnover of over US$300 million.

Jericho's winning pitch, which National Foods have said can run exactly as it is, should be rolled out to market in the very near future.

Over and above this, Jericho Advertising has already started crafting a growth strategy for the brand, with a view to making Gloria the dominant and most desirable flour brand in Zimbabwe.

The Harare-based shop continues to make waves in the advertising industry in Zimbabwe, with a near 100% success rate at pitches so far.

Jericho Wins Pathfinder Luxury Coaches Account

A Pathfinder Luxury Coach is seen here parked at one of Zimbabwe's premier hotels. The account for the luxury coach company has been awarded to Jericho on the strength of testimony from current clients and even clients who are currently using other agencies who all recommended Jericho to Pathfinder management 

Jericho Advertising today announced that it has been appointed the exclusive agency for Pathfinder Luxury coaches, one of Zimbabwe's largest.

Pathfinder Luxury Coaches operates state-of-the-art coaches across Zimbabwe's borders into South Africa as well as within Zimbabwe itself. Routes include the popular Harare-Bulawayo as well as Victoria Falls. Since its launch, Pathfinder has grown in leaps and bounces and, according to Mr Fungai Makoni, the Managing Director of Pathfinder, the luxury coach company is so popular that their coaches are fully booked weeks in advance.

As the company ratchets up capacity, it has already ordered more buses, including double-decker coaches.
This has been made necessary because, even though Pathfinder also hire their buses out for private tours and occasions, demand is so high that there are not enough coaches to go around.

The appointment of Jericho Advertising by Pathfinder to handle all advertising and Public Relations comes on the back of recommendations from several existing clients, according to Mr Makoni.

In welcoming the new account on board, Mr Comfort Mbofana, the Business Development Director at Jericho Advertising, said:

"It is the greatest compliment to the abilities of the agency that several clients Pathfinder spoke to when they went looking for an agency all recommended Jericho without hesitation. It shows that our focus on growing the bottomline for clients with creative, award-winning work is paying dividends. This latest win comes as we also celebrate being appointed by Western Union as their exclusive agency in the Zimbabwean territory."

Work for Pathfinder has already commenced with the first ads due to come out this week.

Jericho Wins Western Union Account

Western Union signage at the Causeway Building in Central Harare. The international money transfer company has appointed Jericho Advertising as its advertising agency in Zimbabwe after a competitive pitch process, with presentation being made to the Southern African Head Office based in Johannesburg.

We are thrilled at Jericho to announce that the agency has been appointed the Advertising agency for Western Union for the Zimbabwe market after a competitive pitch against other Zimbabwean agencies.

Following a pitch presentation to Western Union Southern Africa via conference call, the Johannesburg-based Western Union regional office announced last this week the result of the pitch, appointing Jericho their agency for the Zimbabwe market.

Western Union, with its head office in the United States, is by far the largest money-transfer company in the world. It was Western Union, in fact, that sent the very first Telegraph ever sent in the world, back in the late 1800s.

Since then, the company has spread all over the world and now concentrates on money transfers. Western Union, also an innovator through the years, recently announced that they had linked up with m-pesa, the wildly successful mobile money transfer company based in Kenya. The partnership will see m-pesa clients in Kenya receiving cash transferred from overseas on their phones, or "mobile wallets" within moments of the money having been sent, whether from London, New York or any other country from which Western Union operates.

In announcing the appointment of Jericho Advertising Zimbabwe as their advertising agency, Neo Lepitse, the Western Union marketing executive in charge of Southern Africa said the Jericho strategy and creative had been "comprehensive", adding that the agency was able to offer "unique insights into the rapidly evolving Zimbabwe market."

Work will roll out soon on a fairly large scale.

With this win, Jericho cements its reputation as the fastest growing advertising agency in the history of Zimbabwean advertising.

We look forward to more.

Jericho Wins CIMAS

Jericho Advertising has been appointed to the CIMAS account, which it will handle with DDH&M acting as the lead agency on the account.

In a three-way pitch that included DDH&M and Barkers Ogilvy, Jericho impressed the CIMAS panel with its insights and understanding of the CIMAS brand, which led to the appointment of the Harare shop as the secondary agency on the account.

Details of how CIMAS work will be split will become clearer in the short term.

Jericho Advertising is delighted to have made an impact on this national institution, the largest Medical Aid Society in Zimbabwe, enjoying the patronage of the vast majority listed blue-chip corporates and an unrivaled based of more 180 000 members.

This becomes the third account the agency has won is less than two months, reinforcing the Harare agency's reputation as the shop to watch in Zimbabwe.

This month, Jericho also announced it had won Schweppes Zimbabwe Limited and Old Mutual, adding the largest financial institution in Zimbabwe and the oldest cordials manufacturer to its roster.

The first campaign for Old Mutual (for Unit Trusts) has already broken in the media to an extremely good response from investors across Zimbabwe.

Toyota Anti-Counterfiet, Old Mutual Unit Trusts Campaigns Break

One of the Old Mutual Unit Trusts ads by Jericho Advertising

One of the Toyota Zimbabwe anti-counterfeit campaign ads. The campaign broke on Tuesday, 28 June and has been well-received by the market

Two campaigns by Jericho Advertising have now broken in Zimbabwean print media.

The Toyota anti-counterfeit campaign seeks to highlight the dangers of using non-genuine parts in Toyota vehicles. Although the fake parts may look like the real thing, they will prove to be a costly, short0-term fix, meaning that the consumer ends up paying more to replace parts that repeatedly fail.

Jericho Advertising, in conjunction with Carla Varga, Sales and Marketing Manager at Toyota Zimbabwe, came up with a campaign whose premise is that these fake parts will come back to bite those who buy them.

This concept is illustrated by various biting and stinging animals incorporated into the car spare parts: a fan belt that turns into a snake, a crocodile with spark plugs for teeth....and so on.

The second campaign, the Old Mutual Unit Trusts campaign, seeks to relaunch the concept of unit trusts and position Old Mutual Unit Trusts as the authority on this very simple and popular investment.

Anchored in the Old Mutual pay-off line, Do Great Things, the campaign consists of a series of ads reflecting the various things people could invest for from as little as US$10 per month.

When the campaign broke on Tuesday 28 June 2011, the reaction was spectacular, with client informing Jericho that there was literally no rest at the OMUT offices as they fielded calls from people clamouring to invest in Old Mutual Unit Trusts.

Toyota Zimbabwe Wins Silver Toyota Worldwide Award For Marketing and Advertising

Carl Varga, National Sales and Marketing Director at Toyota Zimbabwe

One of Jericho Zimbabwe's largest clients, Toyota Zimbabwe, has been awarded the silver medal (second place) by Toyota Worldwide for excellence in marketing and advertising.

Toyota Zimbabwe's National Marketing and Sales Director, Mr Carl Varga, says the Toyota Zimbabwe family is very proud of this achievement.

Mr Varga also paid tribute to Jericho advertising on this win, saying, "A lot of credit for this won should go to Jericho because this award is also a recognition of the excellent work that Jericho Zimbabwe has been doing for us at Toyota."

Varga also announced that the anti-counterfeit parts campaign designed by Jericho and rolling out in Zimbabwe in the next couple of weeks has impressed Toyota companies elsewhere, so much so that Toyota South Africa has expressed interest in running the campaign done by Jericho Advertising in its own market, South Africa.

Toyota also won a craft award for design at the Ngoma awards in March this year.

Toyota Zimbabwe operates the Toyota and Subaru brands in Zimbabwe and is by far the largest vehicle company in Zimbabwe.

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