This activity is important because it demonstrates the value of an effective creative strategy.

Until the $1990$s$,$ communications in the insurance industry were fairly humorless, and the industry portrayed the insurance buying process as a long$-$term relationship between the insurance agent and the insured. The CEO of GEICO wanted to change that relationship. He redefined insurance to a commodity product and one that relied on a pull strategy through communications directly with the final consumer rather than one of pushing the product by the agents. He was willing to spend up to $$2$B$,$ or $6\mathrm{.}8\%$ of sales to be returned to the IMC, to be used on print, TV$,$ radio, and aggressively in social media and YouTube.

By $2018,$ GEICO was the second largest advertiser in the United States, trailing only behind the corporate spending of Procter and Gamble on its multitude of brands globally. GEICO had surpassed in sales the previous #$1$ in the industry in the mid$-1990$s$,$ State Farm. The manner in which that was accomplished was with the creation of the Geico, a humorous, green, animated mascot.

The Geico character was created partly out of necessity during the $1999$ Screen Actors$$ Guild strike, when no human actors could be used. A Cockney accent was used to make him sound more down$-$to$-$earth and able to relate to regular consumers. He became a beloved anthropomorphic spokes$-$creature in the American marketplace, appearing in over $150$ TV ads. The Geico has caused many competing insurance companies to change their positioning, with the Aflac duck, Progressive$$s Flo, and Allstate$$s Mayhem.

The goal of this activity is to show you how to evaluate an effective creative strategy.

Match the criteria for evaluating the creativity of the IMC execution with how well GEICO$$s creative strategy measures on its message and execution output.

Creative Execution is Appropriate for the Media Vehicle Creative Execution is Consistent with the Marketing Strategy Creative Execution is Clear and Convincing Creative Execution Has Separation of the Message and the Execution Creative Execution is Truthful and Tasteful Creative Execution is Appropriate for the Target the Audience

Match each of the options above to the items below.

The animated geico persuades the consumer to contact GEICO and purchase the brand.

No answer

The animated Geico is quite humanized and sweet, speaking in a slightly exotic but very easy$-$to$-$understand voice and language that does not confuse or intimidate the buyer.

No answer

The Geico is advertised repeatedly on TV$.$ Then, after the consumer is familiar with the multidimensional ad$,$ the same ad is aired on the radio, allowing the listener to fill in the visuals, and in print allowing the observer to fill in the Geico$$s voice and accent.

No answer

The Geico is neither offensive to consumers nor does he tell them anything complicated or inaccurate.

No answer

The Geico is fairly simple and lovable, not pretentious, and promotes a commoditized product.

No answer

There is little question as to what brand the Geico represents. While he entertains, he also promotes the brand clearly.