Berlitz is a language school with over 130 years of experience. Today it counts over 700 linguistic centres in over 70 countries all over the world.
The Berlitz Method® is based on conversation: a teacher who is a native speaker and who is specifically trained in the method speaks with the student entirely in the language that the student wishes to learn, even if he is a beginner. Even grammar is learned through use and is always contextualized.
Berlitz has been in Italy for over 110 years: currently it has Language Centres in Rome (4 centres), Milan, Turin, Monza, and Syracuse. Many of its products are sold all over Italy. The course types offered are: individual, group, intensive, and online, and are designed for adults, companies and children. All courses can be personalized based on the customer’s needs. The price range is medium-to-high.
Berlitz’s strengths are:
The Method, continually updated and improved;
Quality: a very high level of service is offered to customers. The progress of the course is continually monitored, in order to guarantee that the student reaches his pre-established linguistic goals.
A wide range of products able to satisfy all of the customer’s needs.
Since October 2009 we have been the only language school in Italy selling courses online as well, through our web site.
For further information, go to our web site www.berlitz.it
WHAT IS IT ?
In this step you will find information about the Brand Builder, who is asking you to propose a Solution for the challenge. He introduces himself (as a Brand of course :) The more you understand about the Brand, the more chances you have to create what is wanted.
IMPORTANT: There is a possibility that the Brand Builder prefers not to disclose who he is, usually for confidentiality reasons. Such Briefs will be published in an anonymous way. In this case the Brand Builder will say as much as he feels comfortable saying.
Here are two EXAMPLES
In case there is no problem with disclosing the identity (VISIBLE):
“NMN -No More Nicotine- is a Brand that promises to counteract the damages to the skin that can be caused by smoking. NMN is distributed in pharmacies and drugstores and its price positioning is middle-high; it is mainly promoted through professional endorsement and is not massively advertised.”
In case the Brand doesn’t want to disclose his identity (ANONYMOUS):
“Brand counteracting the damages to skin caused by smoking. Its products are distributed in pharmacies and drugstores with a middle-high price positioning; they are mainly promoted through professional endorsement and are not massively advertised.”
In summary: Who is your client (in a visible or “anonymous” way :)
What we are asking you, the creative side, to do for the advertising campaign coming out in September 2010 in the cities of Rome and Milan, is the conception and creation of the graphic layout for posters in the subway system and on the inside of buses (only in Rome).
For a language school, September and October are the key months for annual and six-month registrations. The goal of the campaign is to ensure that those who intend to take a language course (even those who don’t know they need one) choose Berlitz.
The message we want to convey is that BERLITZ is the winning card for success, both at work and outside of it.
Many of our competitors use images of people in the foreground: we want something different, that will stand out for its creativity and that will capture the attention of users. Keep in mind that advertising in the subway system and inside buses has extended reading/observation times (on subway platforms, around 4/6 minutes, inside buses 20/25 minutes).
For the bus campaign there is the possibility of including up to 4 different topics.
The reasons why our target market should choose us are:
- over 130 years of language teaching experience
- we are a multinational with a global presence
- very high quality standards
- programs specifically designed for companies, adults and children
- for all languages and levels
- preparation for all the main international certifications
Obviously it won’t be possible to show all of the reasons listed above in just one advertisement, considering, however, the possibility of developing up to 4 topics, we have decided to list several different ones.
We ask you to take these into consideration as creative cues in the development of the message.
WHAT IS IT ?
This is the task the Brand Builder asks you to accomplish. If you don’t understand it, you are completely out of luck !
EXAMPLE
“We ask the Creators to develop a print advertising campaign in order to increase Brand’s visibility. It will be used in national magazines this spring.”
In summary: It’s the objective of the client, therefore your objective too !
Even if Berlitz’s target market includes everyone from age 3 on, for this campaign we would like to focus on men and women around 30/40 years old, who need to master a foreign language for work reasons.
Our target market in general has a medium-to-high income, a medium-to-high educational level, and travels a lot, either for work or for personal interest. We would like our message to be valid for the consumer market as well as for the corporate one: both should think that we are the best and we want them to feel that those who decide to sign up with us are part of a privileged community.
WHAT IS IT?
People that the Brand Builder wants you to entertain and persuade to think, feel or do something using your creation. Usually you will read about their age, sex, social level and behaviors. You should always keep that information in mind while creating, as the target audience is the final recipient of what you create.
EXAMPLE
“Smoking girls and women who would like to quit smoking but can’t. Usually health-conscious adults who care about their looks. They feel guilty about smoking because they know it is harmful. They read books about it. This is a real problem for them: it’s like “My brain wants something, but my body acts of its own accord”. They don’t relate to my brand, they are just waiting for a trustworthy “helping hand”.
In summary: Get under their skin !
We want those in our target market to contact our schools to sign up for the course that is best-suited to their needs (there will be promotions offered directly by the schools).
Even if this is a period of crisis in which both companies and individuals are trying to reduce their spending, we want to make our target market understand that investing in themselves and in their linguistic education is the best way to rise up out of the crisis, and maybe even to find a job or build a career overseas. And to do so, it is essential to find a good school, one with experience, and which can guarantee results: Berlitz, of course!
WHAT IS IT?
The thing that the Brand Builder wants to make the target audience think/feel/do because of your creation.
Here are some very concrete examples:
∞ Some things people can think/feel:
- There is a new Brand (or product or idea or...) out there
- This Brand is better than the alternatives or than it used to be
- This Brand is worth paying more for
∞ Some things people can do:
- Start buying the Brand’s products
- Buy the Brand more often
- Stock more products of the Brand in their outlets
The above written examples are very concrete whilst often the proposition of the Brief is emotional. That’s even better as it can be more inspiring!
EXAMPLE
“We’d like to encourage smokers to use NMN in order to minimize the damage to their health while they are keeping giving up smoking (especially if they’ve already tried and failed before).”
In summary: Get inside their brain !
Why Berlitz? Because it has:
- a method that has been tested through over 130 years of experience and which is based on conversation, which allows you to really speak a language;
- the ability and the tools to teach any language;
- programs adapted to every level and goal;
- an outstanding reputation;
it stands out from other language schools for its quality and excellent service;
the perfect solution for everyone’s needs, with individual, group, online, and intensive courses, as well as courses specialized for various professions (workshops and professional English courses), and courses for children and teenagers.
WHAT IS IT?
This is the key to achieving the objective. It is what supports the proposition and makes it believable. Usually it is a rational statement.
EXAMPLE
“Every cigarette you smoke is causing damage to your appearance. A recent study took several pairs of identical twins where one twin was a lifelong smoker and the other had never smoked. The smokers’ skin was a quarter thinner than that of non-smokers, and in some cases there were differences of up to 40%. NMN contains thinning-blocking anti-oxidants which counteract the effect of nicotine on the skin.”
In summary: You are looking for arguments? You’ll find them here!
- aspires to excellence;
- customer care;
- guaranteed results;
- customized products;
- competence;
- an international context.
WHAT IS IT?
It’s who the Brand is. Yes... who!
Treat the Brand as a human being, as it has its own personality. To know the personality of the “client” is fundamental in order to provide a tailor-made job. So, read carefully the listed adjectives...
EXAMPLE
“Scientific, trustworthy, result-oriented, ‘a party’ to achieve your goals.”
In summary: Imagine the live person !
The campaign will consist of posters in the subway systems of Rome and Milan, and posters on the inside of buses in Rome.
WHAT IS IT?
A list of places (or media, or things) where the target audience will see the outcome of your creation. In this step sometimes the Brand will also acknowledge you how much he plans to invest into production. This information will give you an insight whether to create a BIG project or make it small... :)
EXAMPLE
“This campaign is going to appear in lifestyle- and health-focused women magazines of New Zealand, during the spring of 2009. We plan to invest 500,000 USD, which means approximately buying 100 single pages.”
In summary: Consider the medium !
The artwork must contain:
∞ the addresses of the schools (4 in Rome and 1 in Milan), with the closest subway stops
∞ web site
∞ logo
ROME subway format:
200X140 HORIZONTAL
MILAN subway format:
100x140 vertical
140x200 vertical
ROME BUS internal format:
70X25 HORIZONTAL (PLEASE NOTE: UP TO 4 TOPICS)
please note: attention light borderless
The final production file needs to be in JPG or PDF format.
We ask that you include links to the sources from which you obtained all the images in the layout, and that they be, where possible, royalty-free photos
If the Brand has preferences or technical requirements that your Solution has to match, you will find them here.
Here are some items that you may find in this section:
∞ Guidelines or mandatory inclusions (do’s and/or don’ts)
∞ Business objectives
∞ Market and competitors overview
∞ Good and bad samples
Depending on the Brief, you may also find some files attached with a logo, pictures of product(s), a template that you should use in order to submit your ideas, or any other file that the Brand wants to share with you. So, study the attachments before starting creating.
In summary: Anything else you need to know (not written in the 7 steps before) !
