The Dagmar Approach Explained: Elevate Your Advertising Strategy

Dagmar approach 

DAGMAR advertising model was proposed by Russell H. Colley in 1961. Term DAGMAR is an acronym of Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results. Colley distinguished 52 advertising goals that might be used with respect to a single advertisement, a year’s campaign for a product or a company’s entire advertising philosophy. It is basically an approach to advertising planning and a precise method for selecting and quantifying goals and for using those goals to measure performance. DAGMAR also focused attention upon measurement, encouraging people to create objectives so specific and operational that they can be measured.

DARMAR is a model for setting advertising object and measuring the results of an Ad Campaign. It is a marketing tool to compute the results of an advertising campaign DAGMAR attempts to guide customers through ACCA Model.  

According to DAGMAR, each purchase prospect goes through 4 steps

1. Awareness - the consumer must first be aware of a brand or company.
2. Comprehension - he or she must have a comprehension of what the product is and its benefits.
3. Conviction - he or she must arrive at the mental disposition or conviction to buys the brand
4. Action - he or she actually buys that product.

These steps are also known as ACCA advertising formula. ACCA/DAGMAR is a descendant of AIDA advertising formula and considered to be more popular and comprehensive than AIDA. Developed for the measurement of advertising effectiveness Maps the states of mind that a consumer passes through.

Characteristics or Objectives of DARMAR Approach

1. Concrete and measurable - the communications task or objective should be a precise statement of what appeal or message the advertiser wants to communicate to the target audience. Furthermore, the specification should include a description of the measurement procedure
2. Target audience - a key tenet to DAGMAR is that the target audience be well defined. For example  if the goal was to increase awareness, it is essential to know the target audience precisely. The benchmark measure cannot be developed without a specification of the target segment
3. Benchmark and degree of change sought - another important part of setting objectives is having benchmark measures to determine where the target audience stands at the beginning of the campaign with respect to various communication response variables such as awareness, knowledge, attitudes, image, etc.
4. Specified time period - the specification of the time period during which the objective is to be accomplished, e.g. 6months, 1 year etc. The time period should be appropriate for the communication objective as simple tasks such as increasing awareness levels can be accomplished much faster than a complex goal such as repositioning a brand.
5. Written Goal - finally goals should be committed to paper. When the goals are clearly written, basic shortcomings and misunderstandings become exposed and it becomes easy to determine whether the goal contains the crucial aspects of the DAGMAR approach.

Advertising Strategy 

An advertising strategy is a plan to reach and persuade a customer to buy a product or a service. An advertising strategy is generally tailored to a target audience perceived to be most likely out of the population to purchase the product. Advertising strategies include elements such as geographic location, perceived demographics of the audience, price points, special offers, and what advertising media, such as billboards, websites, or television, will be used to present the product.

Types of Advertising Strategy 

• Advertising Jingles – Catchy songs used to make brands easy to remember.
• Cause Advertising – Promotes a brand by supporting a social or environmental cause.
• Celebrity Branding – Uses famous personalities to promote a product or brand.
• Comparative Advertising – Compares a product directly with competitors to show superiority.
• Event Marketing – Promotes products through events like concerts, sports, or exhibitions.
• USP (Unique Selling Proposition) – Highlights one unique feature that sets a product apart.
• Testimonial – Uses customer or expert reviews to build trust.
• Demonstration Strategy – Shows how a product works in real-life situations.
• Informative Strategy – Provides clear information about product features and benefits.
• Slogan Strategy – Uses a short, memorable phrase to represent the brand.
• Drip Marketing – Sends regular, small promotional messages over time.
• Give Away Strategy – Offers free samples or gifts to attract customers.
• Popular Music – Uses trending or well-known music to appeal to audiences.
• Generic Strategy – Promotes the product category rather than a specific brand.

Criticism of Dagmar Approach

1. Problems with the Response Hierarchy: Assumes customers move through fixed stages before buying, which often doesn’t match real behavior.
2. Sales objectives: Focuses mainly on sales, sometimes ignoring long-term brand building and relationships.
3. Practicality and costs: Can be expensive and difficult to measure accurately in real markets.
4. Inhibition of creativity: Strict models can limit creative freedom in marketing messages.

Related Posts

Sandeep Ghatuary

Finance & Accounting blogger simplifying complex topics.

View full author profile →

Previous

Next