Handwritten Typefaces in Advertising, Essay Example

Introduction

Handwriting is a communication technique whose origin dates back to 3000 BC in ancient cultures. Italians initially used the method for simple pictographs, but as the parchment value increased, there was a need to reduce time and space; hence handwriting continued to evolve into other cursive forms, more modern handwritten materials complying with the improving social status (Cohen, 2012). There have been growing concerns on whether an individual’s handwriting can reveal one’s identity or expression. Additionally, it is natural that people tend to make conclusions about other people’s personalities based on their handwriting styles. Even though research on the relationship between one’s handwriting style and personality is limited, substantive evidence supports a positive association between acknowledgements and handwriting style. The research investigates the impact of using handwritten typefaces in advertisements to unravel their underlying effect in reinforcing a brand’s unique identity to guide the corporate world in decision-making in brand marketing.

Objectives of the Research

Handwritten typefaces refer to unique typography designed to imitate human handwriting. The fonts are essential in capturing the audience’s attention and evoking emotions. This research, therefore, focuses on the impact that applying typefaces in marketing would have with an aim to advise the corporate world on its implementation in reinforcing brands` identity and making gains on advertisements.

Literature Review

Scholars can utilize the literature on neuro-psychology and advertisements to understand people’s responses and attitudes towards handwritten materials. Typefaces attract attention in six scopes, including global (three) and unique design (three) dimensions (Henderson et al., 2004). An evaluation of the scopes and their link with the consumer responses reveals that naturalness and agreement significantly affect the enticement lettering level. Also, an assessment of the impacts of lettering features on brand personality perception shows that the influence is positive; the symbolism in lettering shapes impacts brands’ trustworthiness (Van Rompay & Pruyn, 2011). From the readability perspective, in health settings, handwriting is easier to read and comprehend when simple lettering is applied instead of complex ones (Song & Schwarz, 2008). There is an emphasis on particular handwriting styles in contemporary studies that adopt a natural typeface with human-like attributes. One’s handwriting is influenced by such factors as age and emotional state which affects their physical state thus their handwriting (Engel-Yeger et al., 2012). This research then goes ahead to expound on the concept of the association between handwriting and acknowledgements to integrate that in the marketing sector for brands` identity.

Some of what has already been published in this area include HEB launching the Primo Picks as a private label. The handwritten font symbolized the product’s identity communicating with warmth and friendliness. That move was considered competitive necessitating other brands like Disney, Kellogg’s, and Traders Joe to use the same in identifying their products. Other brands also use the same approach as they recognize the influence of typography on the users. Handwritten lettering causes the intuition of validity, friendliness, and warmth (Grohmann & Kauffeld, 2013). The contemporary research mainly focuses on characteristic reactions brought about by handwriting, the foundation and range of the same, and the benefits of the reaction. The formulation of the hypothesis has its foundation in the advertising anthropomorphism literature, which believes that salience improves products` value (Bordalo et al., 2013). The anthropomorphism literature includes design attributes that can behave like subtle signals that make their human nature noticeable. The existing literature shows that handwritten typefaces can lead to the anthropomorphism of advertisements. The printed type cannot replace the warmth and individual trace that the handwritten typefaces possess. Indeed, the studies surpass the personalization aspects and go to the safety and risks that the advertisement levels present.

Proposed Methodology

Experimental research design is considered appropriate since there is a need to measure the influence of handwritten lettering in adverts. A quantitative approach is used since it is appropriate for knowledge development. The design is appropriate for the analysis of the research hypothesis and mainly uses statistical information. The research uses three experiments on applying handwritten type during adverts; usage in brand results due to haptic engagement and benevolent versus uncertain advertising. The first experiment (study 1) engages a sample size of 100-120 students who complete the study in the laboratory through an association with the research’s motivations. The second study involves participation from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, which is randomly selected, and one-way ANOVA is used in the evaluation. The third study evaluates the influence of handwriting on the advertising category and the impact on benevolence. The students then analyze their advertisements on a given scale before concluding based on an aesthetic scale. Statistical evaluation is performed using the ANOVA. The participants are mainly the consumers who offer anthropomorphic insights. The results are analyzed on a 7-point scale before evaluation on an identical two-way ANOVA.

Overall Time and Estimated Cost

The entire project is projected to take approximately three years to be fully completed. The estimated cost for the whole project will be approximately $8000, which will be enough to facilitate any activity involved in the research.

Desktop Research

This involves clearly defining the objectives of the research, formulating a research plan and then digging into the work of other researchers on the same topic to draw relations and valid conclusions. For this project, desktop research on the use of handwritten typefaces in advertising will take approximately six months to establish a solid ground for actual field research.

Data Collection

Data collection for this research will involve a series of three experiments to facilitate a comparative analysis for a valid conclusion. In the first experiment, a sample of 100-120 students will actively be engaged in a laboratory to drawing associations between handwritten typefaces and advertisements. The second experiment will involve random participation from Amazon mechanical Turk. The third experiment will involve a sample of selected students analyzing the impact of handwritten typefaces in achieving benevolence, essential in advertisements. This entire process will take approximately one year to be fully completed.

Data Analysis

The data collected in this research will then be subjected to a two-way ANOVA scale to estimate and quantify how aspects of handwritten typefaces affect advertising, thus drawing valid conclusions from the research. At this stage, the entire process is approximated to take six months.

Write-up and Submission

The final stage of this research will involve developing a comprehensive write-up, clearly detailing the approach taken to conduct the research, the observations and relations made and finally, the conclusions drawn and the recommendations for further research in certain areas before submitting. From developing the write-up to the point of submission, the entire process will take approximately six months.

References

Bordalo, P., Gennaioli, N., & Shleifer, A. (2013). Salience and Consumer Choice. Journal Of Political Economy, 121(5), 803-843. https://doi.org/10.1086/673885

Cohen, J. (2012). A Brief History of Penmanship on National Handwriting Day. HISTORY. Retrieved 15 September 2021, from http://www.history.com/news/a-brief-history-of-penmanship-on-national-handwriting-day.

Engel-Yeger, B., Hus, S., & Rosenblum, S. (2012). Age effects on sensory-processing abilities and their impact on handwriting. Canadian Journal Of Occupational Therapy, 79(5), 264-274. https://doi.org/10.2182/cjot.2012.79.5.2

Grohmann, A., &Kauffeld, S. (2013). Evaluating training programs: development and correlates of the Questionnaire for Professional Training Evaluation. International Journal of Training And Development, 17(2), 135-155. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijtd.12005

Henderson, P., Giese, J., & Cote, J. (2004). Impression Management using Typeface Design. Journal Of Marketing, 68(4), 60-72. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.68.4.60.42736

Song, H., & Schwarz, N. (2008). If It’s Hard to Read, It’s Hard to Do. Psychological Science, 19(10), 986-988. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02189.x

van Rompay, T., &Pruyn, A. (2011). When Visual Product Features Speak the Same Language: Effects of Shape-Typeface Congruence on Brand Perception and Price Expectations*. Journal Of Product Innovation Management, 28(4), 599-610. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5885.2011.00828.x