Reading: Advertising
Advertising: Pay to Play
A 1900 advertisement for Pears soap.
Advertising is any paid form of communication from an identified sponsor or source that draws
attention to ideas, goods, services or the sponsor itself. Most advertising is directed toward
groups rather than individuals, and advertising is usually delivered through media such as
television, radio, newspapers and, increasingly, the Internet. Ads are often measured in
impressions (the number of times a consumer is exposed to an advertisement).
Advertising is a very old form of promotion with roots that go back even to ancient times. In
recent decades, the practices of advertising have changed enormously as new technology and
media have allowed consumers to bypass traditional advertising venues. From the invention of
the remote control, which allows people to ignore advertising on TV without leaving the couch,
to recording devices that let people watch TV programs but skip the ads, conventional
advertising is on the wane. Across the board, television viewership has fragmented, and ratings
have fallen.
Print media are also in decline, with fewer people subscribing to newspapers and other print
media and more people favoring digital sources for news and entertainment. Newspaper
advertising revenue has declined steadily since 2000.[1] Advertising revenue in television is also
soft, and it is split across a growing number of broadcast and cable networks. Clearly companies
need to move beyond traditional advertising channels to reach consumers. Digital media outlets
have happily stepped in to fill this gap. Despite this changing landscape, for many companies
advertising remains at the forefront of how they deliver the proper message to customers and
prospective customers.
The Purpose of Advertising
Advertising has three primary objectives: to inform, to persuade, and to remind.
Informative Advertising creates awareness of brands, products, services, and ideas. It
announces new products and programs and can educate people about the attributes and
benefits of new or established products.
Persuasive Advertising tries to convince customers that a company’s services or
products are the best, and it works to alter perceptions and enhance the image of a
company or product. Its goal is to influence consumers to take action and switch brands,
try a new product, or remain loyal to a current brand.
Reminder Advertising reminds people about the need for a product or service, or the
features and benefits it will provide when they purchase promptly.
Left: Informative Advertising Right: Persuasive Advertising
Reminder Advertising
When people think of advertising, often product-focused advertisements are top of mind—i.e.,
ads that promote an organization’s goods or services. Institutional advertising goes beyond
products to promote organizations, issues, places, events, and political figures. Public service
announcements (PSAs) are a category of institutional advertising focused on social-welfare
issues such as drunk driving, drug use, and practicing a healthy lifestyle. Usually PSAs are
sponsored by nonprofit organizations and government agencies with a vested interest in the
causes they promote.
Public Service Announcement (PSA)
Advantages and Disadvantages of Advertising
As a method of marketing communication, advertising has both advantages and disadvantages.
In terms of advantages, advertising creates a sense of credibility or legitimacy when an
organization invests in presenting itself and its products in a public forum. Ads can convey a
sense of quality and permanence, the idea that a company isn’t some fly-by-night venture.
Advertising allows marketers to repeat a message at intervals selected strategically. Repetition
makes it more likely that the target audience will see and recall a message, which improves
awareness-building results. Advertising can generate drama and human interest by featuring
people and situations that are exciting or engaging. It can introduce emotions, images, and
symbols that stimulate desire, and it can show how a product or brand compares favorably
to competitors. Finally, advertising is an excellent vehicle for brand building, as it can create
rational and emotional connections with a company or offering that translate into goodwill. As
advertising becomes more sophisticated with digital media, it is a powerful tool for tracking
consumer behaviors, interests, and preferences, allowing advertisers to better tailor content and
offers to individual consumers. Through the power of digital media, memorable or entertaining
advertising can be shared between friends and go viral—and viewer impressions skyrocket.
The primary disadvantage of advertising is cost. Marketers question whether this communication
method is really cost-effective at reaching large groups. Of course, costs vary depending on the
medium, with television ads being very expensive to produce and place. In contrast, print and
digital ads tend to be much less expensive. Along with cost is the question of how many people
an advertisement actually reaches. Ads are easily tuned out in today’s crowded media
marketplace. Even ads that initially grab attention can grow stale over time. While digital ads are
clickable and interactive, traditional advertising media are not. In the bricks-and-mortar world, it
is difficult for marketers to measure the success of advertising and link it directly to changes
in consumer perceptions or behavior. Because advertising is a one-way medium, there is usually
little direct opportunity for consumer feedback and interaction, particularly from consumers who
often feel overwhelmed by competing market messages.
Developing Effective Ads: The Creative Strategy
Effective advertising starts with the same foundational components as any other IMC campaign:
identifying the target audience and the objectives for the campaign. When advertising is part of a
broader IMC effort, it is important to consider the strategic role advertising will play relative to
other marketing communication tools. With clarity around the target audience, campaign
strategy, and budget, the next step is to develop the creative strategy for developing compelling
advertising. The creative strategy has two primary components: the message and the appeal.
The message comes from the messaging framework: What message elements should the
advertising convey to consumers? What should the key message be? What is the call to action?
How should the brand promise be manifested in the ad? How will it position and differentiate the
offering? With advertising, it’s important to remember that the ad can communicate the message
not only with words but also potentially with images, sound, tone, and style.
Effective wordless advertisement
Marketers also need to consider existing public perceptions and other advertising and messages
the company has placed in the market. Has the prior marketing activity resonated well with target
audiences? Should the next round of advertising reinforce what went before, or is it time for a
fresh new message, look, or tone?
Along with message, the creative strategy also identifies the appeal, or how the advertising will
attract attention and influence a person’s perceptions or behavior. Advertising appeals can take
many forms, but they tend to fall into one of two categories: informational appeal and emotional
appeal.
The informational appeal offers facts and information to help the target audience make a
purchasing decision. It tries to generate attention using rational arguments and evidence to
convince consumers to select a product, service, or brand. For example:
More or better product or service features: Ajax “Stronger Than Dirt”
Cost savings: Wal-Mart “Always Low Prices”
Quality: John Deere “Nothing runs like a Deere”
Customer service: Holiday Inn “Pleasing people the world over”
New, improved: Verizon “Can you hear me now? Good.”
