What Is Advertising? – Examples, Objectives, & Importance

 

What Is Advertising?

Advertising is the action of calling public attention to an idea, good, or service through paid announcements by an identified sponsor.

According to Kotler –

Advertising is any paid form of non-personal presentation & promotion of ideas, goods, or services by an identified sponsor.

According to the Advertising Association of the UK –

Advertising is any communication, usually paid-for, specifically intended to inform and/or influence one or more people.

A simpler (and modern) definition of advertising can be – A paid communication message intended to inform people about something or to influence them to buy or try something.


Characteristics Of Advertising

  • Paid Form: Advertising requires the advertiser (also called sponsor) to pay to create an advertising message, to buy advertising media slot, and to monitor advertising efforts.
  • Tool For Promotion: Advertising is an element of the promotion mix of an organization.
  • One Way Communication: Advertising is a one-way communication where brands communicate to the customers through different mediums.
  • Personal Or Non-Personal: Advertising can be non-personal as in the case of TV, radio, or newspaper advertisements, or highly personal as in the case of social media and other cookie-based advertisements.

Types Of Advertising

Advertising activities can be categorized into above the line, below the line, and through the line advertising according to their level of penetration.

  • Above the line advertising include activities that are largely non-targeted and have a wide reach. Examples of above the line advertising are TV, radio, & newspaper advertisements.
  • Below the line advertising include conversion focused activities which are directed towards a specific target group. Examples of below the line advertising are billboards, sponsorships, in-store advertising, etc.
  • Through the line advertising include activities which involve the use of both ATL & BTL strategies simultaneously. These are directed towards brand building and conversions and make use of targeted (personalized) advertisement strategies. Examples of through the line advertising are cookie based advertising, digital marketing strategies, etc.

Advertising activities can also be categorized into 5 types based on the advertisement medium used. These types of advertisements are:

  • Print Advertising: Newspaper, magazines, & brochure advertisements, etc.
  • Broadcast Advertising: Television and radio advertisements.
  • Outdoor Advertising: Hoardings, banners, flags, wraps, etc.
  • Digital Advertising: Advertisements displayed over the internet and digital devices.
  • Product/Brand Integration: Product placements in entertainment media like TV show, YouTube video, etc.

Objectives Of Advertising

There are 3 main objectives of advertising. These are:

To Inform

Advertisements are used to increase brand awareness and brand exposure in the target market. Informing potential customers about the brand and its products is the first step towards attaining business goals.

To Persuade

Persuading customers to perform a particular task is a prominent objective of advertising. The tasks may involve buying or trying the products and services offered, to form a brand image, develop a favourable attitude towards the brand etc.

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