What Is Advertising? - A Primer For Beginners
Advertising is defined as the paid promotion of a company's goods and services through various media, especially on television or radio. Advertising reflects the values and attitudes of society by communicating a particular message to consumers.
A lot of people might think advertising is synonymous with advertisements, but they are two different terms that have been used interchangeably since their introduction in 1835. An advertisement is an announcement designed to attract and encourage public interest or patronage for commercial benefit about one product or brand among many possible competitors for consumer spend budgets which can be placed in any form of media, such as print, radio, television, billboards etc.
Advertising dates back to the 1700s and is considered to be the first mass medium, which can be defined as a form of communication used to communicate ideas and values to individuals within a specific population, usually utilizing specialized media such as newspapers, magazines, outdoor advertisements or billboards. By portraying a desired image or social status in print advertisements, advertisers could persuade people buying goods to accept their superior value. Advertisements can also convey ideas about events or products with the use of visual aesthetics. In the early days of printing, it was common for advertisements to be displayed in newspapers and magazines where they had limited space. Today, some people can even create advertisements on their website and send them through e-mail. Ordinary citizens also become advertisers by distributing such materials as fliers or pamphlets in public places.
Nowadays, advertising is a very sophisticated industry with many terms and techniques involved. Other than traditional media forms, the Internet has brought new opportunities for advertisers to reach consumers on a large scale. The Internet offers a unique opportunity for advertisers to market their products 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and 365 days per year as it is always accessible. Due to the rapid development of technology over the years, various techniques have been developed by advertisers to meet the needs of modern consumers who are growing increasingly more sophisticated, informed and demanding.
Advertising can take many forms, and is not limited to just traditional media such as print advertisements. The Internet and interactive digital media provide several new opportunities for advertisers to capture the attention of potential customers. If you are an advertiser or agency, be sure to check out the following related articles:
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Advertising Success is About More Than Just Your Margin - http://www.hipinion.com/advice/advertising-success-is-about-more-than-just your margin/
Advertising is the Message that Transmits to Consumers - http://www.hipinion.com/advertising-is-the-message-that-transmits-to-consumers/
Create a Great Selling Message to Attract Your Target Customers to Your Products and Services - http://www.hipinion.com/advertising-create-a-great selling message/
How Do You Ensure that Your Advertisement is Being Read? - http://www.hipinion.com/advertise, how do you ensure that your advertisement is being read/?ref=search_content__node_id=441856#fbid=jKvxV7XG8bY
Advertising – the Art of Persuasion: Know what Makes People Click - http://www.hipinion.com/advertising-the-art-of-persuasion/
Why Is "Content" So Important in Advertising? - http://www.hipinion.com/why-is-content-so-important-in advertising/
Think about the following question: Why do you think some companies spend thousands of dollars to advertise during prime time television programming? You might assume that this is because the commercials are very popular or because the networks are trying to increase ratings and attract new viewers. After all, research has found that prime time television programs consistently attract more viewers, than any other time of day and week.
While it is true that these shows reach more viewers, it is also true that prime time television programs are much more expensive to produce. The networks realize this and try to recoup the costs by charging more for commercial airtime. In many cases, this practice forces advertisers to pay a premium just to use a well-known network in order to advertise on the "popular" programs. But how can you determine if paying more money will help sell your product?
A major tenet of advertising is that people must know your product exists in order to purchase it. Therefore, companies often spend a lot of money and time building brand awareness. But how can brands build brand awareness? While the answer is beyond the scope of this article, it is important to be aware of the major ways that brands are building brand awareness and increasing sales.
Brands use a variety of methods to help build brand awareness and sell products. Branding is one way that advertisers attempt to develop a connection between their products and customers. The best-known example of branding comes from McDonald's which first applied a recognizable symbol, such as a golden arches, to its fast food restaurants in 1955. By placing its name on things like vehicles, uniforms, toys and more, McDonald's has developed extensive brand recognition around the world.
Through repetition, people are able to recall a product or memorable image and associate it with the brand. The goal is to create a "uniquely recognizable" image that is also associated favorably with the brand. Nike has masterfully used branding in its advertising campaign over the years. By using athletes to promote its products, Nike has been able to use celebrity endorsements to win new customers for years. In fact, some of the professional athletes that have endorsed Nike products include Tiger Woods, Andre Agassi and Michael Jordan.
A very common method for brands to develop awareness and sell products is by creating an ad slogan or tagline.
Conclusion
The goal of an ad slogan is to create an easily remembered, unique and catchy phrase that will be associated with the product or brand in people's minds. The best slogans are typically short (for example, Pepsi's "the choice of a new generation") and easy to remember. It is also good if the slogan can be used as a verb as well, such as Nike's "just do it".
In addition to creating slogans and brands, many companies use methods such as packaging design to help them stand out from other brands in their market. This can include the product itself such as a stylish package or even the way they market their product by using clever names or themes that can build brand awareness.