Essay on Advertisement – Advertising is nothing but marketing of product using audio and visual means to attract new customers. Ideas, services and products are promoted directly to the end-user through advertising.
Advertisements help people become aware of any product or service through the use of commercial methods. This kind of publicity helps to endorse a specific interest of a person for product sale.
Essay On Advertisement
It is a non-personal and the advertisers pay to make their Advertisements visible in select media. Advertisements are promoted through Outdoor advertising, direct mailing, television, radio and online platforms like blogs websites, apps and text messages.
When the concept of Advertisement came into limelight
Advertising has been practiced since time immemorial. Sellers at local markets have always cried out loudly, praising their wares, to the moving crowd in the market. Archaeologists have found inscriptions dated 3000BC featuring advertisements of Babylonian shoemakers, scribes and ointment dealers. Egyptians have advertised through papyrus scrolls. Town criers were appointed to spread news and advertisements in Greece and India.
The development of printing changed the whole advertising scenario in 15th and 16th centuries. An advertisement highlighting a drug was circulated as a pamphlet German news paper in 1525.
With advent of News papers in England, advertisements started being circulated among the general public. Print ads or advertisements were used mainly to promote books that were affordable by the common man.
Modern advertising dates back to 1920s and classified ads become very popular. Later mail order advertising like Sears catalog started gaining popularity.
In India, advertisements first appeared in Hickey’s Bengal Gazette. One of the oldest existing advertising agencies in India is B. Dattaram and Co, Mumbai. With the advent of TV and satellite channel the great media boom occurred. Today ads are online as the generation of today is always hooked to it
Importance of advertisement
Advertising is important to achieve the following
Introducing a new product in the market
Advertisements make prospective customer aware of a new product in the market. Companies, launching new products, use advertisements for convincing customers to try their new product. The new product is on trial and the advertisers use attractive advertisements to entice the target audience.
Continuity of purchase
Once the products attract customers the loyalty has to be maintained. The advertisers at this stage display new features or benefits of the existing product so that the consumers keep on buying the company’s product.
Brand Switch
As the product gains popularity, new competitors may enter market. The advertisements at this stage help retain their existing customers as well as make consumers of competing products to switch to their brand.
Switching back to the brand
- Some customers may switch to other brands. Advertisers look for ways to bring back such customers to their fold using techniques like discount sale, reworking and repackaging.
Why advertisement is needed
Advertisement improves sales
Advertisement is required to increase sales. Advertisements attract new customers. It convinces people to use the product advertised. This leads to increase in sales
Advertising assess the market. The game plan to improve sales and counter competitor’s strategies is determined after this assessment
Advertisements creates awareness
Advertisements make people aware of new products that have been launched in the market. Example can be taken of Patanjali products that have recently entered the market.
Advertisement increases loyalty
Advertising creates loyalty among old customers. Some people stick to Colgate toothpaste even after many years.
Advertising helps the society as well
Government sponsors welfare programs and advertises them through the media. Some policies like Beti Padao, Beti bachao have been successfully implemented because of advertisements in the newspapers, TV, Radio and Internet media. Incredible !ndia ads have attracted foreigners to experience the wonder that is India.
Types of advertisement
Advertisements are sponsored to reach a wider audience, to develop brands loyalty, and to improve sales. There are many avenues to promote advertisement depending upon the goals of the company, the audience and the brand position.
Broadcast Media
Television and radio are two mediums that come under this head. These media have a long reach as they are telecast all over the world Television is more expensive compared to Radio. Television viewers have a negative attitude towards advertisements which keep disturbing the main program. Hence there is a need to make attractive and convincing ads to keep the interest of this audience. Radio audience is on the move and concentrating more on the road. An ad for this audience is only auditory and ad makers should keep this in mind.
Print Media
Print media includes newspapers, tabloids and Magazines. Colourful and attractive pictures and visual imagery are used to promote ads in this media. This media caters to the literates and ads in this media should target this audience. While TV and Radio have fleeting images or voices, print remains so and can be accessed as long as the paper gets destroyed. This medium is cheaper than other forms.
Support Media
Ads placed on transit buses, benches, walls, trade publications and Billboards fall under this head. These ads reach a wide audience in a local territory.
Product Placement
TV shows like Naaptol advertise directly informing the uses of product. Some shows, not directly connected to product, depict the product in positive light thus garnering more attention for the product.
Internet
The latest method to advertise is the Internet. Pop-up ads, paid search ads and text ads are visible on many websites. Paid search ads like Google Adword are common means of advertisement. Cost per click or paid search placements are processed through Yahoo and Google.
Direct Marketing
This type of marketing is an interactive approach which includes telemarketing direct mail, SMS and email. These mails are sent on a regular basis and help the clients to retain the Brand information in his memory. Telemarketing gauges the interests of the customer and brings more direct orders.
Pros and Cons of advertisement
Pros of advertisement
- Advertisement creates awareness.
- It improves sales so that companies experience economies of sales and can reduce cost of the product
- The advertising industry gives employment to a whole set of creative and artistic people.
- Some very needy causes like cancer treatment, old age homes and some commercial events like sports are sponsored by ads.
- Advertising helps the media to grow
Cons of Advertising
- Advertisement is expensive; affordable by big companies. Small companies are unable to market their product in a grand manner like the big ones and so they are affected.
- Attractive advertisements induce consumers to buy products they don’t need. There is lot of wastage especially when it comes to food. Wastage of other products like cellphones and computers leads to dump piles which in turn lead to environmental pollution
- Children are easy target for advertisers. Products like fast food are advertised in such a manner that kids insists their parents buy them. The choices made in such a situation may not be healthy for the kids.
Conclusion
Advertising is an art – an art of proper communication by which clients are convinced to buy a product, service or idea.
Producers would want to sell their products while advertisers will help them by attracting customers. The onus is on the advertiser that he be more responsible targeting children.
