Advertising

Today's world is known as the world of advertising. It is the backbone of media industry. Both business and advertising go hand in hand. There can be no business without advertising and there can be no advertising without business.


WHAT IS ADVERTISING?
Advertising is a paid communication through a medium in which the sponsor is identified and the message is controlled. Variations include publicity, public relations, product placement, sponsorship, underwriting, and sales promotion

Hence, it may be defined as “any paid form of non-personal presentation of ideas, goods or services by an identified sponsor.”

Advertising is the paid, non-personal promotion of a cause, idea, product, or service by an identified sponsor attempting to inform or persuade a particular target audience.
The various delivery mechanisms for advertising include banners at sporting events, billboards, Internet Web sites, logos on clothing, magazines, newspapers, radio spots, and television commercials.

The area which benefited the most from the extraordinary growth of mass media from the seventeenth century is advertising.
Advertising generally means announcing new products and services with commercial interest and which people can use as part of their daily life.


CLASSIFICATION OF ADVERTISING

Consumer Audience
They are sponsored by the manufacturer or the dealer of a product. They are usually directed at the ultimate consumer.

Business Advertising

Advocacy Advertising
Advocacy advertising is normally thought of as any advertisement, message, or public communication regarding economic, political, or social issues. The advertising campaign is designed to persuade public opinion regarding a specific issue important in the public arena.


FUNCTIONS Of Advertising

Functions of advertising can be as follows:

Marketing functions

Communication functions

Education functions

Economic functions

Social functions



PRINCIPLES OF ADVERTISING
The purpose of an ad campaign is to bring in new clients, buyers, users, and customers. That can be hard, especially today, when people are more conscious about what they are buying.

Here are 10 principles of what an effective ad may consist of. Keep in mind that there are many different types of advertisements, and not all of these tips apply to every advertisement.

1. Attract the Audience
A good advertisement must captivate people at the first look. Your ad should be so striking that it must hold someone who glances at it even for just a moment. Make people take a second glance instead of simply passing by. An excellent ad will make almost everyone look at it.

2. Be Creative
Though it's like a mantra, yet it is very true. It is inevitable to be smart in an ad campaign. It attracts people and represents the brand in a positive way. Think about it. A clever ad represents a clever company.

3. Be 'Loud'
The louder you talk, the more people hear you.
The same concept applies to advertising. You want your ad to say something, and you want it to be heard.
A “loud” advertisement isn't just a big one, though. It can be achieved in many ways.

4. Convey Comprehensive Message
One of the common guidelines is to make the message so comprehensive, precise and to the point that it doesn't allow people to take too much time to ponder upon.

5. Colour It!
Colour choice is an important aspect of advertisements.
You must make colours work with the feeling of the brand.
Your colours must also be in synch with the environment in which the ad is being placed.
Appeal to the targeted people through colours, but don't make them distracting.
If you are making an illustration for a “fun” brand, use a collaboration of bright colours while with a more serious ad, use a simpler colour scheme.

6. Be Informative
Your advertisement must provide brief information about the product and it must convey a message.

7. Stand Out and Be Memorable
A good ad must also have two essential components, so you should be:
(i) unique
(ii) memorable
Your ad should be unique and completely different than anyone else.

8. Give off a Feeling
Every company or brand has its peculiar mood or tone. You need to present that, too, in the advertisement. It should be so striking that any one may recognize the company immediately.

9. Show, Don't Tell
An advertisement which shows the audience instead of telling them the product, is the only successful one. Try using a more visual way of representing a concept instead of text.

10. Be Humorous and Metaphorical
Humour is an effective tool to attract people to an ad. Metaphors can be a great way to add humour. Though it's not always appropriate, and sometimes it just doesn't work, but when it works, it does wonders.