Advertising and Functions and Objectives

¶ … Advertising and Functions and Objectives of Advertising

ADVERTISING

The general division in the social sciences in terms of theoretical schools of thought has its own influences in other allied functions of management and social science profession. Advertising as marketing concept has also been a beneficiary of this division in both positive and negative ways hence the term advertisement has been the subject matter of a lot of definition. These definitions have largely being underpinned by the perceived school of tough as far the of those who profess theme namely classical, scientific, neo-classical and the modernist. Lanus from the classical point-of-view defines the term a s any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods or services by an identified sponsor. In the view of Villan who is a scientific management theorist the term advertisement has its roots in a latin word which means to urn attention of people to as specific thing base on that he concluded that it is a paid publicity which he explains to mean making general or public knowledge of good and a services with the aim of increasing sales.

He further asserts that the term is a mass communication tool which is essential in paid form by a firm or an individual and the ultimate purpose of which is to give information, develop attitudes and induce action which are useful to the advertiser. It is also important to bring into perspectives that thoughts of the neoclassical theorist represented by Martinez who is of the view that advertising is the process of persuading potential customers to buy products or promote its services through the adoption of a number of strategies and media such as newspapers, magazines, television commercial, radio, internet, direct mail campaigns and other forms with the assistance of specially focused advertising firms. They distinguish the term from marketing by affirming that marketing is a process that encompasses a discovery of customers need and finding optimal ways of to meet that need. By this they subsumed the term advertising into the general marketing process. While Bovee (1992) Explains advertising to be an non-personal communication of information usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature about products, services or ideas by identified sponsors through the various media. There are two basic ways to sell anything: personally and non-personally. Personal selling requires the seller and the buyer to get together. There are advantages and disadvantages to this. The first advantage is time: the seller has time to discuss in detail everything about the product. The buyer has time to ask questions, get answers, and examine evidence for or against purchase. A second advantage of personal selling is that the seller can see the person he or she is selling to and how the sales message is getting across. If the target customer yawn or your eyes shift away, you're obviously bored, and the seller can change approach. The seller can also see if the target customer is hooked, see what features or benefits has the customers' attention, and emphasize them to close the sale. Finally, the seller can easily locate potential buyers. If you enter a store, you probably have an interest in something that store sells. Street vendors and door-to-door sellers can simply shout at possibilities, like the Hyde Park (London) vendors who call out, "I say there, Guv'nor, can you use a set of these dishes?," or knock at the door and start their spiel with an attention grabber. From there on they fit their message to the individual customer, taking all the time a customer is willing to give them. It is the argument of Taflinger (1996) that advertising has none of the advantages of personal selling i.e. there is very little time in which to present the sales message, there is no way to know just who the customer is or how he/she is responding to the message, the message cannot be changed in mid-course to suit the customer's reactions. Moreover, advertising has comparatively speaking, all the time in the world. Unlike personal selling, the sales message and its presentation does not have to be created on the spot with the customer watching. It can be created in as many ways as the writer can conceive, be rewritten, tested, modified, injected with every trick and appeal known to affect consumers. Again, although advertisers may not see the individual customer nor be able to modify the sales message according to that individual's reactions at the time, it does have research about customers. The research can identify potential customers, find what message elements might influence them, and figure out how best to get that message to them. Although the research is meaningless when applied to any particular individual, it is effective when applied to large groups of customers. Third, and perhaps of most importance, advertising can be far cheaper per potential customer than personal selling. Personal selling is extremely labor-intensive, dealing with one customer at a time. Advertising deals with hundreds, thousands, or millions of customers at a time, reducing the cost per customer to mere pennies. In fact, advertising costs are determined in part using a formula to determine, not cost per potential customer, but cost per thousand potential customers. Thus, it appears that advertising is a good idea as a sales tool. For small ticket items, such as chewing gum and guitar picks, advertising is cost effective to do the entire selling job. For large ticket items, such as cars and computers, advertising can do a large part of the selling job, and personal selling is used to complete and close the sale. From the discussion set forth above it leaves no doubt that the general objectives of advertising is to ensure that there is sales of a product or a service or an idea. The real objective of advertising is effective communication between goods and clients and increasing awareness. It is the argument of nnnnnnnn that in the absence of this ultimate objective, all other sub-objectives so perfectly achieved are of no efficacy as their success is only seen in the actualization of the ultimate objects. Some of these specific objectives include making immediate sales, building primary demand, introduction of a price deal, building brand recognition and brand insistence, helping salesmen by building an awareness of a product among retailers, to create a reputation for service, reliability or research strength and to increase market share.

1.2 OBJECTIVES OF ADVERTISING

1.2.1 To make an immediate sale

As already indicated the objective of the entire marketing proceeds is to provide goods and services that are attractive or meet the needs of consumers. When the organisation adopts a strategic marketing communication strategy, it is its end point to ensure that the goods, services and ideas so produced attract enough attention and conviction to elicit a level of sales which is commensurable with the efforts of the organisation and enough to cover its cost and targeted operational profit. As the core objectives of an organisation, it provides the motivation for all other activities as these are all aimed at accentuating the processes.

1.1.2 To build primary demand.

It is also the objective of a business to build a demand or reasonable customer base for its products especially at the introductory and the declining phases of the product life cycle. This is because it is demand that eventually leads to sale. Experts consider advertising as an important promotional tool in stimulating and turning the attention of the general public with appropriate forms of advertisement

1.2.3 To introduce a price deal.

It is also the objective of advertisement to communicate prices deals to the general public. As organisation contends with competition, a number of strategies are adopted to survive. Sometime the organisation may engage in flexible pricing strategies and along with other promotional tools to maintain or expand the market share.

1.2.4 To build brand recognition or brand insistence.

According to nnnnnnnnnn, branding refers to creating a unique name and image for a product either goods or services in the mind of the consumer, through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme. He further argues that branding aim to establish a significant and differentiated presence in the market that attracts and retains loyal customers. This definition provides an adequate explanation to what advertisement can do in terms of brand building and brand insistence.

1.2.5 To help salesman by building an awareness of a product among retailers.

The promotional mix of a marketing communication strategy involves a number of other techniques. Sales men are direct sakes agents recruited to personally meet consumers and present the products of the organisation to theme while enforcing its advantages over competitor products. The limitation of the extent to which the sales man can move persuade and educate is facilitated by advertisement as this makes their work easier.

1.2.6 To create a reputation for service, reliability or research strength.

Other researchers have also argued that organizations can embark son advertisement in order to put forward its superiority or possession of a skill critical and uneven in the industry. The same can also be said of corporate organisation that has in their possession accumulated research capacity which enables it to deliver unique products and services from its competitors.

1.2.7 To increase market share.

Advertising can also be used to increase the market share of an organisation resulting from the acceptance of the products but the consumer and subsequent recognition of the brand.

1.3 FUNCTIONS OF ADVERTISEMENT

Advertising as a promotional mix element is expected to play some functions. Organisations usually employ advertisement to play the following functions.

1.3.1 To distinguish products from their competitors

Advertising has been found to be a useful promotional tool when it comes to distinguishing between the products of an organisation from their competitors. There are so many products in the market. Sometime the same types of products are competing in one market. It is even the case that other manufacture may imitate the products of another organisation though with an amount of difference in order to outwit the law that protects copyright. But these seemingly differences may be very difficult to detect especially when the products in question are convenience good. An advertisement if well packaged can be a means to communicating product differences of original products from imitations or from that of other competitors.

1.3.2 To communicate product information

Promotional tools are intended to inform, educate and to remind consumers about a product or service and its functionality. Advertisement can be used to play the above functions in an efficient and an effective way. In other words through advertisement one company can send its product information to all of the target audiences within the shortest possible time. This function also become very crucial when organisation will have to put up a counter information in order to dispel some doubts concerning its products usually engineered by consumers or other unscrupulous opportunists

1.3.3 To urge product use

A good promotional tool should have the ability to convince the consumer about the efficacy of the product or service or idea. Corporate organisations usually use advertisement to create the urge within consumers for a product. This explains why consumers are prepared to buy goods which they have not budget for due to an inner urge induced by good advertisement

1.3.4 To expand product distribution

When the market demand of a particular product increases, the retailer and distributor are engaged in the sale of that product. The organisation can adopt the use advertisement to consolidate their expansion programme.

1.3.5 To increase brand preference

There are various products with various brands. Consumers can be supported to make good preferences with the aid of advertisement. In this way advertisement serves to highlight the advantages and disadvantages among brands which provides enough information for the consumer to make a choice between brands

1.3.6 To reduce overall sale cost

Advertising increases the primary demand in the market. When demand is there and the product is available, automatically the overall price will decrease.

2.0 TYPES OF ADVERTISING

There are many types of advertisement depending on the kind of classification system that is used. The following are the generally used to classify thereby dictating the typology of adverts. Function, Region, Target Market, Company demand, desired response and Media

2.1 Types of Advertisement based on function

Informative advertising This type of advertising informs the customers about the products, services, or ideas of the firm or organization. Examples: Fidany is offering 10 kg sugar for every. $2,000/- purchase everyday.

Persuasive advertising: This type of advertising persuades or motivates the prospective buyers to take quick actions to buy the products or services of the firm. Example: "Buy one, get one free."

Reminder advertising This genre of advertising reminds the existing customers to become medium or heavy users of the products or services of the firm that have been purchased by them at least once. This type of advertising exercise helps in keeping the brand name and uses of the products in the minds of the existing customers.

Negative advertising This type of advertising dissuades target audience from purchasing such products and services which would not only harm them but also the society in general. Examples: Advertisements of various civic authorities against alcohol, tobacco, and narcotics.

2.2 Types of Advertisement based on geographical location

Global advertising It is executed by a firm in its global market niches. Reputed global magazines like Time, Far Eastern Economic Review, Span, Fortune, Futurist, and Popular Science. Cable TV channels are also used to advertise the products through out world. Supermodels and cinema stars are used to promote high-end products Examples: Sony, Philips, Pepsi, Coca Cola, etc.

National advertising It is executed by a firm at the national level. It is done to increase the demand of its products and services throughout the country. Examples: BPL (Believe in the best). Whirlpool Refrigerator (Fast Forward Ice Simple) etc.

Regional advertising If the manufacturer confines his advertising to a single region of the country, its promotional exercise is called Regional Advertising. This can be done by the manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer of the firm. Examples: Advertisements of regional newspapers covering those states or districts where these newspapers are circulated. Eg. The Assam Tribune (only for the NE region) etc.

Local advertising When advertising is done only for one area or city, it is called Local Advertising. Some professionals also call it Retail Advertising. It is sometime done by the retailer to persuade the customer to come to his store regularly and not for any particular brand. Examples: Advertisements of Ooo la, Gupshup (Local FM channels) etc.

Types of Advertising based on targeted markets

Depending upon the types of people who would receive the messages of advertisements, we can classify advertising into four subcategories.

Consumer product advertising This is done to impress the ultimate consumer. An ultimate consumer is a person who buys the product or service for his personal use. This type of advertising is done by the manufacturer or dealer of the product or service. Examples: Advertisements of Intel, Kuttons (shirt), Lakme (cosmetics) etc.

Industrial product advertising: This is also called Business-to-Business Advertising. This is done by the industrial manufacturer or his distributor and is so designed that it increases the demand of industrial product or services manufactured by the manufacturer. It is directed towards the industrial customer.

Trade advertising This is done by the manufacturer to persuade wholesalers and retailers to sell his goods. Different media are chosen by each manufacturer according to his product type, nature of distribution channel, and resources at his command. Hence, it is designed for those wholesalers and retailers who can promote and sell the product.

Professional advertising This is executed by manufacturers and distributors to influence the professionals of a particular trade or business stream. These professionals recommend or prescribe the products of these manufacturers to the ultimate buyer. Manufacturers of these products try to reach these professionals under well-prepared programmes. Doctors, engineers, teachers, purchase professionals, civil contractors architects are the prime targets of such manufacturers.

Financial advertising Banks, financial institutions, and corporate firms issue advertisements to collect funds from markets. They publish prospectuses and application forms and place them at those points where the prospective investors can easily spot them.

2.3 Types of Advertisement based on company demand

There are two types of demand, as follows:-

(A) Market Demand: Advertising is the total volume that would be bought by a defined customer group, in a defined geographical area, in a defined time period, in a defined marketing environment under a defined marketing programme.

(B) Company Demand: It is the share of the company in the market demand. Accordingly, there are two types of advertising, as follows.

Primary demand advertising It is also called Generic Advertising. This category of advertising is designed to increase the primary demand. This is done by trade associations or groups in the industry. Primary advertising is done by many companies at the same time, but there is no competition. The idea is to generate a continual demand for the product.

Selective demand advertising This is done by a company or dealer to increase the company demand. The company would advertise its own brand only. The retailer can also advertise a particular brand. Examples: Titan wrist watch, Hero Honda bike, Sony television etc.

2.4 Other forms of Advertisement

Surrogate Advertising- Advertising Indirectly

Surrogate advertising is prominently seen in cases where advertising a particular product is banned by law. Advertisement for products like cigarettes or alcohol which are injurious to health are prohibited by law in several countries and hence these companies have to come up with several other products that might have the same brand name and indirectly remind people of the cigarettes or beer bottles of the same brand. Common examples include Fosters and Kingfisher beer brands, which are often seen to promote their brand with the help of surrogate advertising.

Public Service Advertising -- Advertising for Social Causes

Public service advertising is a technique that makes use of advertising as an effective communication medium to convey socially relevant messaged about important matters and social welfare causes like AIDS, energy conservation, political integrity, deforestation, illiteracy, poverty and so on. David Oglivy who is considered to be one of the pioneers of advertising and marketing concepts had reportedly encouraged the use of advertising field for a social cause. Oglivy once said, "Advertising justifies its existence when used in the public interest - it is much too powerful a tool to use solely for commercial purposes.." Today public service advertising has been increasingly used in a non-commercial fashion in several countries across the world in order to promote various social causes. In USA, the radio and television stations are granted on the basis of a fixed amount of Public service advertisements aired by the channel.

Celebrity Advertising

Although the audience is getting smarter and the modern day consumer getting immune to the exaggerated claims made in a majority of advertisements, there exist a section of advertisers that still bank upon celebrities and their popularity for advertising their products. Using celebrities for advertising involves signing up celebrities for advertising campaigns, which consist of all sorts of advertising including, television ads or even print advertisements.

3.0 THE COMPONENTS OF AN ADVERTISEMENT THE TITLE, THE TEXT, THE BRAND, THE ILLUSTRATION

As earlier on alluded to, the importance of advertisement is in its ability to elicit sales by appropriately targeting the concerned consumer and delivery exactly what will create no doubt in his mind to opt for the product. To this end, a good advert should ensure that its title, text, brand information and illustrations meet quality criteria such as espoused below

Arouse Curiosity

Nothing works better than this technique. Humans, by nature are always drawn towards the unknown or in this case something new and advanced. Arousing curiosity with words, prints, images or visuals will definitely make an impact. On an average, an individual spends less than 5 seconds to go through an entire ad. If your subject does not arouse curiosity immediately, it is a lost opportunity. A well-crafted ad should be eye-catching, and difficult to ignore.

Promise a Benefit

Most brands are associated with some pre-defined character, and they need to be re-emphasized with every new service advertised. The headline must promise a benefit for the consumer, because in most instances it is the headline that sells the product more than the copy, images or the celebrity. Advertisements should also carry general information about the service center address, phone numbers, credit cards that the business accepts, and the name of a person to ask for when calling for more information.

Emotional Appeal

Many advertisers attract attention by pulling at the heart stings and triggering emotions. An emotional response is by far the most powerful reason for making decisions. Emotional and rational thoughts are interdependent, as the ability to decide rationally is determined by issues that drive the emotions. We get more attracted to products and services that make us feel good and safe. The concept of emotional appeal are best seen in insurance ads made world over, and also companies that associate their sales with social upliftment causes.