Advertising is the branch of commerce which deals with promoting sales of goods, services or ideas through messages that are meant to inform, educate and persuade the general public by means of various methods such as newspaper, radio, television.
FUNCTIONS OF ADVERTISING
- Creation of demand for goods and services
- Informing customers about the existence of new products in the market
- Persuading customers to buy particular products
- Educating the public about the uses of a particular product
- Used to promote the image of firm as producers/sellers of high quality goods and providers of efficient and reliable services
- It helps in creating brand loyalty
- It improves the quality of the products
TYPES OF ADVERTISING
- Informative Advertising: This is aimed at informing consumers about the existence/arrival of products. It also gives information about the benefits and uses of a product
- Persuasive Advertising: This type of advertising uses convincing words/strategies to persuade the customers to buy a particular brand of a product
- Competitive Advertising: This is aimed at convincing the customer that a particular product is better than others. It usually extols the qualities of the advertised brand over its rivals (i.e. close substitutes)
- Direct Advertisement: This is used to advertise goods and services that are used by only a specific class of people e.g. a new brand of chalk could be advertised specifically to schools through the medium of an educational journal.
- Indirect Advertisement: This form of advertisement is not directed to any section or class of people. It is used to advertise goods and services meant for all and sundry.
- Mass and Specific Advertising: Mass advertising involves the producers/sellers of similar products coming together to jointly advertise their products to the public. Mass advertising promote the industry by convincing the public to use the product/service without reference to particular brands e.g. eggs.
Specific advertising directs its appeal on a particular brand which is unique in nature.
MEDIA OF ADVERTISING/METHODS OF ADVERTISING
(1) The Press (i.e. newspapers, magazines, journals etc.) (2) Television (3) Cinema
(4) Hoarding (5) Radio (6) Catalogues (7) Posters (8) Neon Signs (9) Handbills/Pamphlets (10) Exhibitions / Trade Fairs (11) Window display /Interior displays (12) Direct Mail etc.