Advertising

Advertising is the most visible and widely used tool of promotion. Every day, we encounter hundreds of advertisements — for soaps, detergents, soft drinks, hotels, insurance policies, and more. At its core, advertising is an impersonal, paid form of communication undertaken by an identified sponsor (the marketer) to promote goods or services. The most common modes are newspapers, magazines, television, and radio.

Distinguishing Features of Advertising

Three features set advertising apart from other promotion tools:

• (i) Paid Form: The sponsor bears the full cost of creating and placing the advertisement. Unlike publicity (which is unpaid), advertising is a purchased communication.
• (ii) Impersonality: There is no direct, face-to-face contact between the advertiser and the prospect. Advertising creates a monologue (one-way communication), not a dialogue. The advertiser speaks, but the audience does not talk back in real time.
• (iii) Identified Sponsor: The advertisement clearly names the individual or company behind it. The sponsor is known, takes responsibility for the message, and pays for it.

Merits of Advertising

Advertising offers several advantages as a communication medium:

• (i) Mass Reach: It can reach a huge number of people spread over a vast geographical area at once. For example, an advertisement in a national daily reaches lakhs of subscribers in a single day.
• (ii) Enhancing Customer Satisfaction and Confidence: Seeing a product advertised creates a sense of assurance among prospective buyers. They feel more comfortable about the product's quality and more satisfied with their purchase decision.
• (iii) Expressiveness: Modern developments in art, computer design, and graphics have made advertising one of the most forceful and attractive communication mediums. Even simple products and messages can be made visually appealing through special effects. …