Advertising In Marketing: 2 Definitions, Criticisms, Types, & More
Advertising in marketing simply refers to a non-personal marketing strategy which involves creating awareness for product and/or services to customers or potential clients using advertising media for a published rate within a specific period of time.
Marketing, on the other hand, refers to all business activities that is geared towards identifying and satisfying the needs and wants of prospects or target audience for profit.
Now:
Marketing encompasses a whole lot… it’s a concept that exist BEFORE and AFTER the production of a product.
For instance…
Before a product is produced to solve a need or want, an organization needs to do what is called Marketing Research.
…and the essence of the research is to ensure they have timely information on problems regarding their niche…
…and also come up with possible solutions for those identified challenges that may appear as obstacles to customers satisfaction. Which of course is key to running to a successful business.
However, the research covers three basics you need to know.
- Competitors – To identify their strength and weakness in other to develop a better and much advance strategy.
- Potential customers – To get valid information on their characteristics in other to better satisfy them.
- The socio-economic factors that exist within the given market.
So after all necessary business activities has been carried out to ensure a product is developed to meet or exceed the needs/wants of prospects…
…marketing is further employed to ensure the product gets to them at a profit for the organization.
But here’s the kicker…
For an organisation to make profit, they need to make sure the right people buy their product to solve their problem…
And here’s is where the application of promotional tools comes in.
ADVERTISING happens to be one of those tools…
…and it’s primarily a MARKETING TACTIC/STRATEGY adopted by firms or business owners whose goal is getting the words of their product out there to prospects who are willing and able to buy.
Look:
The purpose of this article is to enlighten you on advertising…
In essence, here i will be covering globally recognized definition of advertising, reasons organizations leverage advertising, roles/functions, criticism of advertising in marketing, stages and lots more…
But:
This article is like a summary on a few topics concerning advertising in marketing i have written on.
So for more information on any topic you may be interested, feel free to click on the links…
There’s a lot to learn… so without wasting any time let’s get right into it.
Table Of Contents
What is the definition of advertising?
As insinuated earlier, advertising is an important marketing tactic or aspect of marketing (like personal selling, sales promotion, publicity and public relation)…
…which firms use to inform, educate, and persuade target audience to try their product.
However, the globally recognised definition for advertising is this
Advertising can be defined as any paid form of non-personal presentation and the promotion of ideas, goods or services by an identified sponsor.
… thats according to the Committee of American Marketing Association.
Meaning of Advertising: 2 Easy Definition of Advertising and Their Key Terms.
What are the negatives/criticisms of advertising?
Advertising isn’t all rossy… it has is own drawbacks and below are a few of them.
1. Wastage of money
Based on the definition of advertising, it is clearly stated as a PAID promotional activity.
In essence, advertising as a marketing tactic isn’t free.
However, some business owners usually paint the idea of creating awareness for their product or brand a waste of money…
that’s after losing a couple dollars due to failed campaigns.
What’s worse?
Some tend to give up on marketing/advertising and only rely on organic traffic.
While i respect their perception on advertising being a waste of money because majority has a story to back their belief…
…i still see it has a misconception.
Because realistically, it’s possible they either didn’t run the promotional campaign properly…
…or they made use of the wrong advertising media to communicate their message.
something is simply wrong somewhere.
Bottom line:
Money spent on advertising yields result when done properly.
so i disagree its a waste of money. Just thought i use this opportunity to correct that misconception.
So when you find yourself not getting the required result while or after running a promotional campaign…
… you want to seek the help of an expert.
2. Increase the cost of the product
Prices for products are set after due consideration on so many factors in which promotional cost is part of.
So when a firm go expensive while advertising, the consumers will be the one to pay for it…
…because the firm tends to set a higher price so as to as achieve a positive return of investment.
See this article for more criticisms of advertising in marketing.
What are the stages of advertising spiral
The concept of advertising in marketing evolves in three (3) stages.
This is because as companies grow the motive, or idea behind a particular advert changes.
1. Pioneering advertising
Here, the company simply leverage ways of getting their marketing message across to their target audience.
Company’s advert follow a basic formula:
- A product is shown
- A need is established in the customer’s mind
- An illustration is given on how the product will solve the customer’s need
This stage of advertising in marketing is done by a new company or an existing company with a new product.
2. Competitive advertising
Here, the company uses advertising to pass a message of superiority of their product or service over their competitors products.
In other words, this stage of advertising is one in which a company highlight benefits of their product…
…this is to paint a picture in the mind of their target audience that: Our product is better than similar ones out there.
Arguably, this is exactly what Apple Inc has successfully done over the years.
3. Retentive advertising
This stage of advertising is done by a company in other to remind their target audience about their product.
For example:
I am fan of Adidas right? But while going through my feed a few weeks back, i saw this angels from Nike.
Nike is a household name. I do not need any convincing to buy a product from them. Nevertheless, i saw those on my way to a movie so i wasn’t 100% captured…
After the movie, i completely forgot i had seen some cool stuffs from Nike i would like to own…
…fast forward to the exact day i am working on this article, i saw the same advert on my feed again and i remembered i need a pair from those collection.
Bottom line?
Initially i was lost, but now i am found.
Companies understand a few customers do not need any convincing to own their product.
They already know about it and they liked it, but they tend to forget due to other daily activities…
…and that’s why retentive advertising is leveraged in other to remind their target about their product.
The stages of advertising in marketing doesn’t end here though…
…for the 7 stages you need to follow to run a successful promotional campaign click here
What are the roles of advertising in marketing?
1. Informing target audience
Advertising helps a company actually create awareness for their product…
…by giving them opportunity to let them INFORM their target audience there’s a better solution to their problem.
Furthermore, It (advertising) further gives them (advertiser, firms etc) the opportunity to educates their prospects on how to use their product…
…and also provide them with other needed information to enhance purchase decision.
2. Influencing prospects to buy
Properly displayed advert actually propels prospect to want to try a company’s product.
Change is constant – they say. And that’s why people love to upgrade.
In essence, effective advertisements make target audience be like:
I am definitely upgrading to that tomorrow.
This is why tech giants like Apple have been able to get me and you buying their latest gadgets when we aren’t even done with the last one. Iphone in particular.
Bottom line?
Another key function/role of advertising plays as marketing tactic is that it makes customers or consumers question their current choices.
And spring up reasoned arguments and emotional appeals for trying a brand versus another.
What are the reasons for advertising?
Below are a few reasons business owners, big firms, and marketers leverage advertising…
1. For the introduction of new businesses.
As a new startup, there’s a high chance you are still unknown to the right people…
…these are simply those persons whose needs/wants your business was start up to cater for.
In essence, advertising makes it possible for a new business owners to introduce themselves to the general public or target market.
2. To encourage repeat purchases.
It’s much more easier to sell to customers who has patronized you before…
Distractions is like the norm this days. Today a customer is doing product A and tomorrow everything just changes in a flash.
The same way you got the attention of customer in the first place…
…the same way your competitors are also working hard to create awareness for their product.
Since your customers is more likely a target when they (competitors) advertise, you need to continuously patronize advertising yourself in other to remind your consumers why they choose your business in the first place.
And why they should continue to choose you in the future.
Failure to do this, your customers will go the same way you got them.
Kinds Of Advertising In Marketing
1. Institutional advertising
Also known as corporate advertising.
This is the type of advertising that is done to specifically promote or boost the image/reputation of a particular organization or company as being socially responsible or mindful.
In a few words, institutional advertising is leveraged by a company in other to promote itself rather than a particular product.
The kicker here is:
Institution advertising does not directly aim to sell any of the organization’s product. Rather, it’s done to create goodwill for itself and also let prospects in on the organization’s philosophy.
2. Persuasive advertising.
In simple terms, this is the type of advertising that is used to convince customers or consumers to purchase a particular product and neglect another (usually that of the competitors).
Everyone has experienced this at some point.
If you’ve ever dropped let’s say product A for B — because of a few words on the comparative advantage you — perhaps —saw on television or heard from a sales representative, that’s persuasive advertising.
What are the different types of advertising media?
1. Newspaper
Also regarded as a storehouse for information and unlike Magazines which show less concern…
…Newspapers contain information on daily events/happenings which are published daily, bi-weekly and weekly.
Broadly, this advertising in marketing media type can be categorised in two:
local and national newspapers.
For Local:
We are looking at a media type advertisers specifically use when they intend running promotional campaigns on their products or services to the local population…
National newspapers:
Just the opposite of local…
Advertisers use this medium to reach a larger audience or market quickly… And promotional messages are of broader interests.
However, before settling for a particular newspaper brand, an advertiser should consider the following…
- Coverage of the newspaper
- The class of customers
- The cost of advertising etc.
Why do businesses use Newspaper advertising?
- Cost of promotional messages on Newspapers are low when compared to other types of advertising media..
Common Drawbacks:
- They have a shorter life and are not suitable for illiterate people. Therefore promotional campaigns can’t be conveyed successfully via Newspapers to those who can’t read.
2. Television advertising.
Television advertising is used by advertisers to convey promotional messages for a product or service by combining visual appeal and persuasive tone.
Based on experience and expert reviews, television can be seen as the most powerful and effective advertising media.
And:
Television ads meet prospects or viewers when they’re more relaxed and comfortable while awareness creation and appealing are done…
…unlike radio ads that, in most cases, meet prospects while on something else such as driving.
Why do marketers use television advertising?
- Because it gives room for product demonstration which leaves a long-lasting impression on the mind of a viewer.
- It is cost-effective.
Drawbacks:
- It’s very expensive. Which makes it —although available to all organizations, is leveraged by a few.
- The duration of the advertisement is very limited.
Outdoor advertising: Meaning, 10 Types, & 5 Popular Examples
Conclusion
Advertising is one of the aspect of marketing which involves using different media or medium to spread words about a product and grab public’s attention to buy.
However, there are other marketing communication tools a firm can use to promote a product…
…it all depends on an organization’s marketing strategy .
Bottom line:
Advertising can serve marketing well if its suitable for the marketing strategy…
…as it is ONE OF the keys to a successful business – Not the only way.
So that’s it for advertising in marketing from my end.
Feel free to check other marketing related articles that might interest you to add to your knowledge.
For your corrections, contributions and suggestions please drop a comment.
Thanks for stopping by.
