12 Different Types Of Advertising Media For Advertisers.

Sometimes referred to as Conventional Mass Media …    the different types of advertising media can   be   defined   as those technological artifacts marketers, business owners, firms, and advertisers in general use in propagating promotional messages about a product or service to their target audience.

In summary, product or service communication methods which could be outdoor or indoor like billboards ads and television ads respectively can be viewed as advertising media .

Having said that…

Let’s now get dive straight into the business of the day.

12 Different Types Of Advertising Media

different types of advertising

1. Commercial radio

As a medium, radio advertising present advertisers the opportunity to convey their promotional message about a product or service at a convenient time of the day to a selected audience.

Otherwise known as word of mouth in wholesales form… This particular type of advertising media can be used in different regional languages in other to best suit a particular locality or area.

Sometimes, advertisers use slang and slogan when targeting promotional messages (ads) to a particular set of people in a state, city or geographical area…

…the essence of this is to create a deep meaningful connection with their target audience.

Why do marketers use commercial radio advertising?

…below are just reasons.

  • Firstly, to communicate a product or service to both literate and illiterate.
  • Secondly, it ensures a wider audience reach or coverage.

Drawbacks:

  • Lack of visual appeal to aid proper understanding by the listeners
  • Promotional messages on the radio are usually short and listeners can easily forget about it… Because the majority (listeners) is always engaged (busy doing something else) while listening to the message.

2. Television advertising.

Quite the opposite of commercial radio…

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.

3. Cinema.

After the theatre went dark and the curtain opened, you were greeted not by the main attraction, but a series of commercials. So there you sat, keenly aware that the scene felt oddly similar to that of sitting in your own home and watching your favourite show on TV.

But:

What can you do?

Also known as movie or theatre ads…

This type of advertising media is used to reach a particular category of prospects or the audience.

Here, advertisement is shown to the audience before the regular shows or during the intermission.

Movie ads are judge to be one of the coolest advertising mediums. Of course — because you and I can’t actually skip it or move away.

2 Reasons Advertisers Leverage This Type of advertising For Media

  • Here the entire message usually reaches the whole audience… Because the audience can’t interfere with it.
  • It’s more affordable when compared to television. Therefore, it’s one medium and small businesses can also leverage.

Drawbacks:

  • It ensures more flexibility at larger costs.
  • Its effectiveness cannot be measured properly.

Furthermore, cinema ads account for third (1/3) of the money spending for adults going through their acquisitive period in setting up a home.

Therefore, the effectiveness of cinema advertising to an extent is high.

4. Outdoor advertising

Also known as out-of-home advertising

Outdoor advertising is those marketing strategies advertisers use in creating awareness for a particular product or service outside the home of an organization’s target audience

In other words:

When an organization or business runs an advertising campaign in other to capture the attention of their target audience when they are outside their homes is known as outdoor advertising

This type of advertising for media features the likes of:

  • Posters
  • Placards
  • Neon signs
  • Sandwich-men
  • Skywriting,
  • Transportation or transit ads

Posters: this, in particular, appears to be very useful to an advertiser because, by selecting the appropriate signs, makes it possible to appeal to a specific or chosen audience.

For Transportation advertising , it includes all promotion campaigns in public transits such as vehicles, buses, cars and most especially trains.

the essence of all of this is simply to capture the attention of passerby in a flash.

Furthermore:

Out-of-home ads are effective if you sell home product and or products consumers use regularly such as soap, medicines, pens, shoes etc

2 Major Reasons Advertisers Leverage out-of-home media advertising.

  • Posters, banners etc get audience attention from a distance to the promotion message of an advertiser… And it further a play key role in tempting prospects into owning a product.
  • This is a more durable and economical form of advertising medium. Plus, it requires lesser time and effort on the part of the advertiser to undertake this medium…

…which makes it one of the best types of advertising media for small business owners.

Drawbacks:

  • Sticking of bills and posters destroys the walls of different building and adversely affects the cleanliness and beautification of a particular area.
  • Various media like skywriting, sandwich-men, balloons and electric displays are very costly. They are beyond the means of a small trader

5. Film advertising

Over the years, film production companies have successfully developed a market for promotional films

Mind you:

This is not the same as theatre or cinema advertising media…

Here, the films (specially made for an advertiser) are produced to show the production processes of the product in question.

Most importantly, the films are made to be shown at meetings for dealers, distributors, customers and even students who may need it for project research purpose when necessary.

Pros Of Film Advertising Media

  • It is used to convey accurate information to operators, programmers and system analysts.
  • It also helps in passing promotional messages to a wide range of selected audience.

Cons:

  • Film advertising is expensive. And,
  • It should be prepared with the aim of entertaining the public.

6. Magazines

Also referred to as periodicals

Magazines are collections of varied items of general interest that show less concern for information on recent happenings…

…it is one of those types of advertising media that is mainly built to serve special interest group with special subjects.

Furthermore, Magazines comes in different categories… with the intention of reaching a particular segment of people.

  • There are magazines meant for the general public and special class of people.
  • We also have exclusive magazines relating to industry, trade, finance and economics and the likes.
  • There are also special magazines for men, women and children.

…all of which are published less frequently and could be weekly, monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual.

2 Major Reasons Businesses Indulge In Promotional Campaigns Using Magazines.

  • They are more suitable for the introduction of a new product.

Look:

In most cases, consumers of magazines are often subscribers. To an extent, they are loyal and trust anything coming from their favourite collection.

In their head, they are like:

…anything coming from this publication is best for me.  (like promoting a special lotion for Gays in a Gay magazine)

Advertisers are very much aware of this and that’s just one reason they do magazine ads.

  • Magazines are often in coloured form, tend to promote the product in question nicely and gives a lasting impression to the reader.

Drawbacks:

  • The cost is high when compared to other types of print media adverts such as Newspapers.
  • Impromptu alterations by the advertiser on a promotional message cannot be made. Because contents are usually sent to the press many days before the publication.

7. 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 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.
  • It is suitable for all types of goods having wider markets and can also be used to introduce a new product to the market.

Common Drawbacks:

  • Firstly, 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.
  • Secondly, advertisements are not captivating enough. This is because they’re usually displayed in black and white.

8.  Window display

Also known as exterior display…

Here’s how this type of advertising media works:

Business owners strategically display their products in the shop windows so as to attract customers. In other words, it’s a promotional strategy which involves displaying goods at the windows of a store.

The store windows also carry details related to the goods in question which directly serve as a way of enlightening customers.

Key advant ages :

  • The window display has direct appeal to the onlookers.
  • It is instrumental in arousing the desire to purchase in prospective customers. It acts as a silent salesman.

How can advertiser leverage this type of advertising successfully?

  • Goods should be arranged properly and systematically in the show windows.
  • The articles in the windows should be regularly changed.
  • The advertiser should not forget that the window is the index of his shop. Therefore, utmost care should be undertaken to display the products in windows.

9. Speciality advertising

This strategy involves taking advantage of festive periods to directly or indirectly promote a brand or product.

I’ll explain.

So every year in America there are Halloween festivals, Christmas and New Years celebrations… During these periods, parties are organised, gifts are exchanged etc..

…all of those are what advertisers are aware of.

So during this festive periods…

They (Advertisers, organizations, business owners etc) create useful goods and have their names and messages displayed on it.

The products are often offered for free to the target audience and they include: Bags, key holders, wrist bands, cups, shirts etc

That’s the concept of speciality advertising.

Why do marketers use speciality advertising?

  • To establish rapport and increase brand awareness in a given geographical area.
  • Exposure to the company’s ad is not limited; readers can go back to your message again and again if so desired.

Drawbacks :

  • Because majority of businesses leverage this type of advertising media during the festive period, there’s a high possibility of saturation in some items and audiences.
  • The wrong choice of product or poor creativity may dampen the reputation of the advertiser

10. Direct mail

This is one of the oldest types of advertising media advertiser use to promote a product.

To successfully use this strategy, two things are very important.

Firstly, A mailing list:

In a few words, it’s simply a list of addresses to which the information is being sent. However, the information will be centred on a product or service an advertiser is promoting.

Secondly, A compelling sales letter:

This also entails information about the product. And the main aim here is to convince the consumer to buy the product.

Furthermore, the promotional message is sent to prospective buyers by post…

…and circular letters, folders, calendars, booklets and catalogues are sent under this type of advertising media.

Advantages:

  • It presents an advertiser the opportunity to send in-depth details regarding the product to buyers.
  • The ad campaign is hidden from competing firms or advertising promoting a similar product until it’s too late for them to react

Disadvantages :

  • Personally, I do not like receiving offers via mail, and immediately throw them away sometimes without even opening the mail. They are many others just like me out there.
  • Aside from the difficulty of building and keeping the list clean and updated, this strategy is also not suitable for every type of product.

11. Personal selling.

Personal selling is a promotional tool that is prominent in the marketing of product , services, ideas etc.

And:

This type of advertising media involves the face to face meeting between a seller (marketer, advertiser, salesman etc) and the buyer(s) in which the seller tries to convince the buyer(s) to own the product.

Having good knowledge of the products they sell, policies of their company and other skills are vital to convincing prospect(s) to purchase the product.

Advantages :

Unlike other types of advertising media, personal selling makes  it possible to meet customers  face to face and clear all objections that may hinder making a purchase.

Disadvantage :

Qualified salespersons are only possible based on training which doesn’t come cheaply. Furthermore, sales peoples are always subject to bonuses or commissions after completing a task.

12. Sales promotion

Sales Promotion refers to those marketing activities, other than personal selling, advertising and publicity that triggers consumer’s urge to purchase a product and dealer effectiveness such as displays, shows and exhibitions, premiums, contest, trading, coupons etc.

In a few words, sales promotion are simply those short term incentives (such as discounts, coupons, bonuses etc) used to stimulate purchase or increase sales of a product.

Why do advertisers use this type of advertising media strategy?

  • If a product is worth $100 and a 70% discount was placed on it… Discount available only for a limited time between Christmas and New Year’s eve. People are more likely to take advantage of such an offer. Mainly to increase demand and sales of a product,   it’s  one   reason   the   reason   advertisers   or   businesses use   this  strategy.
  • Creates a focused marketing approach

Drawbacks:

  • No company can survive on a long term selling a product worth $100 for just $30. So what that means is that sales promotion is a short term ads media strategy.
  • Increased price sensitivity. Consumers wait for the promotion deals to be announced and then purchase the product.

So I wanted to share with a-dozen (12) different types of advertising media and a couple of reasons business owners, companies, marketers and advertisers, in general, use them…

…And. I. Did.

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Over To You

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