We currently live in a world where any product/service you are selling, several other companies are doing the same thing. Most of the companies have the same offers, similar prices, and quality as well. So how can you stand out from your competitors? Here come advertisements as it can do wonders for you. Advertisement is addressing people in general with the help of visual and/or oral messages. It has always managed to connect brands with their target market. Advertising your product/service will help to inform consumers about your product and also, potentially increase sales.
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A good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself.
- David Ogilvy
Features of Advertisement
Every bottle of water in most parts of India is still referred to as Bisleri. This is nothing but an excellent example of how advertisement can be a complete game-changer. When it had launched its first print Ad back in the 1980s, it got popular with a punchline: “Bisleri is veri veri extraordinari.” The spellings here were designed in a way to capture consumer’s attention. Also, Bisleri Ads have been popular ever since, the Bisleri Camel Ad taking the cake. Be it print or electronic, advertisements are observed to have a set of features mentioned below:
Paid communication
Advertisement is an attempt to attract consumers by spending money to communicate information. If there is no expenditure incurred while giving information relating to your product/service, it will not be considered as an advertisement. For example, a newspaper publishes a review of your product on its own. It will convey the necessary information and promote your product but it will not be considered as an advertisement. This is because no expenditure was incurred from your pockets.
Creatively stimulating
Advertisement is all about creativity. A good advertisement is always creatively stimulating. It makes your advertisement stand out from the rest of the competitors with ease. Advertisements with a great creative edge tend to stay in people’s mind even after years. The popular Nirma jingle used in its advertisement is proof of how creativity can change your product’s destiny.
Focused on large masses (non-personal)
Advertisement is not meant to target a few people but masses. If you are promoting your product on television, everyone who sees it has the potential to be your consumer. It is focused for large groups of people and hence, usually, mass communication mediums are used in an advertisement.
Gives information
An advertisement informs a potential audience about your product/service. It also highlights the benefits it has to offer, compelling you to buy the product. It increases consumer’s awareness regarding what your product does, its potential benefits and why it is worth their money.
Target-oriented
Advertisements are developed keeping in mind the target audience and market. The behaviour of the target audience is analysed while creating an advertisement. Based on who the advertisement is for, themes, props, slogans and storylines are created. The way Kinder Joy advertises a toy along with chocolate, attracting its target audience, the kids, to buy their product.
Peruse and attract customers
The reason why advertising is such a huge industry is that it peruses and attracts customers. Companies don’t mind pumping in millions of dollars on their advertisement campaigns because they are aware of their potential and significance. The advertisement provides information and benefits of your product/service to the customers, luring them to make a purchase.
Speed and large-scale communication
Since the advertisement is usually targeted towards the masses, it is speedy and helps to communicate with the audience on a large scale. It helps in reaching your product/services to millions of people at the same time. It increases the public awareness of the brand by promoting it on a large-scale.
How advertising benefits a business?
Advertisements should be aligned with the overall goal of your business. The brand image you want to create in front of the masses will be the bases of your advertisement campaigns. The benefits of advertising your product/service include:
Boost sales
Advertisements have a direct impact on boosting sales as well as increasing the return on investment (ROI). They target both your current as well as your potential customers. Using social media is one of the cost-effective methods to boost your sales. Boosting sales and increasing the return on investment helps in expanding your business and venture in new territories. These days, digital advertising solutions are all the rage.
Helps to spread the word
Whether you are launching a range of new products or offering a sale on your existing stock, you want to inform it to as many customers and potential customers as you can. This is where advertisement comes in the picture. Advertising is a way of communicating to a huge crowd and reaching the masses. It is a great medium of spreading the word regarding your products, offers or any news about your business.
Increases awareness of the brand
Advertisement over the decades has proven to be a game-changer in increasing brand and product awareness. Whether you are launching a new product or want to promote your business, they are several mediums to go about it. Also, having an enhanced brand/product image will increase your competitive advantage.
Attracts new buyers
Advertisement does help in spreading information about your product and raise awareness regarding it. Additionally, it can play a crucial role in converting a seller’s awareness of attraction towards the product. This will help you to get the sellers one step deeper in the sales funnel. Have buyers and potential buyers not only know about your products but also get attracted to it. Advertisement is a great way to move further into the sales funnel and encourage the purchase of buyers.
Aids in helping you stand out from your competition
There are several competitors every day in any and every business. Each trying to stand out from the rest. This demands marketing and advertising be conducted innovatively and creatively. Impactful advertisements will help in making your product stand out from the competition. Use your advertisements to highlight the USP of your product whether that is its quality, price, added value or quantity.
Helps to educate customers
Educating your customers will help to convince them about how your product/service will benefit them and satisfy their needs. Advertisement is a great way to share with the masses how a product/service will help fulfilling their needs. Educating your customers about the benefits of your product/service will help in building a sense of trust amongst them.
Enhances the goodwill of your business
Successful branding is when the very image of your brand is enhanced by conducting effective advertising campaigns. Creating a positive image of your brand overall will help in increasing its goodwill. Use advertisements to your advantage for improving the positioning of your brand and enhancing its current perception. These types of advertisements are usually aligned with the core values of a company.
The advertisement space has proven time and again how it can change the course of a company. It is not about pumping thousands of dollars in your advertising campaigns. Instead, it is about investing selectively and efficiently in campaigns that make an impact on your target audience. Conduct deep research about the behaviour of your consumer to know what compels them to buy a certain product/service. Also, read our article on ‘advertising’ to have a much deeper understanding of it.
