Introduction to Advertising
Integrated Marketing Communication
A continuous process targeting marketing and communication goals using various media elements in a creative or a formal way.
A concept which ensures that every vital form of communication is carefully linked together.
Evaluates strategic roles of various marketing elements.
Plays a vital role in informing, persuading and reminding the brand to the viewers.
Features of IMC
Continuous Process: IMC is a continuous process giving solutions to questions like what do we have, whom to approach, why to approach, how to approach, what have we done, what can be done so as to achieve certain commercial objectives.
Common Objectives: Focuses on common objectives like Creating Awareness, Developing Attitude, Improving Brand Image, Generate Brand Loyalty, Face competition, Gain Corporate Image.
Elements: IMC involves usage of various elements for effective commercial communication like Publicity, Advertising, Sales Promotion, Salesmanship, Sponsorship, Public Relations, Packaging, Trade Fairs, etc.
Creativity: IMC requires a marketing message to not only be clear and concise, but even creative. Meaning contents that are out of the box and that grab attention.
Scientific Art: Being a process as well as skill oriented, IMC is an art as well as a science. But it's all for commercial purpose. :P
Persuading: IMC focuses on developing such content which are easy to hammer the minds of the viewers thereby converting them from consumers to customers.
Elements
Advertising: An act of promoting a product or a service for a designated cost.
Publicity: An act of promoting an idea or goods or service for no cost. Publicity campaigns are always free of cost. Eg. When you give a shout-out for One Plus 8 series Phone on your Instagram Story for no money.
Public Relations: An act of managing and coordinating with the public so as to grab their attention and leads.
Direct Marketing: Act act of contacting potential customers directly through email, telephone, catalogue, etc.
Personal Selling: An act of identifying potential customers and approaching them with an intention of successful conversion (consumer to customer)
Promotion: An act of bringing ideas, goods or services in the purview of consumers using various platforms like television, roadside banners, websites, social sites, etc.
Let's understand the concept of Advertising
As humans, we all have have a distinct identity because we are all different. And if you want someone to know you, you have to “speak”.
The same applies to businesses. Advertising is that essential element which allows a business to speak about what they are and what they have for the world. Its just like switching on lights inside a dark room. Because only then, you can see what is there in front of you.
Advertising can be defined as
Paid form
Mass presentation
Promotion of ideas, goods and services
Various available media
Exclusively for commercial purpose
Features of Advertising
Systematic Process: Advertising involves various activities like research, planning, content development, targeting the audience and placing the right ad in front of the right audience at the right time in right way.
Paid Form: Right from making to delivering an ad, there is cost involved at every phase.
Public Presentation: An advertisement is prepared with an intention to be shown to mass crowd in one go. Follows mass approach.
Promotion of Ideas, Goods and Services: Every saleable matter on earth can be promoted for commercial purpose through advertising.
Arts, Science and Profession: Working in ad industry requires various interpersonal, soft and technical skills and when you excel in the same, you become a professional. Plus, the whole thing is a process. Hence, its science too.
Specific Sponsorship: Sponsorship is funding for awareness and promotion just like how Zandu Balm sponsors IIFA Awards. This means, a major or some part of the IIFA Award Function has been financed by Zandu Balm. In return, IIFA Awards will keep on promoting Zandu Balm throughout their event by calling out their name and inserting Zandu Balm Commercial Ad.
Facilitates Promotion: An ad is prepared with an intention to promote a product or a service in the market.
Influential: Advertising has the power to play with viewer's decision making ability.
Pushes Sales Up: Advertising makes your product direct as well indirectly known and available in various areas thereby pushing sales up.
Universally Applicable: Every business requires advertising to promote itself. To throw light on self so as to become visible in front of the world.
Omnipresent: Advertising is present everywhere. Be it at home (TV, Radio, Mobile Phones, etc.) or outdoors like (Bills Boards, Banners, Hoardings, etc.)
Facilitates Consumer Awareness and Choice: With advertising, one can deliver information and content to the audience thereby making them aware about what is available in the market with a pinch of pursuance. An appeal to try them out. Eg. Ghadi detergent - “Pehle Istemal Karein, Fir Vishwas Karein.”
Objectives of Advertising
To create awareness about the product in the targeted market among the targeted audience.
To develop a positive attitude among the targeted audience with reference to the advertised brand and product.
To develop brand image in the market. Nestle Maggi has created its brand image through continuous advertising and high market share.
To differentiate your product with other products available in the market. Obviously, there is a difference between Sada Namak and Tata Namak.
To persuade consumers to think about the advertised product and develop a thought of trying out that product.
To create a demand for the brand / advertised product so as to increase business and make money.
To promote social welfare by disseminating information to the viewers through advertisements. Eg. Jago Grahak Jago. SBI Life Insurance, etc.
To act as a reminder to the audience that yes, we are here for you even if you don't need us. We stand with you. Also, reminder for sequel buying or investment or premium, etc.
To gain competitive advantage over rivals just like how Taller - Stronger - Sharper you can become only if you consume Horlicks and not any other health drink.
Evolution of Advertising
Wait, you know what?
First news paper advertisement: Announcement for selling property named Oyster Bay, Long Island Estate in Boston News Letter, then British North America. (1704)
First Television Video Advertisement in USA: Bulova Watches during a baseball game. (1941)
First Television Video Advertisement in India: Black n White - Gwalior Suitings (1978) & Colour - Bombay Dyeings
First Television Video Advertisement in Russia: Boosting agriculture and consumtion of corn. (1964)
First Television Video Advertisement in Japan: Seikosha Clocks and Watches aired on Nippon TV channel displaying current time in the advertisement. (1953)
Check the below link to watch these advertisements
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ-dkUjh9SA
Active Participants in Advertising
These are those organizations who are involved in the entire process right from making of an advertisement to displaying it to the viewers with review and analysis.
Advertisers: These are those organizations intending to sell their products and services to the masses. Eg. Godrej selling Hair Dye, Reliance selling Jio connection, Nestle selling Maggi, etc.
Ad Agency: An independent organization which provides all services related to advertising and marketing to an advertiser for some fees. Eg. Mindshare providing services to Hindustan Unilever, McCann Worldgroup providing services to Reliance Jio, Leo Burnett providing services to Bajaj Motors, etc.
Audience: General public who are exposed to advertisements. Includes newspaper readers, radio listeners, outdoor travelers, web users, movie watchers, television viewers, etc.
Media Company: An organization that enables distribution of information or entertainment products by any of the available media like print, radio, broadcast, cable, web or social media. Eg. EROS International Media, Hathway, HT Media, Zee Entertainment, etc.
Advertising Production Firms: This can either be an organization or an individual having the ability and the resources to produce content to be displayed to the viewers. It can be a producer who manages entire work of getting an ad produced, copywriters who design content to be inserted in an ad, photographers who click and record photos and videos and direct its placement in the ad, choreographers who set up swag or tradition based dance style in the ad if required, playback singers who record their voice for a background song to be placed in the ad, Cinematographers who edit the entire content as per sequence with special effects, researchers who conduct media and market research to understand market requirements as per which, ads can be designed, and the list goes on... Eg. Nirvana Films, Equinox Films, Ramesh Deo Prodcutions, MAD Films, Corcoise Films, Mindstorm, Searchmantra, etc.
Government Authorities and Self Regulatory Bodies: Government intervenes into the ad industry to establish ethics, truthfulness and moral practices in advertising by the advertisers. Eg. Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) regulates Indian advertising industry ensuring protection of the interest of the consumers. Central Board for Film Certification which certifies ads that are played in movie theatres. Doordarshan lays codes for precise advertising in Doordarshan network, Indian Newspaper Society (INS) which protects stakeholder's interest and promotes freedom of press.
Benefits of Advertising
To the Seller
Facilitates introduction of the product.
Develops a thought about the product in the minds of the viewers.
Creates, enhances and helps to retain brand image and loyalty.
Facilitates market expansion as you tend to expect more sales when you advertise more
Facilitates quick consumer choice and smooth sales as consumers are known about the product through the advertisement.
Facilitates promotion and popularizing of brand.
Creates demand for a product.
Good advertising also helps in managing competitions as you develop a favourable attitude in the minds of the people.
Facilitates USP based competitive advantage where one brand can prove itself better than other brands through an advertisement.
To the buyer
Provides first hand information about what is existing in the market that the consumer can buy.
Advertising helps consumers to decide in advance about the goods they wish to pick up.
Advertising acts as a reminder to the viewers enabling them to remember the product and continue to buy it.
Advertising creates a moment of pride among the existing users especially when they watch the advertisement after purchasing that advertised product. This sharpens the positivity and trust towards that product.
Advertising makes consumer believe that the product has passed all necessary quality checks and that is what differentiates it with other goods that are not advertised.
Advertising provides knowledge and education to viewers about the most rightful product for them without being cheated by any false claims.
With advertising, consumers tend to save a lot of time at the shopping center because they already know what they want to buy as per their budget.
To the Salesman
Enables easy selling of goods to the consumers because consumers are already aware about the goods.
Salesman can earn respect and pride on selling popular goods which are already known to the buyers.
Apply less efforts for briefing about product and focus more on sales and after sales servics.
Since products are already known to te buyers because of advertising, the salesman can expect more business actively as well passively.
Because of effective advertising, the salesman and other support staffs are also considered efficient and that creates a high end self satisfaction not only to the salesman but also to the buyers.
To the Society
Advertising facilitates demand for essential as well luxury products and so, it creates a higher standard of living in the society.
Advertising facilitates employment generation in the society to a next level. The advertising industry itself requires talented staff. Moreover, all other areas that are directly or indirectly related to business like artistry, media, relations, sales, marketing, logistics, etc. will require skillful talent thereby exposing job opportunities.
Advertising is at times entertaining and that can be one factor that can make the consumer attract and stick to a particular product.
At a mass level, advertising benefits the society by providing knowledge and education about various elements in the market. Eg. insurance, mutual funds, income tax filing, save water, yoga, health, fitness, etc.
On the Basis of Area
Local: An ad can be made with an objective to target audience in a particular locality. Eg. Spa and Salon in a particular area will target people only from that particular and nearby areas.
Regional: An ad can also be delivered in a particular region with common land or culture to boost awareness and sales. Eg. TOI's Mumbai Mirror is promoted only in Mumbai region. Usha Room Heater can be advertised in cold regions as it will be effective there only.
National: Advertising campaign can be conducted across nation, especially for multinational brands and popular products. Eg. Samsung Mobile Phones are advertised and sold across India with a single advertisement.
International: Brands managing business across many nations will undertake international ad campaign so as to have a maximum reach. Eg. Axe Deo ads can be seen in USA as well as India. Advertisements of Bajaj Boxer (motorbike) by Bajaj Motors in Africa, Nigeria, Philippines, Mexico, Latin America and even Middle East. (This product being manufactured in India, is not even sold in India :P)
On the basis of Audience
Retail Consumer: Advertising of consumer goods are made with an intention to reach out the message to consumers like us. Eg. Pepsodent Toothpaste and Lays will target retail consumers like us and even retail/wholesale dealers.
Industrial: Advertising of industrial goods like adhesives, engineering tools, raw materials, fabric, tiles, cement etc. is conducted with an intention to reach potential consumers from the industrial sector and not general consumers. Eg. M-Seal will target professionals or organizations involved in plumbing. Ambuja Cement will target real estate builders.
Trade: Promotion of deals to traders and merchants offering bulk products. Eg. MDH Masale targeting local retailers and wholesalers. Natraj Pencils targeting stationary stores.
Professional: Advertising undertaken by brands promoting services to professional consumers like Doctors, Makeup Artists, Sports enthusiasts, etc. Such professional groups create a high influence on general public as many would see them and learn about the product. Eg. Thyrocare promoting its products to medical experts. Nike Shoes promoting sports enthusiasts.
Social: An advertisement can be non-commercial too where its central idea would be to promote an idea or a beneficial message to the masses. Such advertisements can be emotional and informative to create sentiments, value or fear in the minds of the viewers. Eg. Ministry of Health promoting measures to boost immunity and wear mask outdoors. Government of India promoting PMCARE Fund for collection of charity for battling COVID19.
On the basis of Media
Press: A lot of advertisements can depend on print media like newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, flyers, brochures, etc. This will be effective for promoting advertisements to regular readers and can can act as supplement to other medias like television and digital. Eg. Advertisement of Grand Hyatt Hotel on Travel magazine that focuses only a particular group of audience (the one who reads the magazine).
Broadcasting: Where there is entertaining media, there is advertising. Broadcasting includes radio, television, live streaming and even web meetings. Eg. Moov promoting its advertisement on various television channels. Advertisement of Rambo Circus on Radio Channel. Advertisement of a sponsor during a Zoom meeting.
Outdoor: Wherever there is space, there is advertising! Outdoor media includes every possible space existing out of your home where advertisements can be put. Eg. Advertisement of JK Shah Classes on BEST Buses. Advertisement of VIM Bar on Mumbai Suburban Local Trains. Advertisement of Kalyan Jewelers on a highway hoarding. Advertisement of Ponds Talc on a bus stop.
Digital: Gaining more access and popularity these days, digital media has become a huge platform for advertisers. It includes websites, social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, mobile ads, in app advertisements, etc. Eg. Advertisement of Beard Oil appearing on Instagram. Advertisement of Apple Macbook Air on Facebook. Advertisement of Snapchat on Youtube.
On the basis of Functions
Direct Action: An Advertisement that stresses and persuades immediate buying of the product. Can be direct mail or SMS which can manage to achieve immediate action from respondents. Eg. Angel Broking Firm sending SMS to open DEMAT Account. Mail from HDFC ERGO to purchase a motor insurance policy.
Indirect: An advertising strategy without any intention of creating any stress or pressure on the viewers to buy. This is usually done for simply creating a brand awareness or assuring viewers that you are doing good in business and you still exist in the market. Eg. McDonalds advertising its concept of happiness without any message of pursuing viewers to come and dine at McDonalds. Advertisement by Indian Railways on account of completing 150 years of services.
Primary: Advertising of generic goods (unbranded goods). This kind of advertising can be done create a revolution. It can influence demand of a particular product like eggs, rice, wheat, green vegetables, etc. Eg. Advertisement of “Sunday ho ya Monday, roz khao andey” by Ministry of Health. Here, the eggs are not branded. There are just generic. Similarly, promotion of investment in mutual funds by Bombay Stock Exchange, but not endorsing any particular Mutual Fund Management Company.
Selective: Advertising a particular brand to the audience with an intention of promoting that particular brand only. Eg. Kellogs advertising Kellogs Corn Flakes, Raymonds promoting Raymond Suiting.
Product: An advertisement can either endorse a particular product or its owning company or even both. Advertising on the basis of products are the ones where only the product is promoted and not the corporate name. Eg. Advertisements of Oppo and Vivo Mobile Phones are promoted by BBK Electronics where Oppo and Vivo are the products and BBK Electronics is the company owning / endorsing these products (Parent Company). Advertisement of Dettol (product) is promoted by Reckitt Benckiser (owning company) where no information of Reckitt Benckiser is shown in the advertisement.
Corporate: Here, product is promoted along with its corporate / parent identity. Eg. Sunfeast Yippe is advertised as ITC's Sunfeast Yippe where Yippe is the product and ITC is the parent company and both the names are promoted in the advertisement. Swift (product) is promoted as Maruti Suzuki Swift by Maruti Suzuki (parent company) where both the names are marketed for promotion. Similarly, Titan (parent company) and Fastrack (brand / product)
Lets classify some advertisements
Local-Consumer-Press-Direct-Competitive
Big Bazaar is top retailer located in various cities across India. This handout circulated by them through newspapers can be classified as local consumer based advertising as their focus is to grab consumer's attention to their store. Plus the attractive discounts definitely make a lot of housewives crazy to jump out of home for shopping.
National-Consumer (Educational)-Press-Direct-Pioneering
This advertisement by LPU is targeting potential students who wish to pursue MA and BA programme and so, it can be educational. Moreover, the ad also talks about various specializations being offered which is definitely going to grab attention of the viewers.
Regional-Social-Broadcasting-Indirect-Competitive
You may know this news channel only if you are a hardcore Indian Northie. Having gained much popularity in Kashmir, this ad can be more of a Regional advertisement where majority of content is related to that particular region.
Global-Consumer-Digtal-Direct/Selective-Competitive
Na, no racism out here! Its a digital ad showing how Dove can take care of your skin. And you can know more!
National-Industrial-Press
This ad is by Kirloskar Brothers Limited, an Indian pump manufacturing company involved in engineering and manufacture of systems for fluid management. This advertisement is more of an industry based advertisement through which Kirloskars can gain manufacturing orders and contracts.
National-Social-Press-Primary
National-Consumer-Digital-Direct
You'll get the benefit only if you act now. A pure persuading digital ad for instant business by Amazon only for ICICI Card holders (specific)
Local-Consumer-Outdoor-Primary (Indirect)
This seems to be like a chalta firta Frooti. Yes, that's outdoor-transit advertising. One of the best way to spread information about brand in various geographical areas through one single mean, BEST Bus.
PS: Indian Railways is a good example too.