Introduction 

“Advertisement is the act of influencing human action, the awakening for the desire to possess and possess your product.”

American Marketing Association defines advertising as “any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods or services by an identified sponsor”.

The 5M’s of Advertising:

1. Mission: Goal and objective
2. Money: Amount available to spend
3. Message: Message to be sent
4. Media: Media to be used
5. Measurement: Evaluation of results.

Distinguishing Features of Advertising:

1. It is a unique means of non-personal or mass communication announcing the sale of goods or services. It can help to introduce a new product quickly.
2. The advertising is non-personal salesmanship performing similar functions like personal salesmanship.
3. It is an openly sponsored sales message regarding
4. It is a paid communication, paid for by the sponsor (advertiser) to the media owner (seller of advertising space).
5. Advertising message can be addressed to numerous persons at a time- they may be readers, listeners, viewers, collectively called ‘audience’ of advertisement.

Difference between Advertising and Salesmanship  

Salesmanship: It is personal, involving direct personal face to face communication. It is individual (person to person) communication through personal interview between the sales-person and the prospect.

Advertising: It is a non-personal and indirect means of communication with the prospect through various media forms. Advertising is mass communication, advertiser reaching a large number of prospects simultaneously. An advertisement is read, seen or heard by a number of prospects.

Advertising Vs Publicity

Advertising must be carried out by an identified sponsor. Publicity need not have identified sponsor. Advertising must be carried out by an identified sponsor. Publicity need not have identified sponsor. Advertising is a paid form of communication. Publicity is not a paid form of communication.

In a sense, paid publicity is advertising.

Advertising Purposes:

1. Promotion of new products: Advertising can make prospects at least aware of the entry of the new product in the market.
2. Support to personal selling: Advertising can move the prospect nearer and nearer to the point of purchase. Under favourable atmosphere, salesman’s job is easier and simple. Actual closing of sale is, thus, facilitated by advertising.
3. Brand Patronage: In the long run, effect of advertising on brands and campaigns may be of great importance. The advertising programme can aim at consumer awareness and attitudes. Buyers may be induced to purchase and re-purchase.
4. Immediate buying action: Advertising may attempt to obtain immediate buying action. For instance, mail order advertisement, direct-action retail advertisement, price-deal offers, last-chance offers are special advertisement persuading prospects and securing prompt actions.
5. Pre-sold goods: Well-advertised brands are pre-sold goods. Buyers are pulled by such advertisement. Supermarket advertisers pull customers and goods are sold without active help of counter sale force.
6. Dealer Support: National or big firms advertise extensively and intensively to support dealers and distributors so that they can assure accelerated distribution.

 Classification of Advertising:

1. Product advertising: When the company tries to sell its products or services through advertising, it may be referred to as product advertising.
2. Institutional advertising: When the advertising is to project the image of a company or its services, it is known as institutional advertising. Institutional advertising is not at all product-oriented, but is designed to enhance the image of the company.
3. Primary demand advertising: It is intended to stimulate primary demand for a new product. It is heavily utilised during the introduction stage.
4. Selective or Competitive Advertising: When a product enters growth stage of the life cycle and when competition begins, advertising becomes competitive and selective. Under this type of advertising, information will be less and it will be more emotional.
5. 5. Comparative Advertising: When there is severe intensity of competition, comparative advertising is resorted to, comparative advertising, stresses on comparative features of two or more specific brands in terms of products/services attributes.
6. Shortage Advertising: When there is short-supply of products shortage advertising is resorted to. Example: Oil crisis.
7. Cooperative Advertising: When manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers join and share the expenditure on advertising it takes the form of cooperative advertising.
8. Commercial Advertising: It is also termed as business advertising. Such advertising is only meant for affecting increase in sales.

a. Industrial advertising

b. Trade advertising

c. Professional advertising

d. Farm advertising

Media Selection

In making a decision, we have to consider the following factors:-

1. The financial allocation for advertising.
2. The nature of the product and the demand for it.
3. The type of prospects, their location and other characteristics.
4. The nature of competition and the extent of coverage required, and
5. Cost of media, co-operation and promotional aids offered by media, media circulation.