DEFINITAION :

Advertising is bringing a product (or service) to the attention of potential and current customers.
Advertising is focused on one particular product or service. Thus, an advertising plan for one
product might be very different than that for another product. Advertising is typically done with
signs, brochures, commercials, direct mailings or e-mail messages, personal contact, etc.

Mistakes in advertising can be costly to small business. For this reason many business decide
either not to advertise at all or to be very conservative with their ads. However, using the right
"type" of advertising, with the right message, can cut the cost of advertising by making it more
effective.

Not every business will use all six types of advertising. Which type you use will depend on what
your message is and the end result you wish to accomplish.

The six types of advertising are

Company Image

Which is more important, the company or its products or individuals? In a small town or market,
this can be a very important question. For example, your insurance agent might be a personal
friend. You will buy your insurance from him/her regardless of the company they represent. In
another example, you may purchase a lot of goods at your local Wal-Mart, instead of local
merchants, because of their low-price advertising message.

If you are a new company you may want to begin by establishing the company name first and the
products and services later. This also works for company name changes. In the 1980's I worked
with a video chain in San Diego, California called Video Library. Our advertising strategy was to
promote the company name rather than promote the movies we rented. We placed small box ads
(about 1.05"x 1.5") throughout the San Diego daily paper that simply said, "Video Library - xx
Locations" We started in 1980 with four stores and by 1985 we had 43. Video Library was the
most recognized name in video in San Diego at that time.

Name Brands

If there is one company in operation today that understands the importance of brand names, it
has to be Procter and Gamble®. Tide® laundry detergent is far and away a number one best
seller and has been for several years. When the dishwasher appeared on the scene they could
have very easily created "Tide For Dishes." Capitalizing on a winning product name. But as we
all know, that thinking doesn't work. (See: How To Develop Your Position Strategy)

Instead of using the established name "Tide®", they created a new name that became just as
strong in dish washing, "Cascade®." Ivory Soap®. When you hear the name alone, you know the
product. Kraft®, on the other hand, has a bunch of products, but only one true winner.
Philadelphia Cream Cheese® has about 70% of that market. Also notice, the Kraft name is
hardly noticeable on the package. Their Velvetta® brand of cheese might be another winner.
Kraft makes jams and jellies, Smuckers is number one. Kraft makes their own brand of
mayonnaise, but Hellman's® is number one. Are you starting to get the picture? Kraft also makes
another successful brand name, "Miracle Whip®."

A brand name creates a perception in the customers mind that

becomes very strong. It's that strong perception every advertiser
strives for. Would you buy Pennzoil® Cake Mix? Why not?
They're a good company aren't they?
Do you see how ridiculous that sounds? It flies in the face of our perception of Pennzoil® as an
oil product. It's dramatically out of place as a cake mix. There is nothing stronger than a good
brand name. If you develop one, put is everywhere you can afford to.

Advertising A Service Instead Of A Product

Advertising services is one of the most difficult type of advertising. You don't have a tangible
product you can put in someone's hand. They can't touch it, feel it, see it or smell it. It must often
be explained as well as demonstrated.

One of the best examples of service advertising is carpet cleaners. They come in, run some
machinery over your carpets and leave. Nothing tangible is left behind. Except clean carpets.

Service advertising is most often emotional advertising. Carpet cleaners don't sell clean carpets.
They sell health to the infant crawling on the floor. They sell pride that people can visit a
beautiful clean home. (See: How To Market A Service, Rather Than A Product)

Business To Business Advertising

Many businesses never have the need to deal with the public at all. For these businesses,
advertising in the newspaper, radio or TV would be a waste of time and money. You will find
these companies using direct mail or placing ads in trade magazines.

For a complete listing of trade magazines ask for the "Encyclopedia or Periodicals" at your local
library. Also ask to see the "Standard Rates and Data Service" directory. These will have listings
and rates of trade and industry publications you can advertise in.

Co-Op Advertising:--- Co-Op advertising in one of the best ways for the small business owner
to get the message out. In this type of advertising the manufacturer absorbs a portion of the cost
and can also supply all the artwork for the ads.Their are some pitfalls to be careful of when
dealing with co-op advertising. Every company wants their business portrayed in the best
possible light. To that end, they will be very strict about how and where you place your
advertising. Before the ok the co-op money, they will want to approve all ad copy, pictures, size,
placement and use of logos. If you place an ad without approval you run the risk of violating one
of the guidelines and absorbing the entire cost of the ad.

The media you choose will want payment for the ad within a month at the most. You may not
receive your co-op money for several months. Make sure you get reimbursement procedures in
writing and can live with them.

An alternative to teaming up with a manufacturer is to team up with another local business. You
can share production costs for brochures or other printed materials and put each others coupons
in your respective businesses. Pizza parlors and video stores are naturals to work together.

Public Service Advertising (PSA's)

If your company can sponsor a charity event, PSA's are a great way to promote your company in
a positive light. Most media are required by licensing agreements to provide a certain amount of
time or space for the good of their local communities.

Some of the downsides of PSA's. Don't expect to see your ad on "er" or some other prime time
show. PSA's are often placed in off times. I don't want to paint everyone with a broad brush here.
Some media are better than others. Just because you request a PSA, doesn't mean you'll get it.
Media has a limited amount of space or time for PSA's.

You might get a break if you are currently advertising in the media of choice. It might also help
if your organization buys a small amount of time or space to run with your PSA's.

The Last Word On Types Of Advertising

The type of message and your target market will often dictate which type of advertising to use.
Some companies will use more than one. Some will use several depending on the situation. Let's
also keep in mind the pros and cons of advertising.

There are two basic advantages to advertising. One, it's the best way to get a message out about a
new or existing product or service. Two, it can actually lower the cost of a product to the
consumer by increasing sales which can result in reduced production costs.

The bad side of advertising is that it can create an artificial need for unnecessary products and
services. Every Christmas the media creates the toy of the season. One year it's "Tickle Me,
Elmo®" the next it's the "Furbee®." Don't even get me started on "Star Wars®."

The point is to keep an eye on the message you want your target market to receive. If you can,
test some of the six types of advertising with various offers and messages. Find the type that
works for you and work it
Which type of advertising is best for your company?
The first and most important thing you must remember is that there are several different types of
advertising.  No two types of media are the same; therefore, not all types of advertising are
recommended for all businesses.  This article will tell you what kind of advertising is best for
you and your business.

Direct Mail
Direct mail advertising includes postcards, catalogs, brochures, e-mail, and single letters.  This
technique works great when introducing new products.  It allows you can give as much or as
little information as you feel necessary.  Direct mail advertising is also a great idea for sales and
or special discounts.

Direct mail advertising is recommended for all companies with a wide selection of products like
office products, furniture, music, clothes, shoes, etc.  It is a great way to keep your current
customers aware of new products, services, or sales.  It can also be used as a buying tool for new
customers.

Unfortunately, direct mail costs more than any other type of advertising.  However, advertisers
have had very good results with direct mail advertising and they do not mind paying these high
prices.

Internet
The internet is constantly growing. More and more companies are building their own web sites
every day.  The internet is a great way to reach people all over the world 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week.  You can put information about your products and services on-line, and your customers
will come to you when they are ready.

Internet advertising includes banner advertising, pay per click search engines, classified internet
ads, and standard internet ads.  This type of advertising is recommended for companies on-line
that are able to ship products to a wide variety of people.

On line advertising works best when you choose sites that are related to yours.  Advertise on web
sites you think your potential client will visit.   Don’t forget to advertise on local web sites.

Magazines
Magazines are a great way to target your audience.  For example, if you sell baby products, you
could put an ad in “Parenting.”  If you sell flowers, put an advertisements is “Better Homes and
Gardens.”
Due to the large reach of magazines, this type of advertising is recommended for large national
companies.  Don’t forget about local magazine. You can get cheaper rates than national
magazines.

Newspapers
The main goal of all newspapers is to inform the public.  This is why you see so many articles,
weather forecasts, sporting event scores, calendars of important local events, crime reports, and
even wedding announcements.

Newspaper advertisements are great ways to announce things to local customers.  You can tell
them all about your upcoming sales, your brand new product, mergers of several companies, the
opening dates of your new restaurant, and so on.

Newspapers are also good for seasonal products or services.  For example if you own a lawn care
service, you will probably want to advertise more during the summer.

Radio
Radio advertising can be fun.  You can make up special songs, slogans, or jingles to get your
message out.  If you do a real good job with your radio ad, maybe people will walk down the
street humming your song.

Radio ads are recommended for local businesses.  Just like billboards, radio commercials can be
the final chance you have to get people to buy your product or service, so choose your words
carefully.  The possibilities of your radio ad are almost endless.

Television
The music, graphics, and motions of television commercials have helped television advertising
become the most popular type of advertising. These commercials also build brand image, and
create emotions.
Television advertising reaches a very large audience.  It is also great because you have the choice
of running a national or local campaign. Television advertising is highly recommended when
your business has a sale or special deal.  It is also a great way to get your company’s name and
brief information out to the public.

Television commercials usually last for 15, 30, or 60 seconds.  Since time is limited with this
type of advertising, we recommend using television ads for products that are widely known. This
type of advertising works best for products that are understood easily like automobiles, food,
clothing, furniture, jewelry, and office products.

Yellow Pages (print & online):_ This is a very important type of advertising because when you
use the yellow pages book or online, you already know exactly what you are looking for.  A
majority of the times you use the yellow pages, you are ready to buy a product or service.

How many times have you searched the yellow pages to find a tires for your car, a lawyer, day
care centers, or a television repairman?  Which company did you call first?  Was it the one with
the big colorful ad or the plain typed name listed directly under Tires?  My point is that most
people are going to look at the yellow page advertisements first.  Don’t give a potential customer
a chance to miss out on your product or service.

Powerful Advertising Combinations:_ Advertising is definitely a great way to increase your

sales, but it can be more effective when it is used properly.

A new advertising trend is to put up a billboard that says “For more information tune in to XYZ
radio station.”  You can leave a more detailed description of your product on this station.  This
also enable you to tell your potential customers about similar products your company offers.

Studies have shown that television advertisements are remembered more than any other type of
media.  The only problem is that most people do not go out and buy a product right after they
watch a television commercial.  So your job is to leave constant reminders of your product
around so potential customers will remember your product or service when they are ready to
buy.  This can be done by placing billboards next to major shopping centers, and by placing
radio advertisements
during major commuting times

Advertising management is a career path in the advertising industry. Advertising & promotions
managers may work for an agency, a PR firm, a media outlet, or may be hired directly by a
company to develop branding for the company's product or service. This position can include
supervising employees, acting as a liaison between multiple agencies working on a project, or
creating and implementing promotional campaigns.

Regarding terminology, while advertising is the promotional campaign itself, advertising

While advertising management is an inseparable part of the marketing department, usually, the
marketing department of an organisation is concerned more with market research and evaluation
of results. All the critical processes of advertising management are generally outsourced to
specialised advertising agencies. For example the media buying is done in bulk by these ad
agencies on which they receive discount/commission, that goes into their earning. It involves
designing the strategies to be adopted for influencing the public ie media selection and deciding
on the aspect to be advertised based on the image of the company and the present marketing
objective.