What is Marketing,

and What's Its

Purpose?
What is marketing?
Marketing refers to any actions a
company takes to attract an audience to
the company's product or services
through high-quality messaging.
Marketing aims to deliver standalone
value for prospects and consumers
through content, with the long-term goal
of demonstrating product value,
strengthening brand loyalty, and
ultimately increasing sales. Marketing is
the process of getting people interested
in your company's product or service.
This happens through market research,
analysis, and understanding your ideal
customer's interests. Marketing pertains
to all aspects of a business, including
product development, distribution
methods, sales, and advertising.

Purpose of Marketing
The purpose of marketing is to research
and analyze your consumers all the time,
conduct focus groups, send out surveys,
study online shopping habits, and ask one
underlying question: "Where, when, and
how does our consumer want to
communicate with our business?"
Modern Marketing began in the 1950s
when people started to use more than just
print media to endorse a product. As TV --
and soon, the internet -- entered
households, marketers could conduct entire
campaigns across multiple platforms. And
as you might expect, over the last 70 years,
marketers have become increasingly
important to fine-tuning how a business
sells a product to consumers to optimize
success.
In fact, the fundamental purpose of
marketing is to attract consumers to your
brand through messaging. Ideally, that
messaging will helpful and educational to
your target audience so you can convert
consumers into leads.

Advertising is a marketing
tactic involving paying for
space to promote a
product, service, or cause.
The actual promotional
messages are called
advertisements, or ads for
short. The goal of advertising
is to reach people most likely
to be willing to pay for a
company's products or
services and entice them to
buy. Actually, advertising includes all
the activities performed by the
enterprise to present the goods and
services to the consumer and to
motivate them to buy these goods
and services. It is non-personal form
of communication, which is paid for
by the marketer (sponsor) to promote
his goods and services.
Advertising activities can also be categorized into 5 types
based on the advertising medium used. These types of
advertisements are:

 Print Advertising: Newspaper, magazines, &

brochure advertisements, etc.
 Broadcast Advertising: Television and radio
advertisements.
  Outdoor Advertising: Hoardings, banners,
flags, wraps, etc.
 Digital Advertising: Advertisements displayed
over the internet and digital devices.
 Product/Brand Integration: Product
placements in entertainment media like TV
shows, YouTube videos, etc.
What Are The Objectives Of
Advertising?
There are 3 main objectives of advertising – to inform about the brand or
offering, to persuade to buy or perform a task and to remind and reinforce the
brand message.

To Inform
Advertisements are used to increase brand awareness and brand exposure in
the target market. Informing potential customers about the brand and its
products is the first step toward attaining business goals.

To Persuade
Persuading customers to perform a particular task is a prominent objective of
advertising. The tasks may involve buying or trying the products and services
offered, forming a brand image, developing a favourable attitude towards the
brand etc.

To Remind
Another objective of advertising is to reinforce the brand message and to
reassure the existing and potential customers about the brand vision.
Advertising helps the brand to maintain top-of-mind awareness and to avoid
competitors stealing the customers. This also helps in the word of mouth
marketing.
Importance Of Advertising
To The Customers
 Convenience: Targeted informative advertisements make the
customer’s decision-making process easier as they get to know
what suits their requirements and budget.
 Awareness: Advertising educates the customers about different
products available in the market and their features. This knowledge
helps customers compare different products and choose the best
product for them.
 Better Quality: Only brands advertise themselves and their
products. There are no advertisements for unbranded products. This
ensures better customer quality and a good business model as no
brand wants to waste money on false advertising.
To The Business
 Awareness: Advertising increases brand and product awareness
among the people belonging to the target market.
 Brand Image: Clever advertising helps the business to form the
desired brand image and brand personality in the minds of the
customers.
 Product Differentiation: Advertising helps the business
differentiate its product from competitors’ and communicate its
features and advantages to the target audience.
 Increases Goodwill: Advertising reiterates brand vision and
increases the brand’s goodwill among its customers.
 Value For Money: Advertising delivers the message to a wide
audience and tends to be value for money when compared to other
elements of the promotion mix.
Advantages Of Advertising
 Reduces Per-Unit Cost: The wide appeal of advertisements
increases the demand for the product which benefits the
organization as it capitalizes on the economies of scale.
 Helps In Brand Building: Advertisements work effectively in
brand building. Brands that advertise are preferred over those which
doesn’t.
  Helps In Launching New Product: Launching a new product is easy
when it is backed by an advertisement.
 Boosts Up Existing Customers’ Confidence In The Brand:
Advertisements boost existing customers’ confidence in the brand
as they feel pride when they see an advertisement of the product or
the brand they use.
 Helps In Reducing Customer Turnover: Strategic advertisements
for new offers and better service help reduce customer turnover.
 Attracts New Customers: Attractive advertisements help the brand
in gaining new customers and expanding the business.
 Educates The Customers: Advertisements inform the customers
about different products existing in the market and also educate
them on what they should look for in an apt product.
Disadvantages Of Advertising
 Increases The Costs: Advertising is an expense to the business and
is added to the cost of the product. This cost is eventually borne by
the end consumer.
 Confuses The Buyer: Too many advertisements with similar
claims often confuse the buyer about what to buy and whether they
should buy the product or not.
 Is Sometimes Misleading: Some advertisements use smart
strategies to mislead the customers.
 Only For Big Businesses: Advertising is costly, and only big
businesses can afford it. This puts small businesses out of
competition with big businesses that get to enjoy a monopoly in the
market.
 Encourages The Sale Of Inferior Products: Effective
advertisements even lead to the sale of inferior products which
aren’t good for the consumers.

What Is Print
Advertising?
Print advertising refers to the use of printed media like newspapers, magazines,
journals, etc., to convey a sponsored message or pitch an offering to the reader.
It’s one of the oldest and most common forms of advertising that captures
people’s attention while they are reading their favourite publications.

While print advertising might seem like a thing of the past in the digital age, it’s
still an effective way to reach people, especially when it comes to certain
demographics like older generations.

In fact, 70% of households with an income above $100,000 are newspaper

readers. It also has a higher brand recall than the digital form of advertising.

And surprisingly, 92% of 18-to-23-year-olds find it easier to read print over

digital content.

This makes print advertising an essential tool for every brand and business,
whether they want to market to baby boomers or millennials.

Types of Print Advertising

Print advertisements come in different types, and businesses can choose which
one would work best for them and their goals.

Here are some of the most common types of print advertising based on the print
medium used:

 Newspaper Advertising: These ads appear in the form of text or

images on the pages of local, community, or national newspapers.
They are usually small in size and can be placed anywhere on the
page. However, some ads are larger and placed on a specific section
of the paper, like the newspaper jacket ads. Businesses prefer
newspaper advertising because of its wide reach and low cost.
 Magazine Advertising: These ads appear in the form of text,
images, or both on the pages of regional or national magazines.
These are often niche-specific based on the target audience of the
magazine. For example, a business selling baby products will likely
advertise in a parenting magazine.
 Directory Advertising: These include listings in a print directory,
such as the Yellow Pages. The listing usually includes the name,
address, and contact details of the business. It’s a good way to reach
 people who are specifically looking for a particular product or
service.
 Brochures: Brochures are a type of print marketing material that
businesses can use to promote their products or services. They
usually come in a bi-fold or tri-fold format and contain information
about the business, such as its products, and services, offers, and
address. Brochures are often distributed in public places or through
the mail.
 Mailers: Mailers are direct mail marketing pieces that businesses
send to people’s homes or offices. They usually contain
promotional materials, such as coupons, discounts, and offers.
 Loose inserts: Loose inserts are small print ads that businesses
include in magazines or newspapers. They are usually about the A4
size and can be placed anywhere in the publication.
 In-store advertising: In-store advertising is any form of print
marketing material that businesses use to promote their products or
services inside a physical store. This can include posters, banners,
standees, and shelf Talkers.
Elements of Print Advertising
Every print advert has four essential elements:

 Headline: The headline is the most important part of the advert

because it’s what will first capture the attention of readers. It needs
to be clear, direct, and engaging enough to make people want to
read more.
 Body: The body is the copy of the advert that elaborates on the
headline. It’s where businesses can include more information about
their offering. It needs to be well-written, persuasive, and not too
long. Otherwise, people will lose interest and move on to the next
thing.
 Images: An image is worth a thousand words, and this is especially
true in advertising. The right image can help businesses convey
their message more effectively. It also makes the advert more
visually appealing and easier to remember.
 Call-To-Action (CTA): The CTA is a statement that tells readers
what they need to do next, such as “Visit our website for more
information.” It needs to be clear and direct so people will know
exactly what to do.
Advantages Of Print Advertising
Print advertising is one of the oldest and most traditional forms of advertising
which can be effective in reaching a wide audience. Print advertising can be
used to promote both consumer and industrial products.

This form of advertising is really important as:

1. It is highly informative: Print advertising provides a lot of

information about products and services, which can be very helpful
for potential customers. This is often more than any other form of
advertising, such as television or radio.
2. It is less intrusive: Print advertising is less intrusive than other
forms of advertising, such as pop-ups and banner ads. People can
choose whether or not they want to read an advertisement, and they
can do so at their own pace.
3. It is trustworthy: Print ads are often seen as more trustworthy than
other forms of advertising, such as online ads. This is because they
get their credibility from the publication they appear in.
4. It is targetable: Print ads can be targetted to specific audiences,
such as those who read certain magazines or newspapers. This
means that businesses can be sure that their target audience will see
their ad.
5. It’s cost-effective: Print ads are cost-effective, especially when
compared to other forms of advertising, such as television or radio.
This is because businesses only have to pay for the ad space and not
for the time it is on air.
6. It has a longer shelf life: Print ads have a longer shelf life than
other forms of advertising, such as online ads. This is because
mediums like magazines and newspapers can be saved and referred
to at a later time.
7. It offers high engagement: Newspapers and magazines involve
conscious decisions to read, which leads to higher engagement with
the ads as readers are already in reading mode.
8. It has a high recall value: Print ads have a high recall value as
they are often seen and read multiple times.
Disadvantages Of Print Advertising
Print advertising has a number of advantages, which is why it is still used by
many businesses today. However, some disadvantages should be considered.
These are:

 It is hard to measure: One of the main disadvantages of print

advertising is that it is hard to measure. This means that businesses
may not be able to tell how effective their ad was in terms of sales
or leads generated.
 It is expensive: Print advertising can be quite expensive, especially
if businesses want to place their ad in a popular magazine or
newspaper.
 It has a limited reach: Print advertising only has a limited reach,
as it can only be seen by people who read the specific publication.
This is in contrast to online advertising, which can be seen by
anyone with an internet connection.
 It is not interactive: Such ads are also not interactive, which
means that businesses cannot get feedback from potential customers
in real-time.
 It is not flexible: Print ads are not flexible, which means that
businesses cannot make changes to their ad once it has been
published.
 It leads to paper waste: Any form of print advertising leads to
paper waste, which is bad for the environment.
 Isn’t a viable option for a global audience: Print ads are not
viable for businesses that want to reach a global audience.

How to analyze an advertisement

1. What is the general ambience of the
advertisement? What mood does it create?
How does it do this?
2. What is the design of the advertisement?
Does it use axial balance or some other
form? How are the basic components or
elements arranged?

3. What is the relationship between

pictorial elements and written material and
what does this tell us?

4. What is the use of space in the

advertisement? Is there a lot of 'white space"
or is it full of graphic and written elements?

5. What signs and symbols do we find?

What role do they play in the ad's impact?

6. If there are figures (men, women,

children, animals) what are they like? What
can be said about their facial expressions,
poses, hairstyle, age, sex, hair color,
ethnicity, education, occupation,
relationships (of one to the other)?
7. What does the background tell us?
Where is the advertisement taking place and
what significance does this background
have?

8. What action is taking place in the

advertisement and what significance does it
have? (This might be described as the ad's
"plot.")

9. What theme or themes do we find in the

advertisement? What is it about?
10. What about the language used? Does it
essentially provide information or does it try
to generate some kind of
emotional response? Or
both? What techniques are
used by the copywriter:
humor, alliteration,
definitions" of life,
comparisons, and so on?
11. What typefaces are used and what
impressions do they convey?

12. What about aesthetic decisions? If the

advertisement is a photograph, what kind of
a shot is it? What significance do long shots,
medium shots, close-up shots have? What
about the lighting, use of color, angle of the
shot?

13. What sociological, political, economic or

cultural attitudes are indirectly reflected in
the advertisement? An advertisement may
be about a pair of blue jeans but it might,
indirectly, reflect such matters as sexism,
alienation, stereotyped thinking,
conformism, generational conflict,
loneliness, elitism, and so on.
PRINT ADVERTISEMENTS
ANALYSIS
PRODUCT: EOS LIP BALM

"The Lip Balm That Makes You Smile"

The product being advertised in the advertisement is EOS Lip Balm. The
brand has chosen a clever way of presenting the product to make it look
beautiful and delicious and attract audiences’ attention. The advertisement
also uses element of metaphor to subtlety send the message of the product
to the audiences. In the advertisement, few EOS lip balms can be seen
displayed in an ice cream glass bowl. The EOS lip balms are displayed to
resemble dessert toppings, for example fruits. The brand is trying to imply
that the product tastes and smells so sweet that it could be used as a
substitute for fruits to go with your dessert. The layout of the advertisement
delivers a positive and soft or mellow vibe, which is reinforced by the
slogan that says, “The lip balm that makes you smile”. Moreover, the
description of the product that says “keep your lips looking and feeling soft,
smooth and perfectly moisturized everyday” matches the image the
advertiser is trying to portray.

In this print advertisement, the brand is trying to convince potential

consumers that the product is much more than a normal lip balm, but in
reality, the product’s function and features are no difference compared to
other brands. The only feature that stands out is the packaging of the
product and the soft colors used for the product. Moreover, the shape of
the product makes application of the product easier. Besides that, the
brand also uses metaphors and attractive visuals to gain audience’s
attention. Compare to other print advertisements, this print advertisement
contains a hidden message rather than direct implication.

PRODUCT: KIEHL'S ULTIMATE STRENGTH HAND SALVE

"Works Hard For Hard Working Hands"

The product being advertised in the print advertisement
is Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve. The product
attributes are it helps to moisturise and repair dry skin
caused by exposure to extreme conditions and elements.
The product also uses organic ingredients and has a light
scent which is almost odourless. Hence, it would not
disturb the user’s sense of smell while using it. In this
advertisement, Kiehl’s has used an interesting and smart
way to advertise their product and deliver the product’s
message. The first thing you will notice about the print
advertisement is the image of the hand in the centre of
the advertisement. A bunch of screws, nails, nuts and
bolts are used to illustrate an image of a hand. The image
of the hand is illustrated to reflect the headline message.
The picture of the hand will draw the audience attention
due to its unique design. Besides that, the headline also
grabs the audience attention with the strong message
and clever use of words as it reflects back to the
illustration. The headline can be understood literally and
figuratively. The headline implies that your hand is an
important part of you (figuratively) which the advertiser
creatively designs the image of the hand using different
set of tools (literally).

The target market of the print advertisement is mainly

men, who works outdoors and does manual hard labour
in their daily lives. However, people who have severe dry
hands due to being exposed to harsh elements are also
targeted by the product. Besides that, the product
targets people of middle income to high income
background and who are conscious of the appearances
and healthiness of their body. This is because even
though Kiehl’s is an expensive brand, the product is still
affordable to middle income people.
For this advertisement, Kiehl’s promised to restore the
dryness of consumers’ hands caused by extreme
conditions and harsh elements through the product.
Based on the excellent reviews of consumers who have
used the product in the past, the brand has proven to
keep their promise. Besides that, in this advertisement,
the brand largely focuses on the creative visual and
strong headlines to capture the audience attention. The
message content is also different as this brand
emphasizes on the message which is the importance of
hands and people need to take care of this aspect of
their anatomy and the benefits of the product.
.
Radio Advertisements Example
Radio advertisements get more attention among the target customers and are
also played more often. Here’s an example of a radio ad by Dove.

Digital Advertisements Example

Digital advertisements are advertisements made especially for the internet and
digital devices users. The primary objective of digital ads is to drive traffic to
business’s URLs. These ads can be video, image, or text ads.

Digital video ads aren’t restricted to a 30-second or 50-second slot. An example

of a digital video ad is this advertisement by Airbnb.

One might see digital image ads while visiting websites like Feedough,
Facebook, and Twitter. Here is an example:

Outdoor Advertising Example

These include hoardings, banners, flags, wraps, etc. An example of an outdoor
advertisement is this hoarding by Audi.
Advertising vs Public Relations
While both advertising and public relations are an essential part of the
promotional mix, there are some key differences between them.

Advertising Public Relations

Advertising is a paid form of

Public relations is a strategic
promotion that uses
communication process that builds
Definition persuasive techniques to
mutually beneficial relationships between
influence consumers’ buying
an organisation and its public.
behaviour.

The objectives of advertising The objectives of public relations are to

are to raise awareness about a build goodwill and understanding between
Objectives product or service, to an organisation and its public, to promote
persuade customers to buy it, the organisation’s products or services, and
and build brand loyalty. to influence behaviour.

Advertising is important Public relations is important because it

because it helps businesses helps businesses build positive
Importance
promote their products or relationships with their customers and
services to a wide audience. other stakeholders.

Paid or Advertising is usually paid Public relations is earned media, meaning

 Advertising Public Relations

businesses try to earn positive coverage

from journalists and other influencers. This
earned for by businesses.
can be done through PR campaigns, events,
and good old-fashioned media relations.

Go On, Tell Us What You Think!

Did we miss something? Come on! Tell us what you think about our article
on what is advertising in the comments section.

Aashish Pahwa
A startup consultant, digital marketer, traveller, and philomath. Aashish has worked with
over 20 startups and successfully helped them ideate, raise money, and succeed. When not
working, he can be found hiking, camping, and stargazing.

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What Is Advertising? - Examples, Objectives, & Importance