Types of Advertising Media: With their Advantages & Disadvantages (4 Answers)

By B Paramita|Advertising Media
Answer 1. Classification and Types of Advertising Media:
Advertising media are the means to transmit the message from the advertiser to the
particular class of people.

A marketer can select any one or more of the following media of advertisement to promote
his sales:

1. Press Advertising or Print Media:

Press advertising i.e., advertising through newspapers, magazines, journals, etc. is
commonly used by modern businessmen. It may be noted that advertising is an important
source of finance for the press or print media. Because of advertisements, the subscribers
get newspapers and periodicals at subsidised rates.

(a) Newspaper Advertising:

Newspaper reading is a common habit among the educated people. Besides daily
newspapers, there are bi-weekly and weekly newspapers also. Newspapers reach almost
every place and are read by all kinds of people. Therefore, newspaper can be used as a
medium of advertisement with great advantage.

While selecting a newspaper for this purpose, an advertiser has to take into consideration
the strength of circulation, the class of readers it serves, the geographical region over which
it is popular and the cost of space.

Advertising through newspapers has the following merits:

(i) A newspaper has large circulation and a single advertisement in a newspaper can reach a
large number of people.

(ii) Continuous advertisement is possible because newspaper is published daily. An

advertiser can repeat his advertisement either daily or as required by him.

(iii) Newspapers provide flexibility in advertising in the sense that advertisement campaign
can be initiated and stopped quickly. One day’s notice is sufficient for this purpose. Similarly,
advertisement message can be changed promptly when desired.

(iv) Advertisements are the major source of income to the newspapers. This helps in selling
the newspapers at reduced prices to the readers.

The limitations of newspaper advertising are as follows:

(i) The life of a newspaper advertisement is very short. Moreover, people devote only an
insignificant part of their days’ time in reading the newspaper. Thus, advertisements are
likely to draw the reader’s attention only casually.
(ii) Newspaper advertisement is successful only when the people to be communicated are
educated.

(iii) Newspaper cannot be used for high class coloured advertisements. The advertisements
are generally printed in black and white. Because of this, they may fail to help the customer
identifying the products at the point of purchase.

(b) Magazine Advertising:

Magazines or periodicals are an excellent medium of advertisement when a high quality of

printing and colour is desired in an advertisement. Magazine advertisements can be directed
towards a particular class of people and thus they avoid wasteful expenditure on advertising.
Many specialised magazines or journals are published which can be used for transmitting
the message to the specific class of customers.

Magazine advertising is considered to be superior to newspaper advertising because of the

following merits:

(i) Magazines are read more carefully and at greater leisure. Advertising through magazines
is more effective.

(ii) The life of the magazine advertisement is longer. Magazines are preserved for a long
period of time and are read time and again.

(iii) Since advertisement copy is presented in a coloured form, it creates a better image of
the product advertised. Exact picture can be portrayed to enable the customer to identify the
product at the point of purchase.

Magazine advertising has the following limitations:

(i) Advertising through magazines is very costly.

(ii) The circulation of magazines is very small as compared to the newspapers.

(iii) Magazine advertisements are to be prepared and sent for publication well in advance. It
is not possible to make the last minute change in the advertisement copy.

2. Radio Advertising:
Radio advertisements have gained great popularity these days. Advertisements are
broadcast from the transmitting stations of the commercial service of All India Radio and
picked up by the receiving sets owned by the public. Radio advertisements or commercials
are normally broadcast along with popular programmes of music. Even the sponsored
programmes of interviews and plays can also be broadcast over the radio.

Advantages of Radio Advertising:

I. Scope for Mental Imagery:

Radio advertising depends solely on the spoken words. The listener does not require same
amount of attention and effort as required by other media and can hear the messages while
doing other things. Human voice is the only communication mode. In case of effective
message delivery, the listener develops a mental imagery of the programme or the store or
setting and gets involved in the situation. Such mental imagery can be much more effective
than any actual setting and performance.

II. Low Cost Medium:

Radio is a low cost advertising medium. It requires only a script or a copy of pre-coded
message and an announcer to read the message. Also, the cost of airtime on radio is very
low. Because of the low cost of developing commercials, the absolute cost of radio
advertising is very low and when it is the case of wide audience reach radio is one of the
most cost efficient ways to carry advertising message to target audience.

The wide audience reach is due to the fact that radio has easy accessibility across various
social classes, across various times of the day, across various demographic groups, and
across various geographic locations. For its low absolute cost radio advertising suits the
small budget advertisers. Relatively, the lower radio advertising cost makes it one of the
most efficient of all the advertising media.

III. Selectivity and Flexibility:

Radio advertising also offers selectivity and flexibility. Selectivity is available through the
various programme formats and geographic coverage of numerous stations. The advertiser
can vary the messages and the intensity of coverage of different markets to meet local
conditions.

One can also obtain selectivity in terms of types of listenership by making a proper selection
of programmes, time of the day, and stations. In today’s scenario when mass marketing
gives way to market segmentation and regional marketing, radio is gaining more and more
importance to reach out to the most difficult audience.

Concerning flexibility, radio provides an opportunity to run as many commercials as one finds
suitable to the product communication needs. Radio is timely in the sense that it allows for
immediate broadcast of news, events or special occurrences as soon as they happen.

The same is possible with special announcements and product promotions concerning the
product. Thus, due to a large listener base, selectivity, flexibility and low cost, radio has
gained momentum as an advertising medium and marketers plan judiciously for radio
advertising as a tool of integrated marketing communication. Radio provides a number of
integrated communication opportunities such as to promote point of purchase promotions, or
to promote event marketing.

There are certainly some disadvantages of using radio as advertising medium and the media
planner use it carefully while planning for product promotions.

Disadvantages of Radio:
a. Perishable:

Radio has some real weaknesses as an advertising medium. Like television, radio
advertising is of a perishable nature. If the listener is not available at the time of broadcast,
the message is gone forever. The message requires repetition which adds to the cost and
level of noise in the environment.

b. Lesser Attention:

Even though the listener is available at the time of broadcast, there may further be the
problem of retaining his/her attention to the commercial. Most people do not get actively
involved or attentive in listening to the radio programmes, as most often they provide the
background to some other activity. Otherwise also when people are listening to the music,
they may not actually grasp the content of the advertising message delivered between
musical numbers.

c. Absence of Visual Image:

This is another significant point of disadvantage of radio advertising. Radio advertiser cannot
illustrate the product, demonstrate the product, or use any kind of visual appeal or
information to attract viewer’s attention. The fleeting nature of radio messages and lack of
control on the receiver’s part to process the information further restrict the scope of creativity
in radio advertising. Advertisers, therefore, usually combine radio as a secondary medium to
work out media plan for the product.

d. Audience Fragmentation:

The rise in the number of radio stations has led to audience fragmentation and so the
number of audience tuned to particular station tends to be small. This directly implies that in
order to reach larger audience base, advertisers need to buy airtime on a number of stations
to provide the required coverage in a target market.

e. Cluttered Environment:

As with other media, radio also faces the problem of clutter. There are two aspects of clutter
problem in radio advertising. One is the increased number of brands using radio advertising
to carry the message deeper and wider in the market. Secondly, the very nature of radio
advertising requires repetitions which further add to the clutter in radio environment. As a
consequence, advertiser needs to be more creative and should adopt more repetitions as a
way to break away from clutter.

Both radio and television are the dominant forms of broadcast media which advertisers
explore to the best of their use. The role for each one is defined in carrying brand
communications. Interactive media is the new form of broadcast media which has seen its
growth over the last few years. The emergence of interactive media has enormously
changed the face of advertising.
3. Film Advertising:
Films are an important medium of advertisement. Business concerns usually get a short
motion picture prepared and distribute it to different cinema houses for displaying it before
the commencement of the regular shows or during the period of intermission.

Such films are accompanied by running commentary to explain the features, uses and
superiority of the product. But film advertisement can be adopted only by the well
established firms. Since it involves high cost, small business firms can get cinema slide
prepared for display in the cinema halls.

Film advertisement is very effective since it combines spoken words and visual presentation
of pictures. It also helps in selective advertisement. A trader can advertise his product only in
a particular locality if he wants to attract the local customers.

The major drawback of film advertisement is that it is usually ignored by the people. Only a
few persons are present in the hall before the start of the film and during the interval, and
they too are busy in talking.

The merits of film advertising are as under:

(i) Film advertisement is very effective since it combines spoken words and visual
presentation of picture.

(ii) It helps in selective advertisement. A trader can advertise his products in the areas from
where he wants to attract the customers.

The demerits of film advertising are as under:

(i) It is usually ignored by people when they are busy in talking.

(ii) Its effectiveness is limited as only a few people are present in the hall before the start of
the feature film and during the interval.

4. Television Advertising:
Television is the fast growing medium of advertisement because of huge expansion of
electronic media and cable network. It makes its appeal through both the eye and the ear.
Products can be demonstrated as well as explained as in film advertisement. Advertising
may take the form of short commercials and sponsored programmes.

T.V. advertising has all the merits of film advertising. It has greater effectiveness as the
message is conveyed at their homes to the people. Selectivity of message can also be
achieved. Commercials may be given during that time period when the prospective buyers
are supposed to watch television programmes.

T.V. advertising has got all the demerits of film advertising. Television is a very costly medium
of advertisement and can be made use of by the well established companies only. Another
limitation of television advertisement is that once it is presented, its back reference is not
possible.
Advantages of Using Television as an Advertising Medium:

a. Audio-Visual Medium:

Televisions as advertising medium makes full use of both sight and sound and offers
tremendous creative flexibility and makes possible dramatic life like representation of
products and services. Television commercials can be used to attract the attention and
interest of the potential customer through the creative use of both sight and sound in
combination.

b. Enhanced Memorability:

Television permits the demonstration of the product and can discuss and explain the use of
the product, its features and advantages. Television commercial gives the sense of actual
product use, the nearest thing to the product experience. The use of colours in commercials
further adds to the commercial effectiveness and its memorability.

c. Mass Reach:

Another advantage of television advertising which emerges due to the popularity of the
medium itself is its ability to reach masses. Over the years television has truly emerged as a
mass medium where everyone regardless of age, sex, income or social class watches at
least some amount of television programmes and shows. There are a large number of
people who watch television on a regular basis.

Marketers selling products of mass consumption find television as the most suitable medium
offering low cost exposure to target audiences. With widespread distribution and availability
of products and services, television commercials, thus, become indispensable form of
product promotion for companies dealing in packaged goods, retailing, and so on.

d. Selectivity and Flexibility:

Television has an advantage of being relatively selective and flexible in several ways. The
selectivity occurs due to its programme content, broadcast time and geographic coverage
which bring variation in the composition of target audience.

Thus, advertisers gain relatively selective type of audience and are able to evolve
appropriate media strategies. Advertisers adjust their media strategies according to local
market conditions such as to take advantage of some special occasion, or to use different
appeals in different markets. Such flexibility in the use of this medium becomes possible due
to the availability of various transmission arrangements, including local or spot advertising.

e. Non-Competing Environment:

Unlike print medium, television medium provides advertising exposure in a non-competitive

environment. The advertising message on television appears by itself, and there are no
competitive advertisements or even editorial matter to distract the viewer from the message.
Also, there are no limitations on the size of the advertisement and each advertisement is
seen full screen. Television is considered as a personal medium as it involves the use of
human voice, for which many a time it is considered to be more effective medium than the
print.

Despite its creativity and capabilities to generate excitement and interest, television as an
advertising medium carries certain disadvantages or problems which put a limitation on its
use for advertising purpose. High cost, fleeting exposures, and clutter are some of the
disadvantages of using television for advertising purposes.

Disadvantages of Using Television as an Advertising Medium:

a. High Absolute Cost:

The high absolute cost of buying airtime on television along with the cost of producing high
quality commercials is the prime deterring factor in the general use of television as the
advertising medium. Many small advertisers with small advertising budgets either find
themselves incapable of buying airtime, or else they need to be brief in their message
content.

b. Unfit to Small Target Size:

Though some selectivity is possible in television advertising due to variation in programme

content or geographic area or particular air timing, yet television does not allow reaching to
very specific and often small target size. The cost per exposure to target audience in such
cases becomes higher due to much of the wastage exposure. Television, therefore, looses
its importance in comparison to other media types such as magazine or radio as they are
capable of providing more precise reach in the target market at much lesser cost.

c. Fleeting Exposures:

The advertising message on television lasts only as long as it is being presented on the
screen and if the prospect is not viewing or listening at that very moment when the exposure
occurs, the message is gone forever and wasted so far as that prospect is concerned.

This is called fleeting nature of television advertising. Advertisers, therefore, opt for message
repetition and buy an additional airtime. But, to keep the advertising cost in line, advertisers
at times decide about shorter commercials, which they believe would be as effective as the
longer commercials could be.

d. Cluttered Environment:

This is another problem with television advertising as advertiser’s message is just one of the
many spots being aired during the commercial break. Due to a cluttered environment
television advertising tends to loose its effectiveness. Advertisers, therefore, need to be
more tactical in their use of media time to enhance the attention value of advertised
message.
e. Ad Avoidance:

Advertising messages are most often ignored by the viewing audience, who either leave the
room on some pretext or get distracted in some other way during the commercial break.
Zipping and zapping are the two greater challenges that have emerged over the last few
years only. Zipping occurs when customers fast forward through commercials as they play
back a previously recorded programme.

Zapping involves changing television channels to avoid commercials. With remote control
facilitating easy channel switch, zapping has become a more regular phenomenon. So, to
inhibit zapping and to hold viewers’ attention, advertisers tend to become more creative in
their approach as well as in ad executions.

f. Lack of Accurate Audience Assessment:

Accurate assessment of audience size is another major problem with television advertising.
Not only that the size of audience is difficult to compute, but it is also subject to errors in
measurement. Households owning television, households using television, households
tuned to the programme carrying advertising message and the prospect actually viewing the
ad are the various accuracy levels of television audience measurement. Depending upon the
access to measurement technique, the accurate measurement of the size of television
audience remains elusive to some extent.

5. Direct Mail Advertising:

Direct mail is probably the most selective of all the advertising media. It is used to send the
message directly to the customer. For this purpose, the advertiser has to maintain a mail list
which can be expanded or contracted by adding or removing names from the list. But a
severe limitation is posed by the difficulty of getting and maintaining a good mailing list.

Advertisements that are sent by direct mail may be in the form of circular letters, leaflet
folders, calenders, booklets and catalogues. Circular letters are sent to the prospective
customers to inform them about the merits of the product and to create their interest in the
product.

Booklets and catalogues contain the information about the products advertised. Information
about the terms of sale and prices of different varieties of the product is given to the
prospective customers through catalogues.

The merits of direct mail advertising are as under:

(i) Mail advertising has a personal appeal since it is addressed to a particular person.

(ii) It maintains secrecy in advertising. The competitors do not get the information about the
advertised material.

(iii) It gives flexibility in advertising. The message can be changed whenever the need arises.
The mailing list can also be revised whenever the need arises.
(iv) It gives an opportunity to the advertiser to provide detailed and illustrated information
about the product to the prospects.

(v) It is the most selective medium of advertisement. The advertiser saves money also by
directing his advertisement to the selected people.

The demerits of direct mail advertising are given below:

(i) The coverage of direct mail advertisement is limited.

(ii) It is not possible to get the names and addresses of all the prospects when the
advertisement material should be sent by mail.

(iii) Its effectiveness is doubt fid as it does not create a mass appeal.

6. Window Display:
Window display is an on sight method of advertising. Goods can be exhibited in artistically
laid out windows at the shop fronts or at important busy centres like railway stations and bus
stops. Large show rooms are organised by big manufacturers and wholesalers in the main
markets to advertise their products and attend to the queries of the prospective customers.

The retailers also organise attractive display of goods in the windows of their shops. Window
displays are very popular with the retailers since it helps in informing the customers about
the types of goods available with them.

The main objective of window display is to draw the attention of the public and arouse their
interest in the products displayed. Almost all the manufacturers insist that their products
should be displayed at the retail shops. If a product is displayed properly at the
point-of-purchase (POP) by the customers, it can attract many customers.

Many people having no preference for a particular brand may discover a particular brand
quite appealing and attractive and may purchase it. Thus, window display creates the
demand for the product. Window display acts as silent salesman.

In order to achieve the purpose of window display, cleanliness and a well-furnished

appearance for the window are essential. Articles should be arranged in a systematic way
and if possible price tags should also be attached with the articles. It is better if window
displays are changed regularly to make the customers look at the displays every time they
visit the shop.

Media of Advertisement:

(i) Press Advertising:

(a) Window Display Advertising.

(b) Newspapers
(ii) Radio Advertising

(iii) Film Advertising

(iv) Television Advertising

(v) Direct Mail Advertising

(vi) Window Display

(vii) Outdoor Advertising

(viii) Internet Advertising.

7. Outdoor Advertising:
Outdoor advertising has gained wide popularity these days. Its purpose is to attract the
attention of the people at busy roads and markets. It includes the use of poster displays, bill
board displays, and electric or electronic displays.

a. Poster Displays:

Posters are fixed on walls of buildings, bridges, and other public places. It is also quite
common to write slogans and other message about the products in bold letters on the walls
to attract the attention of the people even from a long distance. That is why, it is also known
as ‘Mural Advertising’. Mural advertising is frequently used to advertise fans, fertilizers,
tonics, beauty aids and other consumer items.

b. Bill Board Displays:

Painted or bill board displays involve the advertisements directly painted on the boards
meant for this purpose. They are quite big in size and are fixed at outstanding locations like
busy markets and crossings. They are also erected on tops of bridges and important
buildings.

c. Electrical Displays:

Electrical display involves the use of electric Electronic lights or neon tubes to attract the
attention of people, particularly during night. Generally, a short message is illuminated in
tubes of different colours so that it is conspicuous and attractive. Electrical displays are fixed
at navy traffic consumer centres.

d. Vehicular Displays:

It has become a fashion these days to use modes of public transport for advertising. The
space outside and inside the buses, railway carriages and other vans may be hired by the
businessmen to spread their messages. Vehicles give mobility to the message.
Outdoor advertising has the following merits:

(i) Outdoor advertising is highly flexible and is a low cost medium.

(ii) It is very useful for advertising consumer products because posters, etc. can be displayed
at various crowded centres.

(iii) Outdoor advertisement attracts quick attention and requires very less time and effort on
the part of the readers. A complete picture of the product can be shown through outdoor
displays.

Outdoor advertising is criticised on the following grounds:

(i) It can’t carry long messages as posters, hoardings, etc. are ready by the people at a
glance.

(ii) It has a low retention value because people don’t devote special time to read the
message.

(iii) It distracts the attention of the passersby and may even cause accidents on busy roads.

8. Internet Advertising:
It is the most recent advertising medium which makes use of internet to disseminate the
message. It is an interactive medium and can deliver message more effectively.

The advantages of internet advertising are as follows:

(i) It is not very expensive.

(ii) Dramatisation of message is possible.

(iii) It is an interactive media where two-way communication is pos­sible.

The drawbacks of internet advertising are as follows:

(i) It has limited reach.

(ii) Being a new medium, its effectiveness is yet to be established.

Media for Advertising

Media has a vital role in the process of advertising communication. Effective advertising is
possible only if suitable media are available. The various types of media for advertising are:
1. Print Media 2. Electronic Media 3. Other Media.

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Type # 1. Print Media:

Print media however, is one of the oldest forms of advertising methods. Print media also
remains to be one of the most popular forms of advertising because it can reach a wider
target audience. There are various different types of print media, which help advertisers to
target a particular segment of people.

These are:

i. Newspapers.

ii. Magazines.

iii. Newsletters.

iv. Brochures.

i. Newspapers:

Newspapers are the most popular forms of print media. In our country newspapers are
published in English, Hindi and in other regional languages. These are the sources of news,
opinions and current events. The advertiser communicates his message through newspaper,
which reaches to crores of people.

Advantages:

a. Newspapers normally have wide circulation and a single advertisement in the newspaper
can quickly reach to a large number of people.

b. The cost of advertising is relatively low.

c. Generally newspapers are published daily. Thus, the same advertisement can be
repeated frequently and remind reader every day.

d. The matter of advertisement can be given to newspapers at a very short notice.

e. Newspapers are published from different regions and in different lan­guages. Hence, they
provide greater choice to advertisers to approach the desired market, region and readers
through local or regional language.

Disadvantages:

a. Newspapers have a short life as these are read once and discarded.

b. People read newspapers mainly for news and pay casual attention to advertisement.

c. Illiterate persons cannot read and thus, newspapers advertising do not benefit them.

d. Competitors can quickly react to the prices after seeing the newspapers.
ii. Periodicals:

Periodicals are publications which come out regularly but not on a daily basis. These may be
published on a weekly, fortnightly, monthly, bimonthly, quarterly or even yearly basis. For
example, India Today, Frontline, Outlook, Femina, etc. published regularly in English and
Grihasobha, Nandan and Champak in Hindi. Similarly there are also periodicals in Hindi and
other regional languages. All these periodicals have a large number of readers and thus,
advertisements published in them reach a number of people.

Advantages:

a. Periodicals have a much longer life than newspapers. These are preserved for a long
period to be referred in future.

b. Periodicals have a selected readership and so advertisers can know about their target
customers and accordingly selective advertisements are given.

Disadvantages:

a. Advertising in periodicals is costlier.

b. Numbers of people to whom the advertisements reach are small in comparison to

newspapers.

c. The advertisement materials are given much in advance; hence last minute change is riot
possible. This reduces flexibility.

iii. Brochures:

Brochures give detailed information about the product. These are mainly distributed at
events or even at the main outlet when a consumer needs to read in detail about the
product.

Type # 2. Electronic Media:

This is a very popular form of advertising in the modern day marketing.

The various types of electronic media are:

i. Television.

ii. Radio.

iii. Internet.

iv. Cinema.

i. Television:
With rapid growth of information technology and electronic media, television has topped the
list among the media of advertising. TV has the most effective impact as it appeals to both
eye and the ear. Products can be shown, their uses can be demonstrated and their utilities
can be told over television. Advertisements are shown in TV during short breaks.

Advantages:

a. It is most effective as it has an audio-visual impact.

b. With catchy slogans, song and dance sequences, famous personalities exhibiting
products, TV advertising has a lasting impact.

For example, who can forget Aamir Khan saying “Thanda Matlab Cocacola” or Sachin
Tendulkar in Pepsi advertisement.

c. With varieties of channels and programs advertisers have a lot of choice to select the
channel and time to advertise.

d. With regional channels coming up any person even illiterates can watch the
advertisements and understood it by seeing and hearing.

Disadvantages:

a. TV advertisements are usually expensive to prepare as well as to telecast,

b. With almost every manufacturer trying to communicate their message through TV

advertising the impact among the viewers is also reducing. Now-a-days people are switching
on channels whenever there is a commercial break.

ii. Radio:

Radio advertising is the strongest medium of advertising. Everybody listens to the radio.
Some use it on home all day and the others use it while driving. More and more companies
are choosing radio advertising because it is cost effective. In radio there are short breaks
during transmission of any programme which is filled by advertisements of products and
services.

Advantages:

a. It is more effective as people hear it on a regular basis.

b. It is also useful to illiterate people.

c. There are places where newspapers reading may not be possible, but one can hear radio.

Disadvantages:
a. A regular listener may remember what he has heard. But, occasional listeners tend to
forget what they have heard in radio.

b. The message that any advertisement wants to communicate may not be proper as there
is no chance to hear it again immediately.

c. In comparison to television, radio is less effective as it lacks visual impact.

iii. Internet:

Internet is the latest method of communication and gathering information. With the help of
internet one can have information from all over the world within a fraction of second. One
can go to the website of any manufacturer or service provider and gather information.

There are also search engines or portals available when website addresses are not
available. In almost all the search engines or portals different manufactures or service
providers advertise their products. These days more and more companies are focusing on
advertising through internet.

Advantages:

a. Information from all over the world is made available at the doorsteps.

b. Users can see the advertisement at their own time and as per their require­ment.

Disadvantages:

a. It is not accessible without a computer.

b. It is not very suitable for general public.

c. It is not suitable for illiterate people

iv. Cinema:

Cinema also plays an important role in advertising. Small films are prepared for advertising
the various products. These pictures are played before the start of the picture and during the
intervals.

Type # 3. Other Media:

All the media of advertising discussed above are mostly used by customers while they are at
home or inside any room. However, there are other media available, where the customers
have to spend nothing and they can see such advertisements while moving outside.

Some of such modes of advertising are:

i. Hoardings.

ii. Posters.

iii. Vehicular displays.

iv. Gift items from manufacturer.

i. Hoardings:

While moving on roads, one must have seen large hoardings placed on iron frames or
rooftops or walls. These are normally boards on which advertisements are painted or
electronically designed so that they are visible during day or night. The advertisers have to
pay an amount to the owners of the space, where the hoardings are placed.

ii. Posters:

Poster are printed and posted on walls, buildings, bridges etc. to attract the attention of
customers.

iii. Vehicular Displays:

One must have seen advertisements on the public transport like buses, trains, etc. Unlike
hoardings these vehicles give mobility to advertisements and cover a large number of
people.

iv. Gift Items from Manufacturers:

When a customer buys something, shopkeeper gives him/her a certain gift e.g., on buying a
cycle, the shopkeeper sometimes gives you a key ring to hold the cycle key, some jewellers
give small purse or boxes on buying jewellery. Sometimes manufacturers give diaries,
calendars, purse, etc. to buyers and prospective customers.

In all these items the name, address and telephone number of the manufacturer, or trader or
service provider as well as descriptions of the products in which they deal in are printed.
These items are normally items of daily use given freely to the customers. While using, the
user remembers the products as well as the producer.

Classification of Advertising Media

A ‘medium’ is the carrier of the advertising message. It is a means to deliver the advertising
message. Each advertiser wants to go for the right mes­sage carrier keeping in minds the
cost, efficiency and specialities of the media or medium. Every advertiser has good many
media for his selection.

Broadly these can be classified as:

I. Indoor Media:
Indoor advertising includes all those advertising media vehicles which deliver the advertisers
message right in the home of the audience. These vehicles are – Newspapers; magazines;
radio; television and film.

(a) Newspapers:

Newspaper is the only source which is read by most of the houses, within their area of
circulation. It is considered as an excellent medium for those advertisers who desire to reach
the general public quickly. Newspaper may be national/local/daily/weekly.

These are a good vehicle to pass on information about new products, current products and
price off deals. In India, there are a number of newspapers both in English and also in
regional languages. Many newspapers in English and Hindi have national wide coverage. So
a message given in these newspapers may have a better impression in the minds of the
people.

Advantages of Newspaper Advertising Media:

(1) The coverage of newspapers is high as they reach to every nook and corner in very short
time.

(2) It is cheapest media of advertising as far as the cost per reader is concerned.

(3) They offer a lot of flexibility. The advertiser can change the shape, size and appeal of
advertisement to suit his needs.

(4) The response of public towards newspaper advertising is very quick.

(5) The newspaper has strong repetitive value as it offers an opportunity to the advertiser to
repeat his message at a short interval of only one day.

Disadvantages of Newspaper Advertising Media:

(1) The life of newspaper is very short.

(2) If the number of customer is limited, advertising in newspaper may be ineffective and
costly too.

(3) This media is not suitable if the potential customers are illiterate.

(4) Visual effects may not be created in practice as the newspapers are generally printed on
cheap papers.

(b) Magazines; Journals and Periodicals:

Another media under press advertising media is magazines, journals and periodicals. These
are specialized publication which gives information about various fields like- business;
economics; politics; sports etc. They offer selective circulation throughout the country at
reasonable cost. They are published periodically at regular intervals i.e. weekly, monthly,
quarterly or annually.

Advantages of Magazine:

(1) The life of magazine is considerably longer than that of newspaper.

(2) As magazines are highly selective in nature, waste of circulation is avoided.

(3) The magazine advertising is more attractive than newspaper advertising as the printing,
paper and colour combination are good.

(4) They reach specialized groups conveniently and effectively.

(5) Advertisement in magazines creates prestige, reputation and image of quality in minds of
customers.

Disadvantages of Magazine:

(1) The chief demerit of magazine advertising is its low flexibility. The advertiser cannot
change its advertisement size, shape and appeal frequently.

(2) The circulation of magazines is limited as compared to newspaper advertising.

(3) Advertising through magazine is more costly as compared to newspaper advertising.

(4) Magazines have appeal only to certain classes of readers.

(c) Broad Cast Media:

Broad cast media includes vehicles like, radio; television and films to deliver advertiser’s
message in the house of audience.

1. Radio – Radio is one of the prominent vehicles of advertising in our country. Radio
advertising may be straight commercial dialogue or musical commercials. The main
advantages associated with it are – human touch; flexibility and economy. The major
drawback associated with it is message perishability and time limit.

2. Television – Television is the one of the fastest growing advertising media which used
video and audio signals. Product can be demonstrated with explanation by using this media.
The relative merits of this media are – deep impact, flexibility and mass communication. The
demerits associated with this media are that it is costly and have short life.

3. Film Advertising – It is another broad cast media characterized by sound, motion, colour
and timelines. Under this media repeat advertising is possible and has advantages like
dramatic impact, selectivity and flexibility and less waste. The major drawback of this media
is that it is costly and has limited coverage.
II. Outdoor Advertising Media:
All the vehicles which are meant to reach the people when they are out of their house come
under outdoor media. Under out­door media the ad message is placed in different locations
which are exposed to moving audience. Different advertising media which come under
outdoor advertising media are – posters, printed display, electronic signs, travelling displays,
sky writing, sandwich man and the like.

1. Poster – A poster is sheet of paper pasted on wooden or metal board depicting the
message. The success of posters depends on its design and its site of pasting.

2. Printed Display – Printed display is printed bulletin or wall painting done in rectangular
shape on standard metal sheet.

3. Travelling Display – A travelling display is advertising ad or message printed on vehicles

like train, bus, car and the like.

4. Sky Writing – In sky writing advertised message is written in the sky in the form of smoke
or fire or the lights.

5. Sandwich Man – In sandwich man advertising is a team of tall and dwarf man who wear
the cloths which bear ad-messages.

Advantages of Outdoor Advertising Media:

(1) It has a wide coverage.

(2) It is capable of gaining more attention of the public.

(3) Outdoor advertising is more flexible.

(4) It is economical and has comparatively long life.

(5) In big cities and high traffic areas, outdoor advertising is the most effective form of
advertising.

Disadvantages of Outdoor Advertising Media:

(1) The message written under this type of advertising is too brief.

(2) It is quite costly in terms of investment.

(3) It is generally said to be only the reminding activity.

III. Direct Advertising Media:

Direct advertising media is one of the oldest form of advertising for reaching to the
customers. It is one of the most important person to person communication by advertiser. It
covers all form of printed ads delivered directly to the prospect like – postcards, envelop
enclosures, booklet, catalogues, sales letters etc. This method is highly selective and
flexible. It also has personal touch without personal contact. However, this method is costly
and depends upon the quality of the mailing list.

Advantages of Direct Advertising Media:

(1) It is selective. If a product is meant for a certain class of consumers, all consumers need
not be contacted and thus only few can be approached.

(2) It is economical as it saves enormous amount spent in press and other media of
advertising.

(3) Another advantage of this media is secrecy.

(4) It creates personal contact between the advertiser and the customer. Thus it adds
personal touch which may be missing in other media of advertising.

(5) It reaches even to those places where the salesman cannot approach.

Disadvantages of Direct Advertising Media:

(1) Through direct mail advertising one is able to reach only a limited number of customers.

(2) The preparation of mailing list is a difficult task.

(3) Under the direct mail advertising there are chances of fraud on the part of the
advertisers.

(4) This media of advertising cannot be used for all types of commodities. It is suitable for
only those products for which the market is limited and appeal is to be made to a certain
class of people only.

IV. New Age Media:

Internet and cell phones are covered in this category. Of late companies have been
spending huge amounts for this form of promotion. With vast majority of population already
covered with cell phones and computers, this advertising media holds good potential.
However, the main demerit is that the attention of the viewer is for a limited time period.

Types of Advertising Media:

The advertising media are the various forms of communication through which advertising
reaches its audience.

Different types of media are as follows:

1. Newspapers:

It is the most common and the oldest media used by marketers. Newspaper advertising is
used extensively by business firms because it is relatively inexpensive and effective as
compared to other media. It provides high coverage and limiting coverage facilities, it is
beneficial to cover a specific geographic area. Disadvantages of newspaper advertising are
it has a short life span, colour reproduction is usually poor. Marketers cannot target specific
markets through newspaper advertisement and it is usually read once and then discarded.

Advantages of Newspaper Advertising:

Newspaper is capable of providing different advertising formats to suit an advertiser’s

requirements. Newspaper advertising has numerous other advantages for which there is a
high degree of acceptance both among the advertisers and the audience.

i. Coverage:

Newspapers have a wide coverage. Through newspaper advertising an advertiser can reach
local or regional markets, special interest groups and even different ethnic groups in the
most cost-efficient manner. Newspaper is read most and also read in most cases by the
entire family. The readers are found equally interested in advertisements as in the news
items. Newspaper advertising facilitates comparison shopping when people tend to search
for information about various brands at the time they plan to do shopping.

ii. Timeliness:

This is another positive feature of a newspaper and is perceived as a matter of advantage

both for the advertisers and the readers. Advertisers can tie in advertising to current events
or decide for immediate withdrawal if the circumstances so require.

iii. Flexibility:

Newspapers provide a geographic flexibility also. Advertisers can select the markets to be or
not to be given advertising exposure. Advertisers usually decide about those markets where
they believe that the message exposure will contribute to the building of demand for the
product.

Concerning flexibility in production, advertisers have options such as to select among

various advertising formats, to decide about the size of an ad, to decide about the colour of
an ad and to decide about days when newspaper would carry the advertising message.

iv. Co-Operative Advertising:

The opportunity for cooperative advertising is another significant advantage provided by a

newspaper. The local retailers can easily ‘tie-in’ to national advertising run by the
manufacturer. They can run similar campaigns through local newspapers. In addition, the
quick action programmes such as sales and coupons are implemented easily through local
newspapers.

Disadvantages of Newspaper Advertising:

Due to its specific features, newspaper advertising has certain limitations which inhibit its
growth as an advertising medium in comparison to television and radio.

a. Short Life Span:

Although timely, but newspaper is published daily which gives a short life span to newspaper
advertising. The average life span of a daily newspaper is 24 hours and so is the life of an
ad. Moreover, newspapers are usually read once which limits the opportunity for advertising
exposure to only one reading. But such advertising exposures are not fleeting exposures as
in the case of television and radio. One can keep them for future reference if there is a need
to.

b. Clutter:

As newspapers are overloaded with ads, clutter is the problem with newspaper advertising
too. In such a situation, for any ad to attract attention it presents a creative challenge for the
advertisers.

c. Lack of Quality Production:

The fixed publication schedule and the need for large number of publications further limits
the use of quality paper and good reproduction techniques especially for coloured ads. The
poor reproduction capability of newspaper, therefore, directly affects the attention value of
the ad.

d. Lack of Suitability to All Segments and All Products:

There are certain market groups to which newspapers fail to provide coverage such as those
who are not the frequent newspaper readers or those who speak some foreign language.
Similarly, there are certain product categories which need demonstration or are unlikely to be
advertised in a newspaper.

A newspaper does not provide adequate environment to run ads for such products and any
message delivery concerning these products or services or target group is likely to result in
waste exposure only.

Rising cost of national advertising and poor pass along readership of newspapers are the
other factors which limit the use of newspaper as an advertising medium.

2. Magazines:

Advertisers can reach very specific market segments through advertisement in

special-interest magazines. Like business magazines, sports magazines and health
magazines are for specific segments, which provide geographic flexibility. Magazine
advertising is more prestigious than newspaper advertising, and it provides high-quality
colour reproduction, magazine advertisements have a longer life span. The major
disadvantages of magazine advertising are high cost and lack of timeliness.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Magazines:

I. Suitability of Editorial Content:

Along with generalized magazines, there are probably magazines available for each specific
group of people. Magazines provide a suitable environment by way of unique editorial
content which appeals to a defined set of readers. As a result, magazines offer high amount
of selectivity as compared to other forms of medium.

II. Audience Receptivity:

Due to their editorial content, magazines are relied upon as creditable source of information
and this credibility of magazine extends to advertising also.

III. Long Life Span:

As compared to other media this is a great advantage of magazine advertising. Unlike

newspaper, magazines are re-read, giving an opportunity of repeat exposures. Magazines
are read in a leisure way, and so there is a possibility of high attention level for the ad and for
the use of detailed copy. In addition, magazines have good pass along readership among
friends, colleagues, neighbours, family members and customers which adds another
dimension to magazine ad exposure.

IV. High Attraction Value:

Magazine advertising has a high attraction value due to high quality paper and superior
photo reproduction both in colour and black and white. When supported by superior editorial
content contributed by well-respected writers, magazines carry high prestige which also
benefits the ads appearing in the magazines.

V. Low Cost Per Exposure:

Concerning advertising efficiency, magazines provide low per unit cost of reaching potential
customers. The appropriate selection of magazine provides reach to select group of
customers and keeps waste exposure to minimum. Magazines offer many benefits to
advertisers but its limited flexibility, high cost, and limited distribution are the major factors
which restrict the universal use of magazine as advertising medium.

VI. Long Lead Time:

Magazine advertising has a long lead time as ads must be submitted well in advance of
publication date and so the scope of any kind of changes in between is ruled out. Also, there
are only limited choices for ad locations as prime locations like inside the front cover page,
or back cover are sold months in advance.

VII. High Absolute Cost:

The disadvantage of magazine advertising is its high cost. On the one hand it provides good
quality production, and on the other it has only limited circulation among select group of
customers. As a result, magazines do not compare well with other media in terms of its cost
efficiency.

3. Direct Mail:

Direct-mail advertising is promotional material mailed directly to individuals. Direct mail is the
most selective medium, the effectiveness of direct-mail advertising can be measured
because the advertiser has a record of who received the advertisement and can track the
prospects. Some organizations are using direct e-mail. A direct-mail campaign may fail if the
mailing list is outdated and the mailing does not reach the right people.

4. Outdoor Advertising:

Outdoor advertising consists of short promotional messages on hoardings, billboards,

posters, point of purchase advertising and signs. Sign and billboard advertising allow the
marketer to focus on a particular geographic area, and it is fairly inexpensive.

Outdoor media is projected to prospects at public places like railway stations, bus stops,
market place and crowded areas. However, because most outdoor advertising is directed at
a mobile audience, the message must be limited to a few words. Proper placement of
outdoor advertisement and high rent of hoardings is the limitation of outdoor advertising.

5. Television:

Television commercials are the most popular medium of advertising, prospects can watch
them at their home. It helps to create high brand awareness. All big brands are having their
commercials on television- mass marketing is over because there are exponentially more
channels out there with cable and satellite television and consumers have fragmented into
niche groups with very unique needs, desires, and wants.

Television advertising these days must be highly targeted toward the specific demographic
desired. Television advertising is the primary medium for larger firms whose objective is to
reach national or regional markets. Skipping or “zapping” of commercials during
playback/viewing, high cost of advertisement are the disadvantages of television media.

6. Radio:

Radio is one of the oldest medium of communication. FM radio is popular in metro cites. The
geographic coverage can be selected by marketers. Actual rates depend on geographic
coverage, the number of commercials contracted and time period. This media is less
expensive than other media even small retailers are able to afford radio advertisements.
Coverage and appeal are wide, spot programmes can be arranged. Disadvantages are ads
in radio are less attractive, demonstration of product is not possible, and listeners may be
irritated with the commercial.

Radio advertising possesses the following merits:

(i) Radio advertisements carry an effective appeal and cover numerous listeners of different
tastes.

(ii) Radio advertisements teach the illiterate people who cannot read the newspapers and
magazines.

(iii) Radio provides selectively to some extent because advertisements can be included in
different programmes meant for different types of people.

(iv) Radio advertisements are highly suitable for the promotion of mass scale consumer
goods.

The demerits of radio advertising are as under:

(i) Detailed message can’t be broadcast over the radio. People may not remember the
message.

(ii) It is non-visual. Thus, the usually impact of illustrating the product is not possible.

(iii) Sometimes, the message is not understood properly by the listeners. Many people
switch off their or transistor sets when it is the time for commercials or advertisements.

7. Internet:

Internet is the fastest growing advertising medium and different types of advertisements are
possible through internet like banner advertisement- rectangular graphics appearing at the
top of most consumer websites, button advertisement- small squarish advertisement
appearing at the bottom of a web page, keyword advertisement, featured primarily on
Internet search engines, link a specific ad to text or subject matter that an information seeker
may enter.

Interstitial advertisement – pop up to display a product ad when viewers click on a website.

Hypertext is the specialty of internet here marketers can combine text, pictures and sound,
these ads are interactive in nature where customer can make contact and inquiry through
e-mail address.

Benefits of using the Internet as an advertising medium include the growth of Internet use by
a variety of different types of people and the ability to precisely target a specific audience.
Demerit with using the Internet as an advertising medium need connectivity, availability of
internet connection, this medium is not popular in rural areas.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Internet Advertising:

There are a number of advantages of internet advertising such as its ability to be specific in
targeting, being interactive and so on.

I. Specificity in Targeting:
Internet allows for specificity in targeting the markets, because only those who are interested
in specific product category are likely to visit the sites. So, there is very less scope of waste
coverage. For its interactive abilities internet tends to involve the targets further and provides
more satisfying interactive experiences.

II. Convenience:

The most significant potential of internet is its ability to provide information in the most
convenient manner. One can easily have an access to mass information through the search
engines and filter it according to the purpose. India is emerging as a lucrative destination for
online advertisers on search engines.

According to a study by IAMI (Internet and Mobile Association of India), 65 million people
used search engines in India and the market was expected to touch $23 billion in the next
four years as compared to $10 billion in the year 2006. Search engine marketing (SEM) is
catching up with advertisers because it helps a company to reach a consumer when he/she
is actually looking to buy something, unlike media ads, which may not reach the prospective
buyer.

III. Sales Potential:

Internet is not merely the information provider. It is equally capable of its sales potential.
There are a number of product categories like books and music where sales through internet
are significantly large. With internet gaining momentum as the new media format, there are
rising prospects of the use of internet advertising for various types of products. The speed,
scope of creativity and possibility of specific message designing are the other benefits of
using internet advertising.

IV. Problems of Higher Cost, Clutter and Audience Measurement:

Internet has certain negative features or disadvantages and one needs to be judicious
enough to explore internet as an advertising medium. The major problem with internet
includes clutter, rising cost, lack of accurate audience measurement and the wide scope for
occurrence of deception. Although, the cost of establishing one’s site is not expensive but
maintaining and updating the same is and cost per thousand (CPM) of advertising on
internet are often found to be higher than those of some traditional media forms.

Some of the other major problems of internet advertising are hacking, credit card number
thefts, and data collection without consumers’ knowledge.