Advertising media selection

        Various means (advertising vehicles) such as billboards, magazines, newspapers, radio, television, and internet by which promotional messages are communicated to the public using words, speech, and pictures.

9 Types of Advertising Media Available to an Advertiser

(1) Direct Mail:

This is one of the oldest types of advertising media. Under this method message is sent to the prospective buyers by post. A mailing list is prepared for this purpose. Circular letters, folders, calendars, booklets and catalogs are sent under this type of advertising. In the sales letter an appeal is made to the buyers separately.It contains detailed information with regard to the product. The main aim of these letters is to create the reader’s interest in the product. The letter should be attractive, interesting and convincing. Booklets and catalogues contain information regarding detailed description and prices of different varieties of products. This method is very effective as it establishes direct contact with the consumer and also maintains secrecy in advertising. Detailed information with regard to the product can be sent to the buyers. The letters and circulars contain personal appeals which are greatly helpful in arousing their interest in the products. This method can be effectively undertaken in case the manufacturers are selling directly to the consumers. Direct mail advertising suffers from certain drawbacks also. It has limited access i.e. a small number of buyers can be covered. There are practical difficulties in preparing and maintaining up-to-date mailing list. This is also not suitable for every type of product.

(2) Newspapers and Magazines:

These are the important forms of press advertising, newspapers are the most effective and powerful medium of advertising. Newspapers contain valuable information with regard to different current events. It may be referred to as ‘a store house of information’. There are daily, bi-weekly and weekly newspapers. Newspapers have widest circulation and read by many people. The newspapers may be local, provincial or national. There is a separate advertisement department in every newspaper which classifies and designs different advertisements in the paper. Before selecting a newspaper the advertiser should take into consideration various factors viz., coverage of the newspaper, the class of customers and the cost of advertising etc. The newspapers offer widest circulation and have universal appeal. The cost of advertising is lesser as compared to other media. The newspapers have more repetitive value and are very helpful in introducing a new product. These are suitable for all types of goods having wider markets. A high degree of flexibility is ensured by newspapers i.e., the advertisement campaign can be undertaken and stopped quickly. Advertisements are the main source of revenue to the publishers. The most important benefit derived from the newspapers is that the advertiser’s message can be conveyed to the readers quickly.Besides newspapers suffer from certain drawbacks also. They have shorter life and are not suitable for illiterate people. Most of the people read the papers casually especially in the morning hours when they are in a hurry to join their respective jobs. Secrecy cannot be maintained in this type of advertising. Another drawback of newspaper advertising is that they are in black and white prints. Colored advertisements are not covered, which are more appealing and attractive.

Magazines:

Magazines or periodicals are other important media of communication. Magazines may be released weekly, monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual. These are read with more interest by the readers as compared to newspapers. Advertisements given in magazines are more descriptive and attractive. They are usually in colored form which depicts the product nicely and gives lasting impression to the reader.There are magazines or journals meant for general public and special class of people. There are exclusive magazines relating to industry, trade, finance and economics etc. There are also special magazines for men, women and children. The magazines have longer life and are very suitable for advertising specific goods. Magazines have lesser flexibility as compared to newspapers. Last minute changes cannot be introduced in the advertisement as they are sent to the press many days before the publication. There is lesser repetitive value and no secrecy can be maintained. Cost of advertising is higher as compared to newspapers. Their circulations are small and are suitable for educated readers only. In the introduction of a new product, magazines are not much suitable on account of lesser continuity.

(3) Radio Advertising:

Radio advertising is very popular these days. The advertisements are broadcast-ed from different stations of All India Radio. Radio advertising can be explained as “word of mouth advertising on a wholesale scale”. The advertising messages can be in different regional languages.The most important advantage derived from radio advertising is that it covers every type of listener whether illiterate or educated. It is a very effective medium for popularizing on mass scale various consumer articles. The coverage of this medium is wider extending to a large number of listeners. It ensures quicker repetition. Radio advertising suffers from shorter life, limited memory and short messages. Cost of advertising is higher. The message may not be listened properly by the listener. There is no secrecy. This is useful for those who possess radio sets. There is lesser flexibility and lack of personal touch.

(4) Television Advertising:

This is the latest and the fast developing medium of advertising and is getting increased popularity these days. It is more effective as compared to radio as it has the advantages of sound and sight. On account of pictorial presentation, it is more effective and impressive and leaves ever lasting impression on the mind of the viewer. It is a very costly medium which can be employed by big concerns only; it has a shorter life span and limited coverage. Back reference to the advertisement cannot be made after its presentation. The duration of the advertisement is very limited. Despite of the above mentioned drawbacks, this method of advertising is gaining rapid coverage and immense popularity among the masses.

(5) Film Advertising:

This is also known as cinema advertising. This also provides sight and hearing facilities like television. Short advertisement films are not prepared by big business houses which are sent to different cinema houses to be shown to the audience before the regular shows or during the intermission. It has more repetitive value but not to the same viewers. Its coverage is limited which benefits the local population only. It is a very costly medium involving higher distribution and film making costs. Only big organisations can afford to produce advertisement films. It ensures more flexibility at larger costs. Its effectiveness cannot be measured properly. Film making is a time consuming process.

(6) Outdoor Advertising:

This type of advertising include different media like posters, placards, electric displays or neon signs, sandwich men, sky writing, bus, train and tram advertising. This is also known as ‘Mural advertising’. The main aim of outdoor advertising is to catch the attention of passerby within twinkling of an eye. This is the most effective medium of advertising. This is very suitable in the case of consumable and household articles like soaps, medicines, fans, shoes and pens etc. Posters and placards are usually fixed on the walls near the road sides, railway station and bus stands. These posters are made of thick paper or metal plate or wood and carry the advertising message which can be easily read and seen from a distance. The posters also pasted on the back of buses, trains and trams which are greatly helpful in carrying the message throughout and outside the city. Painted displays are prepared by expert painters which carry attractive multi-colored pictures also to impress upon the people. Electric displays or neon signs are also used in order to impress the passerby. These carry a very short message. This is a very costly device. Sandwich-men move from street to street carrying the posters and peculiarly. They shout and sing praising the concern and the product. Sky writing is also known as air advertising. The pilots of the aeroplanes through whom this is carried write the advertiser’s message in the form of smoke or illumination. The message is quite visible even from a long distance. Balloons fitted with the message and pictures of the product are also flown in the sky.This type of advertising has a wider coverage and leaves effective impression on the people. It is very suitable for making the product popular and creating proper brand image. It has greater flexibility and can be designed by keeping in view the peculiarities of a particular locality. It requires lesser time and effort on the part of the advertiser to undertake this medium. This is more durable and economical form of advertising medium. It has been referred as reminder or residuary publicity which is used by the advertiser after all the other advertising media. Sticking of bills and posters destroys the walls of different building and adversely affects the cleanliness and beautification of a particular area. Various media like skywriting, sandwich-men, balloons and electric displays are very costly. They are beyond the means of a small trader.

(7) Window Display:It is a common method which is usually undertaken by retailers who display their products in the shop windows in order to attract the customers. This is also known as exterior display.

It is the most effective and direct method of influencing the people. Window display has direct appeal to the onlookers. It is instrumental in arousing the desire to purchase in the prospective customers. It acts as a silent salesman. In order to operate this method successfully, goods should be arranged properly and systematically in the show windows. The articles in the windows should be regularly- changed. The advertiser should not forget that the window is the index of his shop. Utmost care should be undertaken to display the products in windows.

(8) Fairs and Exhibition:

A trade exhibition or a fair is organised on extensive scale which is attended by different manufacturers and traders along with their products to be sold to the large number of people who visit the exhibition. The exhibition may be either organised on local, provincial or international basis. The examples of some of the international exhibitions are EXPO 70 of JAPAN, ASIA 72 and recent trade fair at Delhi every year. Different stalls or pavilions “are allotted to various traders who display their goods in these pavilions. The manufacturers also distribute the sales literature and sometimes free samples of goods to the people. Facilities of practical demonstration are also provided to the customers. The customers clearly understand the method of operation and use of the product. In the case of international exhibitions, traders of different countries assemble at one place; they can conveniently share the experiences of their respective countries with each other which are really informative and useful for all of them. It provides ample opportunity for learning. The huge gathering of people in the exhibition provides a larger market for sale.

(9) Specially Advertising:

Most of the business houses in order to increase their sales, advertise their products, give free gifts like diaries, purses, paper weights and calendars to the customers. The name of the firm or the dealer is inscribed on the articles presented.