38 Fashion Promotion technique – Advertisements

R. Sunitha

epgp books

 

 

 

 

Learning Objectives

 

To impart knowledge about concepts and importance of advertising To understand about fashion promotion techniques

 

1. Introduction

 

Fashion promotion influences all the levels of fashion designers. Some main fashion promotion techniques are fashion advertising, fashion conferences, trade fairs, exhibitions, fashion journalism and window display.

 

Fashion promotion is communicating with the customers about the product to achieve the desired goals. Methods of promotion include Advertising, personal selling, publicity, sales promotions, direct marketing and public relations.

 

Purpose of Fashion Promotion is to create awareness, convince the customers about the benefits of the products and reinforce the availability of the products.

 

2.  Definitions of Advertising

 

Advertising tries to persuade or influence the consumer and make them aware of the product and the company. It is a paid persuasive communication that uses non personal mass media as well as other forms of interactive communication to reach wide audiences to connect an identified sponsor with a target audience.

 

Advertising is a business force, which through the printed words, sells or helps sales, builds reputation and fosiers goodwill. – Sheldon.

 

Advertising is any form of paid non-personal presentation of ideas, goods or services for the purpose of inducing people to buy. – Wheeler

 

Advertising is any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas goods or services by an identified sponsor. – Philip Kotler

Advertising is any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas goods or services by an identified sponsor. – American Marketing Association

 

3.Characteristics of Advertising

 

The main features of advertising are

 

1.A paid form of Non-personal Communication

2.Continuous process

3.Marketing tool

4.Supportive Activity

5. A Form of Communication

6.It creates Awareness and Education

7. It is all Persuasive Activity

8.It Leads to consumption

9. It is an art

10.It builds corporate image

11.It is a monologue

12.It is a Profession

13.It deals with the exchange of economic information

 

4.  Classification of Advertising

 

4.1. Institutional Advertising

 

It is used to promote organizational images, ideas policies and political issues.

 

4.2.  Product Advertising

 

This promotes goods and services of an organization. Business organization and private organization use it to promote the uses, images and benefits of their product and services.

 

4.3. Pioneering Advertising

 It is used to stimulate primary demand, and it tells about product features, its use, process of use and the place from where it can be purchased.

 

4.4.  Competitive Advertising

 

It points out the main advantages and features of a product which cannot be found in other products.

 

4.5.  Defensive Advertising

 

This does not increase sales of a company but helps in preventing the loss in sales.

 

4.6. Reminder Advertising

 

This reminds the consumers that a specific brand is available in the market which can satisfy their demands.

 

4.7. Push Advertising

 

This from of advertising is used to motivate the middlemen so that they may be more interested in maximizing the sales.

 

4.8.  Region-wise Advertising

 

This can be national and local advertising.

 

4.9. Cooperative Advertising

 

This advertisement is made by a group. It is a local advertisement by a retail trader for a product advertised at national level whose is borne partly by the retail trader and partly by an advertiser at national level.

 

4.10.Middlemen Advertising

 

Middle men advertise for products and services. It depends on the skills of the middlemen.

   4.11. Retail Advertising

 

In this type of retailing a dealer sells the products directly to the consumer. Retail advertising shows the facts about the availability of the products in the nearby stores.

 

5.  Functions/Objectives of Advertising

 

5.1. To increase sale – Advertising aims to increase sale of advertiser’s product or service. It attracts the consumer towards the product and service.

 

5.2. To secure wider distribution – Advertising helps to persuade the dealers to store and stock the goods and thus secures wider distribution of goods to be supplied.

 

5.3. To eliminate fluctuation in sale – Advertising eliminates the seasonal fluctuations in the sale of the product.

 

5.4. To make the product known – Advertising makes the product known widely. It takes the messages to all the people in all areas.

 

5.5. To launch new product – Advertising relates specific features and qualities of launching products.

 

5.6. To help the dealer – Advertising provide materially assistance to the dealers and retailers by increasing their turnover.

 

5.7. To establish trust in quality – Advertising creates good image and brand of the company.

 

5.8. To retain the old customers – The consumers who use some specific product are always interested in the advertisement of their usual product.

 

5.9. To create competitive strength – To compete with the competitive manufacturer, Advertising is must.

 

5.10. Other Objectives/Functions – To impress industry workers, to establish a feeling of security, to secure meticulous employees, to create new markets, to maintain a steady demand, to encourage salesmen to sell more products, to create insurance for the producers business, to promote easy marketing, to promote new innovations and to promote personal selling.

 

6. Advantages of Advertising

 

The advantages of advertising are it increases demand, it increases sales, reduces in cost and prices, it creates particular image, economical distribution, Promotes business through competition, Promotes new jobs, and exploration of new markets.

 

7. Essentials of Effective Advertising

  • Creativity
  • Relevancy
  • Well Formation
  • Goal Oriented
  • Knowledge about customers
  • Continuity
  • Impression
  • Utility of Facts, Pictures and Expression
  • Reasonability

   8. Media of Advertising

 

The advertising media are classified into various types as explained below.

 

8.1 Classification of Advertising media

 

8.1a. Press Media Advertising

 

Press media is the most powerful force in the field of advertising. It includes two types namely newspapers and magazines.

 

i. News paper Advertising

 

The news paper has the great value in advertising in India. It reaches all the corners of the country. Selection of newspaper depends on the factors such as type and nature of the people reading the newspaper, specific needs, reputation and place of newspapers in the community, the circulation, general appearance of the newspapers.

 

Merits of news paper Advertising

  1. It offers great opportunities for repetition
  2. The message through newspapers reaches the maximum number of people.
  3. It is economical
  4. Wider area is covered by this means of Advertising
  5. Fresh arrivals and fresh features can be timely announced in the daily news papers as it is offered daily.
  6. Every class of people is interested in this medium
  7. It has best choice of the market
  8. It has regional selectivity

Demerits of news paper Advertising

  • It turns interest only for a short time
  • It does not leave impression for long time
  • It is read hurriedly and some advertisements are not seen
  • It has less attraction
  • It has no value for illiterate people.

ii. Magazine Advertising

 

It is used to provide publicity to the name of the firms and brands. These are published monthly, weekly, biannually or annually. Magazines are used for several days.

 

Merits of Magazine advertising

  • The advantages of Magazine advertising are
  • Longer life than news papers
  • Greater attraction due to visual display
  • Leaves greater impact on reader for long time
  • Satisfies the reader
  • Has geographic flexibility
  • Used as catalogue by the customers
  • Published in different languages

Merits of Magazine advertising

  • These are read only by rich and well-qualified persons
  • Cost is higher
  • Have limited appeal
  • It is not suitable for new products
  • Not repeated frequently as these are weekly or monthly or annually

8.2. Outdoor or mural Advertising

  • The main means of outdoor advertising are
  • Posters
  • Electric signs
  • Wall Paintings
  • Travelling Displays or car cards
  • Banners
  • Sandwich Men
  • Neon Signs
  • Billboards
  • Mobile billboards

Merits of Out-door advertising

  • The advantages of out-door advertising are
  • It appeals to both educated and illiterate persons.
  • The effect of this type of  advertising remains for a longer time.
  • The message is easily understood by this method
  • It generates employment opportunities.
  • It is economical because of its durability

Demerits of Out-door advertising

  • Sometimes the advertising message is overlooked
  • Some methods of advertisements like sky writing and balloon advertisements cannot be repeated.
  • It takes lot of time
  • It does not provide deep information
  • It uglifies the space
  • Banners, hoardings and boards cause accidents on roads.

    8.3. Entertaining Advertising

 

These are the broad cast media. It includes radio advertising, television advertising, slides, films and video advertising.

 

8.3.1.    Radio advertising.

It is an important means of advertising of products. Message attracts the listener. It can be spot announcement or sponsored programmes.

 

8.3.2.    T.V. advertising.

 

It is a novel method of advertising. It makes appeal both to the eye and the ear. It has gained so much of importance.

 

8.3.3.   Cinema

 

Now-a-days films have become important source of advertising. They are presented in form of short stories, cartoons plays etc.

 

8.3.4.   Drama and Music Programmes

 

This media is generally used in rural areas. Programmes are prepared such that it captures the attention of the people and is understandable.

 

8.3.4.    Slides

 

These are exhibited in the cinema houses. They are like posters. They are usually presented during the interval time and at the beginning of the cinema. This type of advertisement is utilized by local traders and retailers.

 

8.3.5.    Video Cassettes

These are used for publicity of a product in the form of drama, film or programmes.

 

Merits of Entertaining Advertisements

  • It is a method used for mass communication
  • It gives a good product identification
  • It is audio visual type which attracts many people
  • It creates market for new products
  • It is more effective in rural areas.

Demerits of Entertaining Advertisements

  • It is costlier method of advertisement
  • It does not reach poor people
  • It is more suitable for local products
  • It has only temporary impact

 

8.4. Direct mail Advertising

 

This type of advertising creates direct contact with the customers through postal services.

 

8.4.1. Sales letters

It is used to induce the important customers. This arouses the interest of the customers to buy the product.

 

8.4.2. Post cards

Post cards are sent at a lower cost. It is the most famous form of direct mail advertising.

 

8.4.3. Circulars

This may have several pages in which all the details of the product are given.

 

8.4.4.   Folders

When the letter can be folded it becomes folders. These are prepared with different colours and attracts the attention of the customers.

 

8.4.5. Catalogues and Booklets

 

These contain the prices of the products with salient features. The booklets are sent to the bulk purchasers which consists of product related information.

 

8.4.6. Price lists

These contain only prices of the products without describing the features about the product.

 

8.4.7. Broad sides

 

These are prepared for whole sellers and retailers. Pages are decorated and the sales story is explained.

 

Merits of Direct Mail Advertising

  • It is active method of advertising.
  • It is more result oriented than other forms. Detailed informationabout the product is conveyed to the customer
  • It is flexible method of advertieing
  • It is highly persuasive and economical method/
  • It is a convenient method and keeps secrecy

Demerits of Direct Mail Advertising

  • It is less effective as these mails are unseen
  • It is a bit expensive
  • It does not have highly attentive quality
  • It is sometimes sent to wrong customers

8.5. Novelties Advertising

 

Novelties advertising is gaining much importance now-a-days due to its positive traits. It contains items and gifts containing message about the product. It aims to win the confidence of the customer which ultimately will result in promotion of the company. Advertising printed on small tangible items such as coffee mugs, T-shirts, pens, bags, and such is known as novelty advertising

 

8.6 Promotional advertising

 

Display advertising is other name of promotional advertising. The word display means arranging something for view. Products are demonstrated directly but the selling terms are told indirectly through this method. It has following means:

 

8.6.1. Window display:

 

Window display is undertaken by small as well as big shop. Nicely arrangement of window quickly attracts the customers to enter the shop. Some customers and they tend to enter the shop. It is a creative activity which needs specialistists. Selected and decorated articles- are used for – this purpose which are visible from outside.

 

8.6.2. Counter display :

 

Arrangement of articles on counter is called counter display. Cut-outs, posters, cards, etc. are used for this purpose.

 

8.6.3. Samples:

 

Some producers use this method. Under this method, samples are freely disturbed to prospective customers so that they may advertise it indirectly after they have tested.

 

8.6.4. Trade fairs and exhibitions:

 

Trade fairs and exhibitions are being important media for advertising. Exhibitions can be organized by one particular producer or by a group of producers. Exhibitions are organized every year where stalls from different parts are erected. In trade fairs, producers are invited to demonstrate, their products. Trade fairs and-exhibitions are organized at local, national and international level.

 

8.7. Miscellaneous media

Methods of advertising cannot be classified in a limited area. In modern Business world, various methods are being invented and implemented. Some other methods are as follows:

 

8.7.1.  Prize contests:

 

It has become a popular and common method which is generally used in metropolitan cities and towns. Various competitions reorganized and winners are rewarded by the company concern.

 

8.7.2. Clearance sale:

 

These sales are arranged for a limited period only. This method is used for clearance sale of the products at a cheaper rate. These sales attract a large majority of general customers. Sometimes, free offers are made and sometimes discounts are offered.

 

8.7.3.  Loud-speakers:

 

Under this method a person is engaged in speaking the message on loudspeaker. It is suitable for local advertisements.

 

8.7.4. Internet:

 

It is an important effective and new method to promote products. All the information about the product are available on internet.

 

8.7.5. Directories:

 

Various types of directories are used to advertise the product such as telephone directory, trade directory etc.

 

8.8 Digital media and Online Advertising

 

Digital media, includes Internet, social networking and social media sites, in a modern way for brands to interact with consumers as it releases news, information and advertising from the technological limits of print and broadcast infrastructures. Digital media is currently the most effective way for brands to reach their consumers on a daily basis. Social media, offers   opportunities   to reach   larger audiences   in an interactive way. Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus, Tumblr, as well as alternate audio and media sites like Sound Cloud and Mix  cloud allow users to interact and promote music online with little to no cost.

 

.Online advertising is a form of promotion that uses the Internet and World Wide Web for the expressed purpose of delivering marketing messages to attract customers. Online ads are delivered by an ad server. The online advertising include contextual ads that appear on search engine results pages, banner ads, in pay per click text ads, rich media ads, Social network advertising, online classified advertising, advertising networks and e-mail marketing, including e-mail spam.

 

9. Factors to be considered in selecting the right media

 

The success of advertising depends on the appropriate selection of advertising method. All method are not used by a producer. A specific method is used to promote advertisement. While selecting appropriate media, following factors must be considered:

 

9.1. Objectives advertising :

 

The first step of selecting the media of advertising if to determine objectives for which advertisement is to be made. The objectives are to promote sales, enter into new business, advertise new products, arrange clearance sale, aid the salesman and make mass appeals.

 

9.2. Knowledge about the audience:

 

Next step of selecting advertisement media is to have knowledge about the audience. It includes education, religious status, socio-economical status of the audience.

 

9.3. Knowledge of the area :

 

Before selecting advertising media, knowledge about the area for which advertising is being made is necessary.

 

9.4. Nature of the product:

 

Nature of the product should be recognised whether it is consumer product, durable product or other. Consumer product can be advertised through T.V., magazines and outdoor displays, etc.

 

9.5. Type of the message:

 

Before selecting advertising media, type of the message must be recognized whether it is short or long. Radio is not suitable for written messages and outdoor advertising media is not suitable for brief messages.

 

9.6. Media cost:

 

It is very necessary to pay attention on this factor. The media cost depends upon the product value, image of the company, number of the customers, area etc. A small producer will not be able to select international trade fair because of its higher cost.

 

9.7. General media:

 

Every producer should pay attention an general media or newspapers. This is the cheapest mean of advertising. Hit can satisfy the purpose, other media must be avoided.

 

9.8. Advertising repetition:

 

Some products are to be advertised repetitively and some are not to be so. The products of low price and mass consumption need repeated advertising for which magazines and direct mails will be most effective.

 

9.9.   Media used by competitors:

 

It removes half tension of selecting right media of advertising. The media which is being used by other producers for the same product gives a baseline for selecting suitable media.

 

9.10. Time and place of buying decisions:

 

The media should be selected which may convey the message at right time to the right person. Principle of time should be followed. For example, ‘dealer aids’ are suitable for consumer products.

 

10.Advertising copy

 

The characteristics of good advertisement copy and essentials of good advertisement copy are explained below.

 

10.1. Characteristics of a copy:

 

Copy is a verbal description of the text of the advertisement. It may be written or spoken materials. On the basis of above definitions, following are the characteristics of a copy.

1. Advertising copy is the written or audio-visual text.

2.An advertising copy has its own layout which may be in the form of display copy and body copy.

3.The primary function of an advertising copy is to get attention of the audience.

4. An advertising copy is a visual communication.

5.Every advertising copy has an appeal to buy the concerned product.

6. It emphasizes on AIDA which means attention, interest, desire and action.

7. An advertising copy has the central idea of an advertisement in the message form.

8.Visualization is an indispensable part of a copy.

9.It emphasizes on effective words.

10.Writing a copy is a creative and process which requires different skills.

 

10.2. Essential elements of good advertising copy

 

An advertising copy should have certain elements.

 

a.  Attentive Value

 

The first good advertising copy is that it should have additive value. To achieve this value, much effort should be paid while designing the advertisement copy. Readers can be persuaded to read the advertisement by using pictures, bright colours, bold and italic words, slogans, exciting words and catchy words.

 

b.  Suggestive value

 

This is the next essential element of a good advertisement copy. It must provide a suggestion about the uses of the product. Important suggestions should be repeated from time to time to remain the customer. Effective and rational slogans are used to satisfy this.

 

c. Memorizing value

 

The advertising copy should be prepared in a way that it has a dominant impression in the minds of the customers. Good slogans, impressive pictures, brand names should be used repeatedly in order to create memorizing value.

 

d. Conviction value

 

The ad copy should be capable to convince the reader. It contains every possible information about the product which helps in convincing the customers. The copy should explain the customers about the superior quality and extraordinary features about the product over other products.

 

e.Sentimental Value

 

A person can bear the economical loss when he becomes sentimental. Customers feelings must always be respected. The sentiments of maximum people should be taken care of. Sentiments like better quality, confidence, low price, aesthetic values, etc can be used in advertising copy.

 

f.  Educative value

 

The advertising copy should educate the people by providing knowledge about the product. The advertisement copy should also tell about the firms good will and its achievements.

 

g.   Instinct appeal value

 

Instincts are found in every person. It induce a person into any advertisement copy. So it should be designed in such a manner that it may play upon the instincts of him. These instincts include self protection, love, security, hoarding and curiosity. To  achieve  this,  qualified  and  experienced  copy writers  must  be  engaged  in  copy writing.

 

10.3. Parts of Advertisement

 

Keeping the above facts in mind one can prepare an Advertisement copy with the following parts.

 

10.3.1. Parts of Advertisement

 

1.S logan

 

It is a short catchy word which attracts the reader and makes the reader repeat. It is given at the top of the advertisement.

 

10.3.2.Headline

  • The head line should be in such a way that it grabs the attention of the reader.
  • It must be short not exceeding seven words.

   10.3.3.Illustration

  • The illustration reinforces the headline
  • It shows the product features pictorially
  • It can be presented in attractive colours

 

10.3.4.  Body of the Ad

 

It is the text that persuades the reader to buy the product It must be interesting and informative

 

10.3.5.  Company Details

 

At the bottom most part of the advertisement copy, the aspects namely name, address, contact numbers, e-mail address, websites and logo of the company are given. As an exercise, you can assess an advertisement or frame an advertisement on your own suitable for fashion products.

 

Conclusion

 

Thus the advertising helps the apparel industry in accelerating sales. The selection of the appropriate medium for advertising and method of preparation of advertisement play veryimportant role in creating effective impact on the customers. I hope this module would be informative in understanding the concepts about advertisements.

 

you can view video on Fashion Promotion technique – Advertisements

REFERNCES

 

  • Agarwal.N.P.,  Tailor.R.K.,  Agarwal  Sunita,  Advertisement  and  Publicity,
  • Pratheeksha Publication, Jaipur, 2009, Pp. 1-53.
  • Saini.P.D., Sales Promotion And Advertising Management, New Trends and
  • Practices, Shree Niwas Publications, Jaipur, 2009. Pp. 330-363.
  • Wells. William, Moriarty.S, Burnett.John, Advertising Principles and Practice,
  • Seventh Edition, PHI Learning Private Limited, 2008, PP. 219-282

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