40 Media Selection and Advertising Effectiveness

Kulbhushan Chandel

1. Learning Outcome:

After completing this module the students will be able to:

Explain the concept of advertising.
Assess the role of advertising.
Explain types of advertising media.
Identify the factors that affect media selection.

2. Meaning and Definition of Advertising

Advertising is paid form of communication of goods, services or ideas by an identified sponsor which is directed at mass audience. The sponsor/ advertiser (seller) pays for time or space used in media in which his advertisement appears. Magazines, newspapers, radio, television, posters, hoardings, direct mail are different media used by advertisers to influence and induce the viewers, readers or listeners to buy the advertised products.

The American Marketing Association defines advertising as :

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

This definition highlights four major elements of advertising:

It is a ‘paid form’ as message regarding product or service is conveyed through different media like newspapers, cinema, magazines, radio or television for the target audience. The advertiser has to pay for the use of media for publishing or broadcasting the product information.

It is ‘non personal presentation’ as advertisement in any media does not involve an individualistic presentation or focus on individual action like in personal selling. Hence, it is non-personal in nature. Advertising facilitates personal selling in creating awareness, interest and a desire to purchase the goods or services.

It relates with ideas, goods and services. Advertising promotes the idea. It helps in informing general public about matters of public concern like consumer rights, government announcements and so on. Banks, hospitals, hotels, insurance company and restaurants advertise their services to generate more income or profits. For example, OLX services are highly advertised for facilitating sale of second hand goods. Manufacturers try to accelerate sales of their products through advertising.

It is always by an ‘identified sponsor’. Advertisement of anything is displayed or published in any media only when identity of seller is certain and can be identified. It is considered as reliable promotional tool. Advertising discloses the source which promotes ideas, products or services it presents.

The aim of advertising is to improve buyer’s decision in the favour of advertiser’s product or service. It helps consumer in taking a positive decision through preference for product. Advertising is considered essential for sale of consumer goods. Now a days, social or economic life cannot be imagined without advertising. It must be remembered that advertising is one of the most important elements of promotional mix but advertising alone would not be able to increase sales. It should be supported by other elements of promotion mix like personal selling or sales promotion.

3. Features of Advertising

It is mass means of communication as larger number of people is influenced at one time.
Cost per prospect or customer is low.
Organised and controlled messages are delivered
It is impersonal and works in breadth.
Advertising is main promotional tool used in consumer goods market.
It involves one way flow of communication.
It has pull effect and moves the prospect to the retailers.
Consumers are moved through successive levels of communication spectrum i.e. awareness, recognition, conviction and action.
It is helpful to impart knowledge and create customer interest when new products are introduced in market.
Wide choice of media is available to influence audience with different demographic and socio-economic features.
It is paid form of communication where the sponsor can be identified.
It informs, educates, guides and protects customers.

4. Advantages of Advertising

Prospects that cannot be approached by salesman, can be influenced through advertising.
It creates more demand and stimulates large scale production which increases profits of business organisations.
Large scale production and distribution create ample employment opportunities in production, distribution and media industry.
It helps in raising standard of living of people.
Mass production provides economies of large scale. As a result, production cost is reduced and goods are available at reasonable prices.
It leads to industrial and economic development of a country.
Advertising creates awareness and educates people. Educated and informed buyer can make a rational buying decision.
Larger audience can be influenced at one time which reduces cost per prospect.
Urban and rural people have become more receptive to new values, ideas and attitudes.
Personal selling and sales promotion techniques are facilitated by advertising.
It helps in creating brand loyalty.

Paul C Harper, highlighted following eight ways by which advertising can work for the benefit of advertiser :

Induce trial: Advertising facilitates trial of new products by helping in creating awareness about new entries in product or service market.

Intensify usage: Advertising helps in getting repeated orders. It increases usage of product through regular campaigns.

Sustain preference : Advertising facilitates in creating brand preference and brand loyalty. Repeated demand for Dettol, Verka milk or Amul butter shows brand loyalty developed through advertisements.

Confirms Imagery : Many costly products like Mercedes Cars are bought because the advertising borrows an establishing imagery and confirms it in the buyer’s mind. It helps in creating demand and increasing sales.

Builds line acceptance : Companies like LG, Samsung and Phillips rely on extensive advertising to promote their extensive product line in the minds of consumers.

Break the ice : Advertising facilitates sales person job by creating familiarity and positive attitude towards the product. The advertising of Honda, Airtel or Nokia mobile has proved highly effective for retailer’s salespersons.

Build Ambience : Advertising creates ‘feel good’ ambience about advertiser’s company and image. Many banks or insurance companies have been benefited by extensive advertising campaigns about their products and organisations.

5. Limitations of Advertising

It is impersonal form of communication. The objections or queries of prospect cannot be answered.
There is one way communication in advertising. Customer reaction and interest cannot be known immediately.
It is less effective in convincing the buyer than personal selling.
Advertising may lack trustworthiness in case of misleading advertisements.
It may create noise in communication when media carries number of messages of different firms simultaneously and divert attention of audience.
It multiplies desires of people.
Unsocial and unethical advertisements do more harm to the society.

6. Types of Advertising: There are different types of advertising with distinct goals which requires the use of different media. These have been summarised as follows:

(i) Product Advertising: It is used for existing consumer durable products. The motive of manufacturers or marketers is to provide information about the product’s features and attributes and promote benefits. It also aims at securing repeated orders.

(ii) Trade Advertising: It is used for distribution networks. Here, the purpose is to facilitate distribution of product. It is meant to make an appeal to the distributor to sell more for higher profit.

(iii) Social Advertising: This type of advertising is used by the government to make people aware of government’s concern for public welfare. Advertisements about consumer rights, polio camp and preference for organic products fall in this category.

(iv) Corporate or Institutional Advertising: Such advertisements intend to promote the company as a whole. It is used to establish, change or maintain the identity of company. It does not attempt to secure action of the target audience. Here, efforts are directed to keep customers informed and maintain a positive attitude towards the company.

(v) Pioneering Advertising: This type of advertising is used for new products or new firms. Here, the aim is to create a primary demand for new product or service. Firms are required to explain the product concept as customers need detailed information. Product demonstrations are made to secure customer confidence and demand.

(vi) Competitive Advertising: This advertising is used for products for which there exists tough competition. Companies resort to such advertising for building demand for their brands. It attempts to build brand preference for products which are passing through growth or maturity stage of product life cycle. Comparative advertising stresses on superiority of brand over brands of rival firms in terms of product features, uses and services provided. It should be remembered that only healthy competition should be promoted through competitive advertising. Unethical practices should be avoided as it may harm a firm’s image in the long run.

7. Advertising Media

7.1 Outdoor or mural advertising : Hoardings, posters, sky writing and electric signboards are used in outdoor advertising which can attract attention of large people simultaneously. It has general appeal and reminds prospects. Lot of skill and art can be used in this form of advertising.

It has certain limitations too as selective advertising in not possible. It has low retention value and cannot be used for long messages. Hoardings destroy natural beauty. It may lead to accidents as it diverts attention.

7.2 Film Advertising : Audio-visual technique used in film advertising overcomes language barrier and has great impact on audience. Repeat advertising can also be done. But this method is costly as cost of slides and film is high. This method is not suitable when selective advertising is required.

7.3 Press Advertising :

i. Newspaper : Newspapers are timely and flexible . This is a common method of publicity and has a wider reach. To some extent, selective advertising can be done in newspapers and effectiveness can also be measured. There is possibility of repeat advertising. Colour and attractive advertisements have mass appeal. Advertising in newspapers is economical. However newspapers do not serve purpose in case of illiterate people. It has short span of life too.

ii. Magazines, Journals, Periodicals: These have longer span of life and greater retention value. These can be used as reference. Selective advertising can be done to reach the target market only.

However in this media, cost per contact is high as it has limited circulation. This method cannot be used in case of illiterate people.

7.4 Radio Advertising: It has wide coverage and suitable for illiterate as well as literate people. Repeat advertising is possible. It has great retention value as spoken words have longer impact. F. M. Radio is popular among people of different age groups. It is used commonly by advertisers for reaching the masses. But this method is not suitable for selective advertising. It cannot be used for reference. People may feel bored when messages are repeated and some messages may be lost due to non-attention of listeners. Noise disturbance may limit its efficiency.

7.5 Television: Television is most popular means of advertising as it allows vision, sound and motion. It has a mass appeal and wider reach. The products can be explained easily and demonstrated well. Home Shop 18, Naaptol and Best TV are exclusive TV channels for advertising and are quite popular too. Television advertising has wider reach even in rural and hilly areas. But it is a costly medium. Remote control device leads to fast switching over to other channels and can reduce efficiency of this method.

7.6 Direct Mail: Direct mail refers to sending booklets, pamphlets, sales letters or catalogues to the target customers. Selective advertising is possible as it is directed to desired prospects only. It provides detailed information and has less wastage. There is no time constraint for advertiser and he can send mails as per his convenience. This method has reference and retention value. There is no fear of direct competition. Its feedback can be measured easily. But direct mail method is costly. It may be difficult for advertiser to arrange mailing address. It may lack attention of receiver and be treated as a junk mail.

7.7 Transit Advertising: Transit advertising allows use of stickers or posters within or outside public vehicles. These appear on fronts, backs or sides of buses, auto rickshaws or trains. Transit advertising has higher readership of pedestrians and travellers. It is less costly and selective media. However, it has limited reach and not useful for illiterate people.

7.8 Internet: This media is becoming popular among advertisers. Majority of people uses internet for various professional and personal purposes. Using internet has become way of life. Target audience can be easily approached through direct e-mail. E-mail advertising campaigns yield greater response than traditional mail. However, appearance of number of advertisements on screen may restrict attention of target customer. This method has selective and limited reach.

7.9 Other forms : Pens, keyrings, diaries, calendars or clocks can be distributed in target market free of cost with name, address, phone number and brief message of advertiser imprinted on them. Selective advertising is possible in such cases but they are costly and also not suitable for long sales messages.

8 Media Selection

Choosing a right media, to convey message and persuade target audience to buy product or services, is a difficult task. Media selection decisions should be based on (i) communication requirements (ii) advertising budget (iii) nature of the product (iv) extent of competition (v) geographical area coverage requirements (vi) literacy level of target group (vii) cost of media and services provided.

If product needs detailed information or demonstrations, television media is the best choice. If only reminding message is to be delivered to secure repeat purchases, then newspapers, pamphlets, outdoor or transit advertising can be used.

When there are no financial constraints, television, direct mailing or advertising specialties (as discussed earlier under other forms of advertising) can be used. Firms facing budget constraints should opt for newspaper, radio, or outdoor advertising.

Products meant for specific business or professional class should be advertised through trade journals, periodicals or direct mailing whereas household items of daily use can be advertised through T.V. or radio. Similarly direct mailing can be used to sell books or kitchen items. Advertising for social cause like making people aware of consumer rights, pulse polio drive, environment protection, T.V., newspaper and radio are best sources.

Level of competition also determines the choice of media. High level of competition demands the use of same media as used by competitors. When there is less or no competition, any media can be used like direct mailing, newspaper, transit advertising, radio etc.

Local or geographical target market can be approached through local newspapers, outdoor advertising, transit advertising, advertising specialties. National markets can be covered through T.V. or Radio.

Print media like newspaper, direct mail, magazines, periodicals cannot be used when target group includes illiterate people. Radio & T.V. media will be suitable for such group.

Cost-benefit analysis should be made while choosing media. Relative cost of various media should be checked.

9 Essentials of Effective Advertising Strategy

(i) Setting advertising objectives : It is essential to lay down advertising objectives. The objective can be to accelerate sales or to promote corporate image or influence customers’ behaviour. Advertising can be used as a sales tool or communication tool. Clarity of objective will help in measuring effectiveness of advertising. Advertising goals are necessary. Sherlekar has divided advertising goals into four stages of commercial communication as follows:

Awareness: The purpose of advertising should be to create awareness about product, firm or brand.
Recognition: Advertising must aim at making people recognize the package or trademark of company.
Conviction: Conviction means intention to buy. The prospect needs be convinced about product or brand. Efforts are required to win the confidence and faith of prospect to create a willingness to buy the product.
Action : Prospect should be moved closer to a purchase decision.

Objectives will set direction for the roles of advertising i.e. creating awareness, educating and providing information, changing attitudes, inducing customer to buy or reminding the customers. These will help in creating message and media selection. Realistic objectives will help firms in effectively evaluating advertising results. It is important to note that increase in sales as advertising goal will be difficult to measure in terms of advertising effectiveness. Increase in sales may be attributed to company’s effective promotion and marketing mix in addition to advertising. Advertising effectiveness can be measured in case of Direct mailing . However, it will be difficult to measure in case of other types of advertising media.

(ii) Defining target market : It is essential to determine target group. It may relate to a specific geographical area or cover a larger area. Target market can be local, national, or international. Educational level, age and sex of target market will determine the choice of advertising media.

(iii) Determining level of competition: Existence of competitors in market will affect choice of media selection. Companies must determine level of competition. Stiff competition demands comparative advertising. Image of the seller, his products and rating in the competitive market are required to be assessed to decide the desired positioning level.

(iv) Preparing advertising budget: Financial constraints can limit the choice of media or efficiency of advertising effectiveness. Advertising budget should be prepared to determine the advertisement expenses which a firm can afford. A firm can allocate funds on the basis of percentage of expected sales. It may make estimate of advertisements expenses as per the trends prevailing in the industry i.e. actions of rival firms. A genuine assessment approach can be applied to determine the advertising expenditures. It may consider the specific marketing objectives that desired advertising is expected to achieve i.e. increase in market base, profit contribution or sales volume; communication functions required to be performed to achieve objectives and measurable communication response required. This will help in making realistic estimates and preparing budget.

(v) Preparing advertising message : Advertising message is the sales talk performing AIDA( Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action) functions. It provides essential information and guidance to the prospective buyer. A good sale message should educate, induce, remind and influence buyer’s behaviour and secure action. Advertising will be a futile exercise if advertising message is incomplete or inappropriate. Advertising message should be created intelligently and must be able to secure attention, arouse interest and create desire to purchase. Choice of words, symbols, slogans, pictures, and testimonial should be creatively decided. In case of products or services facing tough competition, sale message should convey differential advantage and superiority of product or service over rivals. It is advisable to carry out a detailed market research before developing advertising message to understand competition level, buying behaviour as well as motives and market trend.

(vi) Media Selection : Choice of right media is as important as development of advertising message. Advertising message will not bring desired results if it is not addressed at right time and to right person. Selection of appropriate media will be made by keeping in mind certain factors:

Communication requirements
Advertising budget
Nature of the product
Extent of competition
Area coverage requirements
Literacy level of target group
Cost of media and services provided.

(vii) Measuring advertising effectiveness: Advertising is aimed at selling idea, product or service. It can generate good results when it is directed to right people, at right time and at right cost. If advertisement creates demand and increases sales as estimated, it means advertisement is effective.

Effectiveness of advertising can be measured in relation to objectives set. If advertising is considered as sales tool, i.e. directed to increase sales, advertising effectiveness should be measured in terms of increase in volume of sales. If it is expected as a communication tool i.e. to influence behaviour of consumer, then effectiveness of advertising should be measured in terms of changes in consumer attitudes.

Direct mailing advertising is used as a sales tool i.e. to secure sales. An advertisement to develop corporate image by highlighting the welfare activities or public concern is used to influence customer’s behaviour and developing a favourable attitude towards company. DAGMAR (Defining Advertising Goals, Measuring Advertising Results ) philosophy should be applied to measure effectiveness of such advertisements.

It is important to measure the effectiveness of advertising as (i) it can prevent costly mistakes in future, (ii) it can help in evaluating alternative strategies, (iii) efficiency of advertising can be increased for future. Many firms consider it a costly affair to assess the effectiveness as it involves cost. They must remember that a penny saved today is penny earned and consider it as investment to avoid costly mistakes in future due to ineffective advertising.

10 Summary

Advertising refers to any paid form of communication by identified sponsor. Various media are available to advertise idea, product or service but choice of media depends on certain factors. An effective advertising strategy must set objectives of advertising, define target market, determine level of competition, frame advertising budget, carefully select media and measure effectiveness of advertising to avoid costly mistakes in future due to ineffective advertising.

Advertising is the backbone of marketing system. It has led to tremendous industrial and economic development. In today’s scenario, economic and social life cannot be imagined without advertising. It is a powerful tool to influence buyer’s mind. Its proper use can make it a boon for society. It can generate employment, increase income and raise standard of living. However if it is misused, it can act as a curse. Unsocial and unethical advertisements can do more harm than benefits of genuine advertisements. It can cause irreparable loss to the society. It is desired that government should make stringent laws to punish misleading and unscrupulous advertisers. Whatever is seen or read has long lasting impact. Advertisers should consider it as their moral duty to use advertising media for educating, guiding and protecting consumer interest. It will consequently help in building long lasting image in minds of buyer and develop brand loyalty.

Learn More

Few important sources to learn more about Media Selection and Advertising:

Baker,J.Michael (2000). Marketing Strategy and Management, Macmillan Press Ltd., London
Bearden, Ingram, Laforge (1995). Marketing: Principles and Perspectives, Irwin Inc.
Bose,S. Biplab (2010) Marketing Management, Himalaya Publishing House, Mumbai.
Cannon, Tom. Basic Marketing: Principles and Practice, 3rd Edition, A.I.T.B.S. Publishers, Delhi.
Davar S. Rustom, Davar R.Sohrab, Davar R.Nusli (2000). Salesmanship and Publicity, Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.
Kotler, Philip; Keller, Kevin; Koshey, Abraham; and Jha Mithileshwar, (2009). Marketing Management: South Asian Perspective. 13th Edition. Pearson Education, New Delhi.
Mohan, Manendra (1999). Advertising Management: Concepts and Cases, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited, New Delhi.
Sherlekar,A.S.(1996). Marketing Management, Himalaya Publishing House, Mumbai.

Points to Ponder

Advertising is a paid form of mass communication by an identified sponsor to sell idea, product or service.
Organised and controlled messages are delivered through advertising.
It has pull effect and moves the prospect to the retailer.
Marketers use different media to promote their products and services by considering advertising budget, purpose, nature of product, target market, competition and cost.