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| 9/24/2002 | | | Is advertising really useful in today’s economy? | |
Yes, advertising really works, and it remains useful, as part of a larger promotional mix, or as a part of an integrated marketing program. Promotion can be defined as the coordination of all seller-initiated efforts to set up channels of information and persuasion with the goal of selling goods and services, or promoting an idea. Promotional mix element marketers can be used to communicate with their target markets. Each element of the promotional mix plays a distinctive role in the overall integrated marketing communications program, and may take on a variety of forms (each of which has certain advantages).
Advertising can be defined as any paid form of nonpersonal communications about an organization, product, service, or idea, by an identified sponsor. It is "paid" because the space or time for an advertising message generally needs to be purchased. One exception to this is the public service announcement (PSA), for which advertising space or media time is donated. The "nonpersonal" element means that advertising involves mass media (such as television, radio, magazines, and newspapers) to transmit a message to large groups of individuals, usually simultaneously. The "nonpersonal" (or, more simply, noninteractive) aspect of advertising means there is generally no opportunity for immediate feedback from the recipient of the message (except in direct response advertising). This underscores the fact that the advertiser must consider how an audience will interpret and respond to a message PRIOR to disseminating it.
There are several reasons why advertising plays such a crucial role in many marketers' promotional mix. First, it can be a very cost-effective method for communicating with very large audiences. It can also be used to create an image and a symbolic appeal for a company or brand. This capability is very important for companies in markets that are flooded with similar products that can be difficult to differentiate. Advertising also has the ability to strike a responsive chord with consumers, even when other aspects of the marketing program have not been successful. Popular advertising campaigns attract and shape the consumers' attention and help generate revenues. Popular advertising campaigns can also be included within successful integrated marketing communication programs.
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