Page 149 - Marketing the Basics 2nd

PROMOTION TOOLS
ADVERTISING
According to the American Marketing Association, advertising is ‘the placement of announcements and persuasive messages in time or space purchased in any of the mass media by business firms, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and individuals who seek to inform and/ or persuade members of a particular target market or audience about their products, services, organizations, or ideas’. Advertising is by far the most popular means of reaching a target audience because it is a cost-effective way to build awareness in the minds of an audience. And through repeated exposure, the audience accepts the product’s positioning and comes to trust the product to deliver the promised benefits.
Good advertising provides reasons to customers to buy a product or service. To create a good ad, the marketer must create a message that is distinct, meaningful and credible. However, crafting a distinct message is but one part of an effective ad. The message must also explain the benefits of using the brand. If the promised benefits are exaggerated, the audience will dismiss the ad outright.
Types of Messages
• Slice of life: Demonstrates the product being used in a typical setting.
• Statement: Challenges the audience into acting on their complacency. Benetton ads often feature graphic images of social causes such as AIDS.
• Lifestyle: Demonstrates how the product is part of a lifestyle.
• Fantasy: A dream or myth is created to promote a product. Some products claim they are made with ‘goodness inside’, or
were created in ‘hidden gardens’.
• Mood/image: A mood or image is crafted to surround the
product. Athletic shoe manufacturers try to convince users
buying the advertised shoe will improve athletic performance.
• Musical: This message is conveyed through a catchy jingle or song. Billed as a tribute to a friend who died from gunshot wounds, rap star Puff Daddy remixed his friend’s voice and a dance beat into a popular song released by The Police 10
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