Page 498 - Foundations of Marketing

Advertising and Public Relations | Chapter 16 465

Marketing Debate

Pros and Cons of Mobile Advertising

ISSUE: Is mobile advertising an invasion of privacy? consumers access these sites through their mobile
phones. Additionally, studies have found that brand recall
Today, advertising is no longer limited to print and televi- is higher with certain types of mobile ads. On the other
sion but has begun reaching consumers on a personal hand, some individuals see mobile advertising as an
medium—their cell phones. Marketers spend approxi- invasion of privacy. They believe that advertising should
mately $ 2.6 billion on mobile advertising, with this be left in the traditional arenas and not displayed over
number growing each year. This medium has become something as personal as their cell phones.
b
ideal for advertisers due to social networking, as most

© iStockphoto.com/CRTd
to children, the company emphasizes daily brushing and cavity control, focusing on fun and
good flavors like bubblegum. When marketing Crest to adults, P&G focuses on functionality,
stressing whitening, enamel protection, breath enhancement, and tartar and plaque control. To
communicate effectively, advertisers use words, symbols, and illustrations that are meaning-
ful, familiar, and appealing to people in the target audience.
An advertising campaign’s objectives and platform also affect the content and form of its
messages. If a firm’s advertising objectives involve large sales increases, the message may
include hard-hitting, high-impact language, symbols, and messages. Thus, the advertising
platform is the foundation on which campaign messages are built.
Choice of media obviously influences the content and form of the message. Effective outdoor
displays and short broadcast spot announcements require concise, simple messages. Magazine
and newspaper advertisements can include considerable detail and long explanations. Because
several kinds of media offer geographic selectivity, a precise message can be tailored to a par-
ticular geographic section of the target audience. Some magazine publishers produce regional
issues , in which advertisements and editorial content of copies appearing in one geographic
area differ from those appearing in other areas. For instance, the AAA Publishing Network
publishes 24 regional magazine titles, including AAA Horizons (Connecticut, Rhode Island,
and Massachusetts), AAA Southern Traveler (Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi), and
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Western Journey (Idaho and Washington). A company advertising with the AAA Publishing
Network might decide to use one message in the New England region and another in the rest
of the nation. A company may also choose to advertise in only one region. Such geographic
selectivity lets a firm use the same message in different regions at different times.

Copy
Copy is the verbal portion of an advertisement and may include headlines, subheadlines, body
copy, and a signature. Not all advertising contains all of these copy elements. Even handwrit-
ten notes on direct-mail advertising that say, “Try this. It works!” seem to increase requests for
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free samples. The headline is critical because often it is the only part of the copy that people
read. It should attract readers’ attention and create enough interest to make them want to read
the body copy or visit the website. The subheadline, if there is one, links the headline to the
body copy and sometimes serves to explain the headline.
Body copy for most advertisements consists of an introductory statement or paragraph,
several explanatory paragraphs, and a closing paragraph. Some copywriters have adopted regional issues Versions of
guidelines for developing body copy systematically: (1) identify a specific desire or prob- a magazine that differ across
lem, (2) recommend the product as the best way to satisfy that desire or solve that problem, geographic regions
(3) state product benefits and indicate why the product is best for the buyer’s particular situation, copy The verbal portion of
(4) substantiate advertising claims, and (5) ask the buyer to take action. When substantiating advertisements

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