ABSTRACT
A paid nonpersonal communication used to promote a product, brand, or service by an identified sponsor to a target audience.
This form of communication is transmitted through mass media vehicles such as television, radio, newspapers, and magazines, or by nontraditional forms of advertising such as buzz marketing, social networks, blogs, or user-generated content Web sites. Advertising can be divided into several categories. Product advertising endeavors to sell a specific good or service, such as a new album, by describing a product’s features, benefits, and price. Corporate advertising creates goodwill for a company rather than selling a specific product. By improving its corporate image a company can enhance the consumer perception of their products, which in turn will strengthen their stock value. Covert advertising is placement of products within other entertainment media, primarily film and television. This may involve an actor mentioning, wearing, or using a particular product. Interactive advertising is communication in which a customer controls the type and amount of information received. This form of advertising takes numerous forms, including Web sites, viral marketing, and SMS text messaging. For any advertisement to be successful it must appeal to its target audience. An advertisement appeal falls into one of two categories:
logical and emotional. A logical appeal focuses on a product’s or service’s features, price, value, and data. Advertisement based on price value tends to have a high recall value to a specific market. Emotional appeals function by manipulating a recipient’s emotions and desires. The range of emotions elicited by the advertisement depends often on the product and the outcome of the advertiser. Humor appeals are one of the most commonly used appeals today. Combined in a well-integrated advertisement campaign, humor appeals have been shown to enhance attention, credibility, recall, and purchase intention. Fear appeals draw attention to common fears and risks and then associates a solution using a particular product. Poorly conceived and executed fear campaigns can anger an audience or cause them to block out the message. Celebrity appeals are based on the perception that people will use a product if it is endorsed by a celebrity. Celebrity endorsers often possess characteristics that resemble a product or the image a company wishes to project. These messages are usually part of an overall strategy known as the advertising campaign. Campaigns vary considerably in duration, form, and media. In an integrated marketing system, campaigns comprise of more than one carefully planned and sequenced advertisement in different media vehicles that target specific demographics. A campaign will make use of several desirable qualities in an advertising message to elicit a response from a target audience. This process, known as the AIDA model (awareness, interest, desire, and action), is used as the basis for directing a consumer from awareness of a product or brand to the final stage of purchasing. Each stage has a specific role in developing this process, especially in an age when it is difficult to gain consumer attention. The first stage is creating an awareness of an unknown or new product or service in a target market. The second stage requires the advertisement campaign to develop interest in the consumer by offering features, benefits, and advantages of using the product. If the campaign is successful, a consumer will develop a desire for the product that satisfies their needs, thus leading them to purchase the product or service.
