ADVERTISING DEFINED: Over the years, advertising has been defined many
ways. Traditional definitions of advertising include a series of elements that distinguish the
field from others.
The simplest definition of advertising and one that probably meet the test of critical
examination is that “Advertising is selling in print”. Many early attempts were made to
formulate a definition of advertising. The following are the definitions are derived from such
attempts are:
“The dissemination of information concerning an Idea, Service or Product to compel action in
accordance with the intent of the adviser.”
Manendra Mohan, Advertising Age
(July-28-1932)
“Advertising is a Message paid for by an Identified Sponsor and delivered through some
medium of Mass Communication. Advertising is persuasive communication. It is not neutral;
it is not unbiased; it says; I am going to sell you a Product or an Idea.”
J Thomas Russell and W Ronald
Lane (1996)
“Advertising is the Non-Personal Communication of marketing-related information to a
target audience, usually paid for by the advertiser, and delivered through mass media in order
to reach the specific objectives of the sponsor.”
John J Burnett, Promotion
Management (1998)
“Advertising is any paid form of Non-Personal Presentations and Promotions of Goods and
Services by an identified sponsor.”
American Marketing
Association (1963)
Advertising is the non-personal communication of information usually paid for and usually
persuasive in nature about products, services or ideas by Identified sponsors through the
various media.
Bov
ee (1992)
“Advertising is a paid, form of communication from an identifiable source, designed to
persuade the receiver to take some action, now or in near future.
“Oracles of Advertising” An Advertising
Journal (2002)
ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF ADVERTISEMENT: We are exposed to
hundreds of ads every day and even if someone claims that they do not have any effect on
him, it is not true. Either consciously or subconsciously, advertisements have a tremendous
effect on our life style. Advertising can not only change the buying decision, but also has the
power to change the mindset and attitude of people. It has been observed that advertising is
the reflection of the culture of a nation. In fact, advertising and culture both affects each
other.
Advertising serves three purposes: to recruit new customers, to increase use of goods or
services among existing customers, and to help potential customers choose among competing
brands. This basic principle holds true for all kinds of products and markets. These three
purposes can be merged into a single purpose: market share, or to convince the customers to
choose one brand over another and retain him for life. So it basically deals with capturing
human feelings and emotions, which makes it more challenging job.
THE OTHER IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTES OF ADVERTISING ARE:
Providing Information
Brand Image Building
Encourages Innovation
Stimulates Demand
Competitive Weapon
Strengthens Other Promotional Mix Elements
FUNCTIONS OF ADVERTISING
Conative
Affective Purchase
Conviction
Preference
Cognitive Liking
Knowledge
Awareness
ADVERTISING APPEAL: Marketing is all about satisfying consumer needs and
wants at a profit and at the same time protecting larger and long term interests of the society.
Through the use of variety of appeals, advertising attempts to communicate and influence the
purchase and consumption behavior of existing and potential consumers. One of the most
critical decisions about creative strategy in advertising involves the choice of an appropriate
appeal. Some ads are designed with the intent of appealing to rational, logical aspects of the
consumers’ decision-making process, and others attempt to stimulate consumers’ feelings
with the intent of evoking some desired emotional response. Many advertising professionals
believe that effective advertising is created by combining practical reasons for purchasing a
product or service with emotional values of the audiences.
An advertising appeal basically refers to the “Approach used to attract the attention of
consumers and/or to influence their feelings toward the product, service, or cause”. An
advertising appeal can also be viewed as something that moves people, speaks to their
wants or need, and excites their interest. Often it is the underlying content of the
advertisement; think of it as a “movie script”.
TYPES OF ADVERTISING APPEALS: There are three major types of
advertising appeals. They are:
1) Emotional appeal.
2) Rational Appeal.
3) Moral appeal.
EMOTIONAL APEEAL: This relates to the customers’ social and/or psychological
needs for purchasing a product or service. This appeal is so effective because many
consumers’ motives for purchase decisions are emotional. Many advertisers believe an
emotional appeal to work better at selling brands that do not differ markedly from competing
brands. Within the emotional appeal, there are two subsets - the personal and the social.
These are made up of:
a)Positive Emotional Appeal: Safety, Security, Love, Affection, Humor, Happiness,
Joy, Nostalgia, Status, Recognition, Respect, Involvement, Excitement, Arousal/stimulation,
Pride, Achievement/accomplishment, Self-esteem, Actualization, Pleasure, Ambition,
Affiliation/Belonging, Acceptance, Approval, Comfort.
b) Negative Emotional Appeal: Rejection, Fear, Shame, Guilt, Embarrassment
Sentiment, Fear, Sorrow/grief. Such appeals motivate audience to do things they should do,
such as cleaning teeth or to stop doing things they should not, such as smoking etc.
RATIONAL APPEAL: Rational appeals are directed at the thinking process of the
audience. Rational appeal tend to be informative and advertisers using them generally attempt
to convince consumers that their product and service has a particular attributes or provides a
specific benefits that satisfy their needs. Rational appeals are particularly relevant for
industrial buyers who choose products according to some of the mentioned criteria. Examples
are ad messages that promise economy, assurance of resale value quality, durability,
reliability and ease of use etc.
MORAL APPEAL: Moral appeals attempt to draw audience attention to what is
“Right”. Moral appeals are generally used to urge people to support social causes such as,
Environmental Concerns, Population Explosion, and Donating Money to help victims of
some natural calamity, or Equal Status for Women etc.