US Modern Advertising Practice.

Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade consumers (viewers, readers or listeners) to take some action with respect to products, ideas or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior concerning commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common. Advertising messages are usually paid for by sponsors and viewed via various traditional media, including mass media, such as newspapers, magazines, TV commercials, radio advertisements, outdoor advertising and direct mail; or new media, such as websites and text messages. Thoughts and opinions vary as to the kinds of advertising. For example, the famous linguist D.Crystal distinguishes trade advertising – from manufacturer to retailers, retail advertising – from shops to customers, prestige advertising – by government departments, classified advertising – want ads, house sales, etc., and direct mail.

Commercial advertisers often seek to generate increased consumption of their products or services through “Branding”, which involves the repetition of an image or product name in an effort to associate certain qualities with the brand in the minds of consumers. Non-commercial advertisers who spend money to advertise items other than a consumer product or service include political parties, interest groups, religious organizations and governmental agencies. Nonprofit organizations may rely on free modes of persuasion, such as a public service announcement.

Public Service Advertising (PSA) is the advertising techniques used to promote commercial goods and services and to inform, educate and motivate the public about non-commercial issues, such as HIV/AIDS, political ideology, energy conservation and deforestation. Advertising in its non-commercial guise is a powerful educational tool capable of reaching and motivating large audiences. “Advertising justifies its existence when used in the public interest – it is much too powerful a tool to use solely for commercial purposes” (Howard Gossage). PSA, non-commercial advertising, public interest advertising, cause marketing and social marketing are different terms for the use of sophisticated advertising and marketing communication techniques (generally associated with commercial enterprises) on behalf of non-commercial, public interest issues and initiatives.

In the United States the granting of television and radio licenses by the FCC is contingent upon the station broadcasting a certain amount of PSA. To meet these requirements, many broadcast stations in the USA air the bulk of their required PSA ads during the late night or early morning when the smallest percentage of viewers or listeners are watching or listening, leaving more day and prime time commercial slots available for high-paying advertisers.

PSA reached its height during World War II under the direction of more than one government. During WWII President Roosevelt commissioned the creation of the War Advertising Council (now known as Ad Council), which is the nation’s largest developer of PSA campaigns on behalf of government agencies and non-profit organizations, including the longest-running PSA campaign, Smokey Bear.

The Marketing Mix has been the key concept to advertising. The Marketing Mix was suggested by Professor E.Jerome McCarthy in the 1960s. It consists of four basic elements called the four P’s. Product is the first P representing the actual product. Price represents the process of determining the value of a product. Place represents the variables of getting the product to the consumer like distribution channels, market coverage and movement organization. The last P stands for Promotion which is the process of reaching the target market and convincing them to go out and buy the product.

Virtually any medium can be used for advertising. Commercial advertising media can include wall paintings, billboards, street furniture components, printed flyers and rack cards, cinema and TV adverts, web banners, mobile telephone screens, shopping carts, web popups, skywriting, session benches, human billboards, magazines, newspapers, town criers, sides of buses, banners attached to onsides of airplanes (logojets), in-flight advertisements on setback tray tables or overhead storage bins, taxicab doors, roof mounts and screens, musical stage shows, subway platforms and trains, elastic bands on disposable diapers, doors of bathroom stalls, stickers on fruits in supermarkets, shopping cart handles (grabertising), the opening section of streaming audio and video, posters and the backs of event tickets and supermarket receipts. Any place an “identified” sponsor pays to deliver his message through a medium is used for the matter.

The TV commercial is generally considered the most effective mass market advertising format, being reflected by the high prices TV networks charge for commercial airtime during popular TV events. The annual Super Bowl football game in the USA is known as the most prominent advertising event on television. The average cost of a single thirty-second TV spot during this game reached USS3 million in 2009. The majority of TV commercials feature a song or jingle that listeners soon relate to the product. Virtual advertisements may be inserted into regular TV programmes. More controversially, virtual billboards may be placed in the remote areas, where none exist in real life. This technique is especially used in TV sports events. Virtual product placement is also possible. TV advertising may be considered as the ultimate ad medium because it can communicate with sound, action and colour, its prime time being from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. All elements for creative message may be used to reach believability and more personal attitude towards it. It is also highly adaptable to special needs. But for its high production costs it may be inaccessible for small businesses.

An infomercial is a long-format TV commercial, typically 5 minutes or longer (up to 30 minutes). The word “infomercial” combines the words “information” and “commercial”. The main objective in an infomercial is to create an impulse purchase, so that a consumer sees the presentation and then immediately buys the product through the advertised toll-free telephone number or website. Infomercials describe, display and often demonstrate products and their features, and commonly have testimonials from consumers and industry professionals.

Radio advertising is a form of advertising via radio. Radio adverts are broadcast as radio waves to the air from a transmitter to an antenna and thus to a receiving device. Airtime is purchased from a station or network in exchange for airing commercials. While radio has the limitation of being restricted to sound, proponents of radio advertising often cite this as an advantage. Radio is an expanding medium that can be found not only on air, but also online. According to Arbitron, radio has approximately 241,6 million weekly listeners, or more than 93% of the US population. The usual prime time is morning and afternoon. Ads are available in 15, 30 or 60 second-time slots. Radio advertising is very flexible and mobile (it can be taken anywhere – shopping, driving, etc.).

Online advertising is a form of promotion that uses the Internet and World Wide Web for the expressed purpose of delivering marketing messages to attract customers. Online ads are delivered by an ad server. Examples of online advertising include contextual ads that appear on search engine results pages, banner ads, in text ads, Rich Media Ads, social network advertising, online classified advertising, ad networks and e-mail marketing (e-mail spam).

The Internet, as a global communication medium, provides advertisers with unique and often cost-effective ways of reaching advertising audiences. Like all other media, the Internet advertising has its unique advantages and disadvantages. Advertising on Internet is almost a necessity for modern businesses, especially those that do business outside their local community. Consumers use the Internet for more than simply entertainment or information, as they do with radio, television, magazines and newspapers. Consumers use the Internet to assist them in nearly every aspect of life, creating countless opportunities to place relevant, targeted ad messages. The Internet’s vast reach can allow advertisers to reach significantly more people than traditional advertising media at a fraction of the cost. Internet advertising is ideal for businesses with a national or international target market and large-scale distribution capabilities. As a rule, the more people your business serves, the most cost-efficient Internet advertising can be. Internet advertising can also be more targeted than some traditional media, ensuring that your messages are seen by the most relevant audiences. As to the disadvantages of the Internet advertising one should mention the fact that all marketing materials are automatically available for anyone in the world to copy, regardless of the legal ramifications. Logos, images and trademarks can be copied and used for commercial purposes, or even to slander or mock any firm or company. This is not the case with TV or magazine advertising, wherein images must be replicated rather than simply copied electronically. Another disadvantage is the fact that the Internet advertising gold rush has begun to introduce ad clutter to the Web. Web users are so inundated with banner ads and spam e-mail that they have begun to ignore Internet advertising just as much as ads on traditional media. In addition to advertising, the Web offers high-impact opportunities to leverage word-of-mouth marketing and generate buzz about any company. Product review websites and social media outlets, among other web communities, allow customers to praise or condemn the company based on their personal experiences. Thus, the Internet ties the customer service component directly to advertising. Generally speaking, the Internet is likely to continue to play a large role in individuals’ lives in the foreseeable future. Whether personal computers remain the dominant method of accessing the Internet, some form of global communication network will likely be a reality for many generations, creating effective avenues of sending advertising messages to consumers in the community and around the world.

Covert advertising, also known as guerilla advertising,is when a product or brand is embedded in entertainment and media. For example, in a film, the main character can use an item of a definite brand, as in the movie “Minority Report”, where Tom Cruise’s character John Anderton owns a phone with the Nokia logo clearly written in the top corner, or his watch engraved with the Bulgari logo. Another example of advertising in films is in “I, Robot”, where the main character played by Will Smith mentions his Converse shoes several times, calling them “classics”, because the film is set far in the future. “I, Robot” and “Spaceballs” also show case futuristic cars with the Audi and Mercedes-Benz logos clearly displayed on the front of the vehicles. Cadillac was chosen for advertising in the movie “The Matrix Reloaded”, which as a result contained many scenes in which Cadillac cars were used. Similarly, product placements for Omega Watches, Ford, VAIO, BMW and Aston Martin are featured in recent James Bond films, most notably “Casino Royale”. In “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”, the main transport vehicle shows a large Dodge logo on the front. “Blade Runner” includes some of the most obvious product placement, the whole film stops to show a Coca-Cola billboard.

Press advertising describes advertising in a printed medium such as a newspaper, a magazine or a trade journal. This encompasses everything from media with a very broad readership base, such as a major national newspaper or magazine, to more narrowly targeted media such as local newspapers and trade journals or very specialized topics. A form of press advertising is classified advertising, which allows private individuals or companies to purchase a small, narrowly targeted ad for a low fee advertising a product or service. Another form of press advertising is the Display Ad, which is a larger ad (including art) that typically run in an article section of a newspaper. As a matter of fact, press advertising is known for its large readership, known circulation (easy to target), low cost and being timely and flexible. However, there are some disadvantages of it, such as: wasted circulation, short lifespan and poor quality advertising.

Billboard advertising are large structures located in public places which display adverts to passing pedestrians and motorists. Most often, they are located on main roads with a large amount of passing traffic; however, they can be placed in any location with many viewers, such as mass transit vehicles, and also in stations, shopping malls or office buildings and in stadiums.

Mobile billboards are generally vehicle mounted billboards or digital screens. These can be on dedicated vehicles built solely for carrying adverts along routes preselected by clients, they can also be specially equipped cargo trucks or, in some cases, large banners strewn from planes. The billboards are often lighted: some being backlit, and others employing spotlights. Some billboard displays are static, while others change; for example, continuously or periodically rotating among a set of advertisements. Mobile displays are used for various situations in metropolitan areas throughout the world, including: Target advertising, One-day and Long-term campaigns, Conventions, Sporting events, Store openings and similar promotional events and Big advertisements from smaller companies.

In-store advertising is any advertisement placed in a retail store. It includes the placement of a product in visible locations in a store (at eye level), at the ends of aisles and near checkout counters (POP – Point of Purchase display), eye-catching displays promoting a specific product, and advertisements in such places as shopping carts and in-store video displays.

Street advertising first came to prominence in the UK by Street Advertising Services to create outdoor advertising on street furniture and pavement. Working with products such as Graffiti and 3D pavement advertising, the media became an affordable and effective tool for getting brand messages out into public places.

Celebrity advertising focuses upon using celebrity power, fame, money, popularity to gain recognition for the products and promote specific stores or goods. Advertisers often present their products when celebrities share their favourite ones or wear clothes by specific brands or designers. Celebrities are often involved in advertising campaigns such as television or print adverts to advertise specific or general products. The use of celebrities to endorse a brand can have its downsides. One mistake by a celebrity can be detrimental to the public relations of a brand. For example, following his performance of eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, swimmer Michael Phelps’ contract with Kellogg’s was terminated, as Kellogg’s did not want to associate with him after he was photographed smoking marijuana.

Coffee-cup advertising is any advertisement placed upon a coffee cup that is distributed out of an office, café or drive-through coffee shop. This form of advertising was first popularized in Australia, and has begun growing in popularity in the United States, India and the Middle East countries.

Answer the questions:

1. What is advertising used for as a form of communication?

2. What is the difference between traditional media and new media?

3. What do commercial advertisers often seek to?

4. What is PSA?

5. Which organization was created in the USA during WWII?

6. Who suggested the Marketing Mix? Explain the term.

7. What is a TV commercial?

8. How can you describe an infomercial?

9. What is the difference between radio advertising and online advertising?

10. Give the examples of covert (guerilla) advertising?

11. Is press advertising a printed medium? Why?

12 How can billboard advertising be characterized?

13. How can vehicle mounted billboards be named?

14. Where is in-store advertising placed?

15. Enumerate other forms of advertising. Give examples.