Jon Caldwell asked:


Modern day advertisers started in America at the turn of the 20th century. The fore fathers of this art or science designed and sculpted the landscape of advertising to reflect an image of ultimate professionalism and innovation that opened the eyes of consumers and capitalists.

The father of modern advertising was Claude C. Hopkins. With his skills, methods, strategies and techniques, he was able to lay down the foundation for advertising. His revolutionary idea on research and how things can be projected to attract more people had never been equaled during his time and new concepts were introduced at the beginning of the last century and this was seen to be very profitable.

The Internet has become a by-word for marketers and advertisers for it is more easier and more accessible to use but never underestimate the power of a well printed and well placed brochure, postcard or billboard when it comes to advertising. In fact, many companies has shifted their money in advertising online.

The print advertising has the advantage of remaining the “tried and true” method. For example, direct mail is an ideal for it is a cost-effective way to target specific neighborhoods quickly and easily. Use of posters and flyers to announce new services, special offers or grand openings is affordable and will ensure your name reaches your local area quickly and efficiently.

Online advertising may be limited to those who have access in the internet, not all people uses the technology very often. There is this problem to which some advertisers and companies, its limitations.

Just as there are ways of letting the people know what you do or products you sell, it is best to utilize both, definitely a case of one hand helping to feed the other. Avoid sinking your entire marketing budget into internet advertising, spread the wealth and make use of the print advertising. You will be surprised at the attractive return on your investment.

Companies trying to succeed in providing information to prospective customers use advertising as a tool and means that greatly provides a satisfying result. Here are some things to learn on successful advertising applicable to businesses in any form and turn negative profiting business into successful and profitable business.

1. Treasure your Existing Customers

2. Target the Right Player

3. Generate Informative Ads

4. Find the Right Appeal

5. Client Testimonials can Works Wonder

6. Monitor your Ads Response

7. Use the Right Gauging Tool

8. Test your Ads at Small Scale

Most people think of advertising as an ad in the local paper, billboards, posters, flyers, radios, televisions and the internet. There is a lot more to it than that like for example, when you walk down the street wearing a Coca-Cola shirt, you are in fact advertising for Coca-Cola.

Business owners can either use the free advertising or the paid advertising. Free is always good and can achieve some amazing results but paid advertising such as television commercials and magazine ads can really maximize a company’s profit.

Advertising may come in different forms depending on what you wish to advertise. The most powerful advertising comes from Word-of-Mouth, for example a friend tells me about a particular food establishment serves rotten food, do you think I would eat there? No I wouldn’t.



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Shelly Hill asked:


Creative Offline Advertising Ideas

Are you looking for creative ways to market your home business offline? If so, I have some creative offline advertising ideas for you to try out. I recommend that you try 2 of these ideas every week and to be consistent with your offline advertising.

#1. Make up advertising filler packs and pass them out every where you go, every event that you attend and swap them with other women home business owners.

#2. When you travel and stay in hotels, leave your catalog, business card, business coupon behind in your room, lobbies and other places that people congregate. I like to leave my business card with my hotel housekeeping (maid) tip.

#3. Print out flyers with your business name and contact information along with any specials you are running. Leave these flyers in public places where others can see them. Public Places: Grocery store message boards, community center message boards, employee lounges, etc.

#4. Contact local area bridal stores, bridal supply stores, caterers, tux rental centers, dj’s, photographers, etc. if your company/business offers a bridal registry. See if you can leave them your business cards!

#5. Daycare Centers: You can get a lot of business from the parents who use daycare centers so contact them about leaving your business cards or flyers.

#6. A lot of churches and religous groups hold spring and fall festivals, so make sure you contact them about getting a booth space at one of their events. Booth spaces are usually very economical with these types of groups.

#7. Join your local Chamber of Commerce! They always hold local business events in your area. This is a great way to network and to make new business contacts.

#8. College Campuses: College Students are always looking to spend money and they are usually on the hunt for a business opportunity to help pay for their school expenses so you can target them for sales and for recruting into your business opportunity. Most schools have a student center, so that is where you would want to leave your business cards and flyers.

#9. Contact your local area Welcome Wagon or Welcome to the Neighborhood group. See if you can add your business info to their Welcome to the Neighborhood bags.

#10. Contact your local area hospitals and see if you can add your business info to their New Mommy Diaper Bags. A lot of hospitals give out free bags filled with goodies to all the new moms who have babies at their facilities!

#11. Contact your local medical offices, particularly the Obstetrics & Gynecology Offices and the Pediatrician Offices. A lot of those offices also give freebies to expecting or new moms. See if you can add your information their freebie packages.

#12. Donate a prize or a gift certificate to your local radio station for their numerous prize giveaways and contests. This gets you free business exposure. Often times, they will also list you as a prize sponsor on their website too.

#13. Donate a prize to your local area Bingo Halls! They are always looking for prize donations.

#14. Call your local Chamber of Commerce to find out when there will be local job fairs in your area and get a booth at one or at the very least attend one so you can make some new contacts in your local area.

#15. Call your local area colleges and trade schools to find out when their next local area job/employment fair will be. A great way to market your home business opportunity to others who might be interested.

#16. Contact local area car dealerships. I make up small packets of business information, my business card, my coupon and a small freebie. Ask them if you can drop off 100 packs to them to hand out to others who come in for those FREE test drives.

#17. Contact your local area gyms and fitness centers. A lot of times you can get a table and market your business for an economical fee of $25.00.

#18. Network with others in your community who have home businesses. They are usually in the know on local business events that are upcoming in your community.

#19. Contact companies in your local area to see if you can come in and set up a display in their employee lounges or cafeterias for an employee shopping break. This works best if you offer an exclusive discount or deal to their employees.

#20. Does your local area TV Cable Company have a local information channel? If so, contact them to see if you can advertise on their information channel.

#21. Contact local small companies and shops to see if you can offer an exclusive discount to their employees. Companies like to offer perks to their employees such as shopping discounts from various local businesses.

#22. Small home town newspapers! I don’t get a great response to the big city newspaper ads but I do get a great response if I place ads in small home town newspapers!

#23. Get a low cost outdoor banner ad printed up to market your business during outside community events such as: sporting events, music concerts and so forth.

#24. Take your business on the road during the nice weather seasons. Contact your local area parks and recreation centers to see what kind of events are coming up and inquire about getting a table or booth at their outdoor events.

#25. Community coupon clipper packs and coupon packs. If your community has them, call them up and find out how you can advertise in them.

#26. Contact local area businesses such as: salons, banks, massage parlors etc. See if you can come in and set up a display. Offer a contest and prize with your display. Use the entry forms to gather contact information for possible new contact leads.

#27. Contact local area pizza shops, diners, deli’s and coffee shops. Most of these types of businesses have paper placemats where you can buy ad space and have your business ad placed on them. People do READ these ads!

#28. Contact local area bars, restaurants and clubs to see if you can buy some advertising on their paper beverage coasters.

#29. Local Television Newstations are always holding on-air contests and website contests for their viewers. Contact them to see if you can donate a prize to get some free business exposure for your business.

#30. Attend local area Holiday Shopping Events. Customers who are ready spend some holiday money and looking to purchase holiday gifts attend these events. Get a booth or table space and market your business to them.

#31. Hold a local community block party at your home or at your local community center. Families are always looking for something to do on the weekends!

#32. Get your business listed in your local yellow pages phone book. Way too often home business people over look this valuable advertising tool. These days a lot of phone books have coupon sections too, so make sure you inquire about adding your coupon to that section.

#33. You can take this phone book idea one step further by finding out who prints up those vinyl phone book covers that are covered with local business advertising in your area and find out how much it would cost for you to add your business ad to that phone book cover.

#34. Get your business information printed up on pencils and hand them out for FREE to local colleges and adult technical schools.

#35. Get a vehicle banner made for your automobile. I recommend the vinyl clings so that you can easily remove them when it comes time to wash your vehicle.

#36. If your city has a travel guide that tourists request, make sure you place a business ad in that travel guide. This is a great way to get your business information into the hands of non-local customers.

#37. Local City Maps! These days you can find all kinds of small business advertising printed on the sides and backs of those city maps! You can get really good economically priced ads placed onto those maps.

#38. Contact local area hotels, motels and bed and breakfast inns in your local area. Ask them if you can leave your business information with them for their guests to peruse when they are in the lobby.

#39. Get your business information printed up onto balloons. Give these ballons to local sporting events, charity events etc. A great way to get more business exposure.

#40. Find a few home business owners in your local community and team up with them! You can all sponsor a local boys/girls sports team, a parade float or other things in your community! This makes it very economical for those who are in small business to get business exposure and to participate in your local community events.

#41. Get T-shirts printed up with your business information printed on them. Hand them out to your friends and family members and ask them to wear them when they are out in the community running their errands.

#42. Get some canvas tote bags printed up with your business information on them. Pass them out to a few lady friends and ask them to use them when they are out and about in the community attending events or running errands.

#43. Get a license plate made up for the front of your car with your business information on it.

#44. Wear a business name tag every time you go out in the community. People do read them and do notice them!

#45. Local Area Magazines! Does your city publish their own local area magazine? If so, contact them about placing some advertising in their magazine.



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Andrew Sandon asked:


Reason Why Advertising vs “Image” Advertising

At the beginning of XXI century, companies take extreme care when formu¬lating and executing sales promotions and advertising campaign. In some emerging markets, advertising efforts can raise eyebrows if companies appear to be exploiting regulatory loopholes and lack of consumer resistance to intrusion. Advertising is defined as any sponsored, paid message that is communicated in a nonpersonal way. Some advertising messages are designed to communicate with persons in a single country or market area. Some advertising campaigns are created for audiences across several country markets such as Europe or Latin America, and can be defined as messages whose art, copy, headlines, photographs, tag lines, and other elements have been developed expressly for their worldwide suitabil¬ity.

Advertising has a great influence on the society as it is often designed to add psychological value to a product or brand, it plays a more important communications role in marketing consumer products than in marketing industrial products. Advertising can control the circulation of ideas about a particular product.

Frequently purchased, low-cost products generally require heavy advertising support to remind consumers about the product. Not surprisingly, consumer products companies top the list of big advertising spenders. IBM, Tesco, M&S just a few of the companies with significant advertising expendi¬tures.

The message of advertisement must be encoded, conveyed via the appropriate channels, and decoded by the customer-receiver. Communication takes place only when meaning is transferred. Three main difficulties can compromise an organization’s attempt to com¬municate with customers: (1) the message may not get through to the intended recipient. This problem may be the result of an advertiser’s lack of knowledge about appropriate media for reaching certain types of audiences. For example, the effectiveness of television.

(2) The message may reach the target audience and may be understood but still

may not induce the recipient to take the action desired by the sender. This could

result from a lack of cultural knowledge about a target audience. (3) The effectiveness of the message can be impaired by “noise” which means external influence such as competitive advertising, other sales personnel, and confusion at the receiving end. These factors can detract from the ultimate effectiveness of the communication.

Before the WWII period, David Ogilvy was one of the most well-known persons in advertising industry. His work and ideas of David Ogilvy was influenced by such famous figures as John Caples Claude Hopkins, and Raymond Rubicam. He foresaw new trends in advertising and emphasized the importance of salesman-ship-in-print philosophy before Albert Lasker. He wrote: “You have only 30 seconds [in a TV commercial]. If you grab attention in the first frame with a visual surprise, you stand a better chance of holding the viewer. People screen out a lot of commercials because they open with something dull … ” When you advertise fire-extinguishers, open with the fire.” (Ogilvy 1985, cited “Advertising” 2004).

In the post-war period, two main forms of advertising, “image” and “reason why” advertising appeared. Both types have some advantages and disadvantages. In general, it is possible to say that image and “reason why” advertising are used by the companies to deliver different messages to their target audience.

“Reason why” advertising school combines the features of two different philosophies: “Rational” advertising and “Unique Selling Proposition”. The rationale means that people are motivated and persuaded to buy the products. Obviously, this approach does not take cultural considerations into account. The advertising appeal is the communications approach that relates to the motives of the target audience. For example, ads based on a rational approach depend on logic and speak to the audience’s intellect. Ads using an emotional approach appeal to the heart of the intended audience. In other words, some ads use a knowledge-based appeal whereas others appeal to feelings. Unique Selling Proposition is the promise or claim that captures the reason for buying the product or the benefit that ownership confers.

Because products are frequently at different stages in their life cycle in various national markets, and because of cultural, social, and economic dif¬ferences that exist in those markets, the most effective appeal or selling proposition for a product may vary from market to market. Rosser Reeves, the top account man at Ted Bates and representative of “reson-why” school created a well-known phrase “Unique Selling Proposition”. This took place in the mid of 1950s, and since that time has been widely used by advertising professionals. “Unique Selling Proposition” means that “promoting one key feature and benefit of any brand for years and years and years would cut through the clutter of advertising and build an unassailable position in the consumer’s mind” (unique selling proposition – debunked!, 2003). Today, unique selling proposition method of advertising does not work well.

According to Reeves the aim of this method is “getting a message into the heads of most people at the lowest possible cost” (Rothenberg, 2005). As an example of Reeves successful slogans is “Wonder Bread helps build strong bodies 12 ways,” publicly boasted how one client spent $86.4 million in 10 years “on one piece of my copy.” (cited Rothenberg, 2005).

The audience of “Reason why” advertising is uneducated but not stupid people. For this reason, it appeals to logic of a potential consumer. The gurus of “Reason why” advertising are John E. Powers, John E. Kennedy and Albert Lasker, Claude Hopkins, and Rosser Reeves. “Copy” was the technique created by John E. Kennedy and also called “Salesmanship-In-Print”. “Kennedy’s experience with The Regal Shoe Company, Post Grape Nuts, Postum Coffee, and Dr. Shoop’s Family Medicine Co. proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he truly had isolated that fundamental concept” (Reason-why advertising, 2005).

To evaluate the response of a “reason-why” advertising campaign quantitative research is used. Also, coupons, samples, advertise sales and measure the response help the company to reach its target audience and increase sales. The armory of communication techniques at the organization’s dis¬posal, which might be used singly or in combination, can be blended together into an effective and persuasive communications mix. Zealotry, which implies, according to Bob Garfield, knowable and formulaic, plays a crucial role in “Reason why” advertising.

In contrast, “image” advertising school is designed to enhance the public’s perception of a company, create goodwill, or announce a major change such as a merger or acquisition. It is based on emotional and aesthetic appeal and ahs an impact on consumers’ imagination. The main figures which played a significant role in “image” advertising school developmentwere Helen Lansdowne Resor, Earnest Elmo Calkins, Theodore MacManus, Bill Bernbach, Mary Wells Lawrence.

Bill Bernbach is considered the “creator” of “image” advertising. According to Bernbach the main concepts of this type include: “1. appeal to the heart instead of the head, reach people through their feelings; 2. Soyez Différent (Be Different), 3. Be Relevant, 4. Advertising is an intrinsic part of the product!, 5. Be Credible!, 6. Advertising is not a science, it’s an art!, 7.Don’t be a follower, be a leader!, 8, 9. Be Provocative and Take a stand. (Top Ten people, 1996).

The good example of image advertising is the Boeing ads which were part of a European print cam¬paign launched in 1997 to enhance Boeing’s image by raising awareness of the num¬ber of jobs the company created locally. Following the merger of Daimler and Chrysler in the fall of 1998, a series of full-page print ads announced the formation of the new company. Global companies frequently utilize image advertising in an effort to present themselves as good corporate citizens in foreign countries.

In contrast to “reason why” advertising “image” advertising can be used “for large, widely known companies, but it’s not a cost-effective technique for smaller companies without widespread name recognition” (Moses, 2005). In his article, Moses explains that “reason why” advertising (he calls it informative) should be used by smaller companies. The ads of this type allow the company to put “specific information about their products and services, the benefits of buying their products and perhaps even a little about the company” (Moses, 2005).

Effective image advertising requires developing different presentations of the product’s appeal or selling proposition. In other words, there can be differences between what one says and how one says it. Many alternatives are available including straight sell, scientific evidence, demonstration, comparison, testimonial, slice of life, animation, fantasy, and dramatization.

John O’Toole defined the big idea as a flash of insight that synthesizes the purpose of the strategy, joins the product benefit with consumer desire in a fresh, involving way, brings the subject to life, and makes the reader or audience stop, look, and listen (McDonald, Christopher, 2003).

Taking into account the information mentioned above and the development of each type it is possible to say that there is no universal type for all products. Today, “reason-why” and “image” advertising are used for promotion different categories of products trying to find the best way to reach their audience. For instance, “reason-why” advertising is usually used for pharmaceuticals, technology and packaged goods campaigns. The responsibility for deciding on the appeal, the selling proposition, and the appropriate execution lies with creative.

Nevertheless, this type of advertising gives lower response with cosmetics, clothing and cigarettes. The visual presentation of an advertisement is more important than logic zealotry-like message. Also, some forms of visual presentation are universally understood. Revlon, for example, has used a French producer to develop television commercials in English and Spanish for use in international markets. These commercials are filmed in Parisian settings but commu¬nicate the universal appeals and specific benefits of Revlon products. By producing its ads in France, Revlon obtains effective television commercials at a much lower cost than it would have paid for commercials produced in the United States.

PepsiCo has used four basic commercials to communicate its advertising themes. The basic setting of young people having fun at a party or on a beach has been adapted to reflect the general physical environment and racial characteristics of North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The music in these commercials has also been adapted to suit regional tastes. Other examples of image advertising include Nokia’s pur¬chase of full-page newspaper ads to congratulate Florida for winning the 1997 Sugar Bowl. The ads also mentioned the Nokia Sweepstakes, which featured a million-dollar prize if a contestant could throw a football through an inflated cellular phone at a distance of about ten yards.

Of course, the success of this approach will depend in part on avoiding unintended ambiguity in the ad copy. Then again, in some situations, ad copy must be translated into the local lan¬guage. Translating copy has been the subject of great debate in advertising circles. Advertising slogans often present the most difficult translation problems. The chal¬lenge of encoding and decoding slogans and tag lines in different national and cul¬tural contexts can lead to unintentional errors. Virgin Airlines represents an example of “reason why” advertising. Japanese car marketers create a public relations campaign designed to convince Clinton that new taxes will not bring benefits neither to Japanese exporters nor the USA.

To conclude, half a century experience of advertising prove the fact that both “reason-why” and “image” type of advertising are usefully tools to build the bridge between audience and a marketer. They are used for different products to create temporal and worldly, and an image, powerful and lasting effect.



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peter radford asked:






History: Part 1

When radio stations began broadcasting in the early 1920s, the programs were, to say the least, “explosive.” Such a colourful debut was due to the fact that the first radio stations were funded by radio equipment manufacturers and retailers who made the programs available solely in order to sell more radios to the listeners of their programmes.

Consequently, many non-profit organisations followed suit by setting up their own radio stations building on the success of these early programmes. Such organisations included schools, clubs and civic groups.

As the advent of sponsoring programs became ever more popular, individual radio programs would normally be sponsored by a single business in exchange for a brief mention of the business’ name at the beginning and end of the sponsored shows.

Since the success of these ventures seemed boundless, radio station owners quickly realised that they could earn more money by selling sponsorship rights in small time allocations to multiple businesses throughout their radio station’s broadcasts, than selling such rights to single businesses on a per-show basis.

The concept of sponsorship was carried over to television by the late 1940s and early 1950s.

As the appeal of radio sponsorship became more widespread, the part played by radio became a contentious issue. There were those who wanted to extend the commercial opportunities offered by sponsorship. On the other hand, there was a vociferous faction who argued that radio should be available to everyone. They felt that it should be used only non-commercially and for the public good.

In the case of the United Kingdom, they introduced public funding for the BBC, or British Broadcasting Corporation. Although it was originally a private company, it later became incorporated as a public body by Royal Charter in 1927. In Canada, there was a lively group who was able to persuade the federal government to adopt a public funding model akin to that adopted in the UK.

However, in the United States, there was no such appetite for a publicly funded body. Instead, a commercially orientated model was adopted with the passage of the 1934 Communications Act. However, in order to appease those who felt that radio should be for the public good, the U.S. Congress stipulated that commercial broadcasters should operate in the “public interest, convenience, and necessity.” Notwithstanding this, public radio does indeed exist in the US.

The up-and-coming trend of selling advertisement time to multiple sponsors was originated, in the early 1950s, by the Dumont television network. Previous attempts were less than successful, with Dumont having trouble finding sponsors for many of their programs. So much so, that they had to resort to selling smaller blocks of advertising time to a variety of businesses.

The sale of advertising time to multiple sponsors eventually became the industry standard for commercial television in the United States. On the other hand, it was still a common place to have single sponsor shows, such as the U.S. Steel Hour. In these cases, it was not unusual for the sponsor to exercise a great deal of control over the content of the show. In fact, it could even go as far as having the advertising agency actually writing the script for the show.

Today, however, the single sponsor model is more the exception rather than the rule. A notable exception is the Hallmark Hall of Fame.

Advertising – How To Succeed



Peter Radford writes Articles with Websites on a wide range of subjects. Advertising Articles cover Background, History, Types, Alternative Forms, Today’s Methods, Effects, Regulation, Trends.

Website has many more.

View his Website at: advertising-how-to-succeed.com

View his Blog at: advertising-how-to-succeed.blogspot.com

 



Kansieo.com

Matt Weiss asked:


Everyone loves to hate the advertising industry. The TV show “Mad Men” portrays the heyday of advertising as a men’s club of gin-swilling, secretary-exploiting, self-satisfied white men who live in Connecticut and work in a bubble surrounded by dim-witted, loyal clients.

I beg to differ. My job is to bring in new business to the agency — in my case, McCann Erickson, New York, which produces work for Intel, MasterCard, the U.S. Army, Verizon Wireless, L’Oreal, Staples, Weight Watchers and other leading global advertisers.

Advertising might not be as exciting as Man vs. Wild or the NFL playoffs, but it does provide a career path that is more stimulating than Wall Street or the law or many white collar professions. Advertising is a unique combination of art, creativity, mathematics, industrial psychology, marketing, media and a host of other disciplines.

Here are seven more reasons to jump into a career in advertising:

You can get a film deal. OK, I’m exaggerating, but only slightly. But the creative environment of advertising does provide a career path to Hollywood for dozens of writers and directors every year, from Michael Bay to the guys who directed the “Cavemen” spots for Geico. The vest advertising is better than most of the movies and TV shows out there, and you can get paid accordingly. Until you can write screenplays for Steve Carrell or create the next “South Park,” you’ll be having more fun than should be legal. Be the next Steve Jobs. The crazy-ass idea you have for faxing burgers or filling up your car online might just happen tomorrow. The world of advertising, media, the Internet and technology is changing so fast that no one can predict what will happen next month, let alone 10 years from now. You can change the world. (And it beats changing diapers.) Be an outlaw. Renegade thinking and behavior is rewarded. Are you quirky and full of weird ideas? Are you innovative, prone to breaking rules, and feel you always see the world differently than your friends and colleagues? You’ll fit in perfectly at an ad agency. This is not your parents’ career. Advertising is a youthful business, for people in their 20s and 30s. Your youth is valuable because you are talking to your peers. You can text your friends in a meeting and it will be cool. You’ll never be bored. You actually get paid to surf the net, look at YouTube, talk about “the Office,” diss Britney and Paris, and discuss “American Idol.” You’re involved in every aspect of popular culture. You’ll think on your feet. Your lawyer friends will be sick with envy. You will never have to attend a conference in Brussels. Leave the suits at your parents’ house. The uniform for creatives is t-shirt and jeans. Even the “suits”-the account people-don’t wear suits any more, because they are expected to be an integral part of the creative process. In the summer, you can even wear sandals or flip flops. And there are keg parties on Fridays. Seriously. You’ll be on TV. Your work will be in the world. Your Mom, your boyfriend or girlfriend, your posse, your kids, they will all see what you do. If it’s good work, people will be talking about your work on the subway, on blogs, on TV. Advertising isn’t brain surgery or rocket science, but it makes an impact. You can be a player. And you’ll never have to wear plaid pants or go near a golf course.

Website content

Steve McMains asked:


Advertising can be an exciting career option for those who are highly motivated,imaginative and posses excellent communication skill.Advertising is a unique amalgamation of artistic creativity,consumer psychology and research and analytical science.There are several myths out there regarding careers in advertising that we need to dispel.

Myth: Advertising is a disgraceful profession.

Jobs in advertising are, in fact,quite respectable profession where you’ll meet educated and well-mannered people.Unfortunately,most people have this misconception that advertising is to deceive or fool people as businesspersons try to sell their products through advertisements.Actually advertising is a very systematic process that follows certain rules while conveying the product message on behalf of the advertiser.It is the responsibility of the advertising agency to take care of their client’s goodwill in the market.

Myth: It’s hard to find a job in advertising.

There is wide scope in advertising and media careers.But that does not mean that one will earn in six digits with his/her first job in advertising.It entails a lot of hard work and perseverance to reach the top.Still,there are a number of entry-level positions in advertising agencies.

Myth: “Everyone in advertising makes a fortune”.

Advertising is a lucrative profession where one has ample scope to make good money.But it requires excellent communication and analytical skills as well as innovative thinking ability.Advertising industry provides a nice platform for newcomers and gives opportunity to climb up the hierarchical ladder.

Myth: You’ll be appreciated for each of your great ideas.

Advertising follows a well defined process for every ad campaign.As a part of the creative team,not always you will be appreciated for your innovative ideas.Your ideas and works will have to pass through different levels of quality checking during the course of the project.Your ideas might be welcome at the meeting one day and on the other day you may find several changes done in your copy.So,the mantra is not to lose heart and give your best.

Myth: Jobs in advertising is similar to jobs in public relations.

While advertising and public relation,are apparently similar their objectives are far apart.Advertising is all about salesmanship and a good deal of communicating with the consumers.Good communication skill might help you get a job in public relation or in advertising.But there are various other aspects that you need to know about each of these industries to succeed.

Myth: It’ is a glamorous profession.

It is really enjoyable when you are a part of the creative team that designs great advertisements and commercials.Your work will be on TV and millions of people will watch that. On the flip side there are long hours of work and even sometimes no weekend parties to relax.But careers in advertising may open up the doors for Hollywood.There are many examples of people who started in advertising and ended up working for motion pictures.

Therefore,you have plenty of reasons to choose a career in advertising and bring your creative side in front of the world.



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Geetika Jain asked:


A career in Public Relation is in huge demand these days with the growing role of public perception in the success or failure of a product, service or even a celebrity. Young graduates are taking up professional training through PR courses to make a career in this field. There are many career options that one can opt for in the field of Public Relation.

With certain personality traits and a degree or diploma in PR, one can look forward to making a successful career in this line. Many institutes and colleges across India offer courses in PR.

 

For a youngster who is good at communication skills, has an outgoing personality and is willing to do something exciting in life in terms of meeting new people, a PR job is tailor made. The main responsibility of a PR professional is to create a positive image and goodwill of the company with all internal and external clients. The responsibilities of a PR person include monitoring and evaluating public attitudes. Since it is a management function, it involves maintaining and managing mutual relations and understanding between an organization and with all its stakeholders and the outside public. Here, public refers to shareholders, government, consumers, employees and the media. So, the basic function is to get along with people we constantly have to work with and get in touch with.

 

A PR Officer will ensure that there is an internal consistency and clear channel of communication in the company between the management and employees so that there is no ambiguity in the vital understanding. The PR professional would also need to think of new and creative ways of communication and keeping up a two-way flow of information and understanding. On a day to day basis, the PR profession requires making press releases for the public consumption of any announcement that the company wants to make. Also, creating leaflets, oral communications, managing the media image, devising strategies around a crisis and ensuring that the image of the company is not hurt in any way and if there is bad news floating around, then how to deal with that to do damage control are part of the day-to-day chores of a PR professional.

 

The qualifications required to be a PR professional are generally a diploma or post graduate diploma course on public relations. These are conducted by various institutions, both public and private. Those youngsters who are already graduates and are preferably with a background of social sciences or humanities go for these courses. This does not mean that students from other streams cannot join PR courses. Even students from Science and Commerce streams are also increasingly taking up PR courses to pursue a career in this exciting field. Apart from the diploma courses, there are also short term certificate courses that one can take up in this field. There are not many institutes that offer a two year master degree course in public relations. Generally, there are diploma courses only. Also, most courses on advertisement also include the study of public relations and have an additional paper on this.

 

Some institutes conduct entrance tests while others intake students on the basis of merit only. Usually, the duration of a PR course is of one year. Apart from this there are also short term certificate courses. Most training programmes in Advertising also include Public Relations. Some institutes have entrance exams while others prefer admission on merit basis. A Public Relations course would train the students on principles and techniques of public relations, administration and management of public relations, including organizational development, writing, creating news releases, annual reports, scripts, proposals, speeches, and other such related items, visual communications, including desktop publishing and computer graphics, and research. The most prominent courses in Public Relations are Course In Advertising & Public Relations, Course In Basic Public Relations, Course In Basic Image Management, Degree Course In Public Relations, Diploma In Public Relations, Diploma In Communication, Journalism and Public Relations, Master’s Degree In Journalism And Public Relations, Post Graduate Diploma In Journalism, Public Relations And Advertising, Post Graduate Diploma In Public Relations, Post Graduate Diploma In Public Relations And Advertising and Programme In Image Management. One can choose a course as per one’s interest.

 

Since Public Relations officials are in high demand, these courses are also in high demand. Armed with a good qualification and the requisite personality traits, one can look forward to a successful PR career not just in India but also abroad through international PR firms.



Caffeinated Content

Advertisements are a part of the society and effects are daily life subconsciously and consciously. Advertising has been one area of the many, where the male dominance has clearly ruled the roost till a decade ago. Today, women constitute a major proportion in advertising and related areas because they are important targets as audiences and consumers. Also, with the growing purchasing power, they are the major influencers in the purchasing decision process. Innumerable women have been a part of the advertising industry and have played various stereotyped roles including a girl child, prospective mother, a homemaker, a career woman and one who avers sensuousness and enhance the appeal of the advertisement. Advertisements too have transformed from the ones showcasing a woman as tradition bound homemakers to the ones those have created ripples in the dogmatic orientation of the traditionalists and blended traditionalism and modernity.

The traditional role of woman playing a coy, demure housewife has swapped places with the modern day working woman who plays multifaceted roles and emerges as one belonging to the powerful influence group. Advertisements affect and are affected by social values. The changing face of the new age woman is well reflected in advertisements which are one of the significant tools to reflect the change in the socio cultural and educational values of the society. The variations at the cultural, social and educational fronts have brought a change in the structures and the patriarch mindset that long towered the society. For example, an advertisement in a fortnightly magazine posts a middle aged woman dressed in a bridal outfit with another lady. It reveals the woman getting remarried. The advertisement gives a social message and an insight into the changing values and beliefs. Several daughter-mother duos reflect the growing power of woman in the world where the role of men is subsidized or equal to negligible. There is another advertisement by the Idea Cellular Limited that shows a young college girl exhibiting the power of democracy. The idea shows the connectivity and networking at cut-rate prices and also the empowered modern woman. There is an advertising angle as well as a social angle to it.

The rigger of the advertisement is of great importance and is pivoted around the message that it carries. Modern advertisements attempt to bring a more realistic picture of the woman. The liberated woman is economically independent, evolved and controlling her life. The career orientation seems to be reflected in one such ad where the woman uses the talc stepping out of the house and beyond as compared to formerly where she used the talc as she came out of the shower. Another advertisement that reflects an empowered woman of today is the YoSmart Bike one. The Electrotherm Company’s division Indus launched the bike Yo Smart Bike that attempts to make the woman independent. This is just one of the advertisements that bring out the career orientation of the woman to light.

Women now are being unconventionally and independently being targeted at as being both consumers and the most influenced group as audiences. These advertisements help answer the gender representation in media. Also, it cuts across transnational borders by importing multi cultural attitudes. A research brings out the differences in the portrayals of women culturally. For example, Asian advertisements including Korean, Japanese, Indian advertisements are more inclined towards bringing out the woman role (protagonists) as neutral than a negative, a sexual object or a stereotyped dependent which is often reflected in British and western countries’ advertisements. The Western countries opt for showing women at juxtaposed positions at two extreme ends. Woman modeling for health drinks, painkillers, two wheelers, mobile phones reflect a neutral role. In British Magazine ads, there is an increasing use of family and couple being a part of the ads where fast moving consumer goods are concerned or where durables like washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, television, micro wave ovens are concerned. But Indian ads though accept women playing neutral roles; the unconventional roles are not widely embraced. The career oriented and figurehead roles are yet to be accepted as most of them belong to old school of thought where position of woman is best suited inside the four walls of the house. This has been posited strongly in the various studies conducted by researchers. However, it suggests that women image in advertising is no longer a fad and is here to stay.

Indian culture is in a state of constant flux. Sportswoman like Sania Mirza is as often seen and accepted in a sports ad as a Sachin Tendulkar or an iconic athletic would be seen. This is a reflection and acceptance of woman in the society playing one of the many roles and a changed mindset culturally. Women are playing a prominent role in this ad-mad world. Women who have been an epitome of both beauty and intelligence have found a place for themselves in advertising world. This phenomenon is manifested in beauty contests too. Sushmita Sen, in 1994, when won the Miss Universe Pageant was praised on both the parameters. Yet women are to find an essential place for themselves in advertisements that depict masculine roles such as in industries of cement, steel, construction etc where they are often sidelined.

Gender roles have long been stereotyped with the male having prerogative when compared with the fairer sex. Role reversal has taken place in gender representation in advertisements. There has been a change in the gender equations. For example, Amitabh Bachchan has been signed by the diamond giant, D’ Damas to endorse their range of solitaires which till now was considered the Woman’s Best Friend. Gendered advertising or customized advertising have entered the advertising field where what is appealing to women has been identified and capitalized on. For example, the advertisement of Axe Effect or the Denim Man advertisement or shaving creams reveals the same. These advertisements and like bring out the fantasies of the woman and therefore become desirable for men. Because most of the time, it’s the woman who purchases toiletries for their partners, therefore these advertisements ingeniously centre around what appeals the woman.

It stands true that a sea change has occurred in the last three decades and egalitarianism exists where men and women are now treated as equal. ‘The Girls, Women plus Media’ is one such project that attempts to educate; create awareness among citizens with issues related to consumer rights and universal media. It also creates awareness of how Xen Yers, the women workforce affect and are affected by pop culture, media and issues related to employment and rights.

But there is more to what appears to the naked eye. Man and woman are the two blessed creations of god. It is often reinstated in religious texts and otherwise that one can see the image of god in his creations. Therefore, it is imperative to honor, praise and respect them and put them in higher pedestal. One way to respect its creation is to embrace our bodies in a respectful way. There is nothing wrong in using

women in advertising but what has to be kept in mind is that god has blessed us with women for the purpose of fostering life. They are one who gives life through birth. They symbolize sacrifice, love and intelligence. It is expected that immoral ways may not be used to present the form that we are gifted with. Women bodies are more often than not, are considered more attractive and provocative to entice the counterpart.

In this marketing world, a different approach is being followed in presenting women. Advertisers are focusing more on their bodies than on the grey matter they have. The idea of exhibiting woman in various ads still ascribes to bringing out the sexuality sometimes overtly and sometimes with ulterior base. Sometimes she is sidetracked with only playing a decorative role in the advertisements. The rationale behind these ads don’t focus on the features of the product, rather they try to build brand awareness resting on the sexual appeal of the model. These are some drawbacks of advertisements in which the advertiser showcases female models to promote men’s product. They are being used to promote lust and to earn money. You can find girls having awesome figures promoting each and every product be it a beauty cream ,men’s shaving cream or even men’s undergarments (the Amul Macho ad…yeh to bada toing hai). Why is it so? Why the advertisers are using women to promote products meant for men? The answer is simple. In order to improve the effectiveness of the advertisement, they are using her sexuality to unravel men, to attract their senses so that they are tempted to spend money. It gives an impression that they cannot arouse interest in the target customers to purchase the product by resting on the features of the product that’s why they are using female models in an erotic way to promote the product. Also, these ads suffer from figure ground reversal problem. The figure of the ad (the product) becomes the ground (the model) and vice-versa. So the essence of the advertisement is lost. In a particular after-shave lotion commercial, the background voice says that its essential to learn martial arts because once a man applies the company’s product, women around are attracted and give him a run for his life. In fear of that he may be grabbed at the male model kicks innumerable women that seem to have enticed. This unquestioningly puts the stature of the woman at stake. It means that women are projected as mere objects and are being refuted to be treated as human beings. Therefore, the companies have to understand that they have a moral responsibility towards the society. These commercials have an unconstructive impact on the society and it presents a misleading image of women.

The grimmer picture to advertising comes to the forefront. There have been advertisements which have called for public outcry because of reasons like not being socially responsible. There had been uproar from various segments of the society when skin lightening issues came to the forefront of HLL’s advertisement of Fair and Lovely with the underlying theme that “Fair girls get better jobs or better boys”. It had to be discontinued with growing criticism by the All India Democratic Women’s Association. To do away with its tarnished reputation, HLL not only provided resources in education and business to empower women but also sponsored career fairs in over 20 cities.

The future holds numerous challenges and the old problems that require attention and energy.

Media plays a seminal direct or indirect role in bringing awareness and educating consumers through public advertising. Not only mutual respect and equality, but also financial judgments, consumerism, voice against domestic abuse and violence etc. need to be addressed. Media in print and electronic media form is a powerful channel of communicating. It needs to be articulated properly of whether the stature of the woman should be portrayed on sexuality or the intellectual capacity that she owns.

Deepak Kamboj asked:


It is really very difficult to promote a good/service by using different ways of marketing communication. It is hard to find an efficient and effective advertising agency, advertising consultancy, marketing consultancy, public relation officer etc that can provide the right guidance to promote a product. Producers are asked to hire an advertising agency to achieve their goals but it is seen that hiring an agency also does not bring positive results for the producers. Agencies promise a lot but deliver only small things. The problem might be at the producers end because full research of an advertising agency might not have been done before hiring it. It is very essential to conduct in depth research of an ad agency before hiring it for professional work.

There are various steps that an advertiser can follow to check the working and reputation of an ad agency. Producer must trace the history of the agency before signing an agreement. Some of the tips to check efficiency of an advertising agency are given below:

Trace the history: Go through the previous works of the agency by tracing the history. See what kind of an experience does the agency hold and has it served a client work like your’s. If you find positive answers then you can think about hiring the agency.

Talk to clients: Try to talk with the previous clients of an ad agency, as this will help you to know about the working of agency. See if the agency serves all the requirements and needs of a client. Do the agency meet it’s dead lines and deliver results timely. Are all the promises made by the agency fulfilled on not.

Look into the work: Try to know about the working style of the agency and what all kinds of client work does the agency handles. How professional is the advertising agency in handling new projects and does it manage to come up with flying colors. If you get a positive response to your queries then surely you are on the right track.

So, advertisers/producers must try to find answers to their queries related to an ad agency before hiring it, as this will be beneficial for them.



Caffeinated Content

AdvertisingCrossing asked:


1. Launching their advertising without a strategy or a plan:

A business should have their advertising planned out 12 months in advance, and they need to know what their message will be. For example, during the months of January and February, they might run ads that pertain to cold weather. During the spring, they might run ads designed to start the phones ringing. The entire year should be planned in advance.

2. Inadequate budget:

The advertising budget depends upon the size of the market and how much advertising the business has done within that market. The larger the market the more expensive the advertising is. A key factor for success is frequency. Let’s say your target market is “women, aged 35 to 54, middle income on up.” To be successful, the target market needs to hear or see the advertiser’s message a minimum of three to five times a month. Without adequate frequency, advertising fails to produce the desired results.

3. Failure to focus the ad dollars:

Advertisers often say, “I tried TV,” “I bought some radio,” or “I tried XXX, and it didn’t work.” To be successful, an advertiser with a limited budget should focus the dollars on one medium that will reach its target market cost effectively. Spreading ad dollars over several media can be a formula for failure.

4. Lack of consistency:

To be successful, an advertiser needs to present a consistent look and message across all media. The look of its website should be similar to its print or direct mail. Its radio and/or TV should tie in with any or all other advertising.

5. Failure to differentiate:

Every day, thousands of advertising messages fail because they do not sell and they do not differentiate. It takes more than creativity to make ads work. Successful advertising needs to differentiate a business from its competitors and promote customer benefits.

6. Advertisers need a campaign, not just a few ads:

Consumers tune out ads they have seen too often. Advertisers need to have a minimum of 15 or more ads in rotation throughout the year to hold attention and maximize results.

7. Tracking of results:

Ask advertisers how their advertising is working, and many have no answer. Advertisers need to track sales leads, sales performance, and closing ratios and ask customers how they heard of their businesses. Tracking the effectiveness of advertising is critical to the success of any business.

- AdvertisingCrossing



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