Advertising is defined as a paid form of communication from an identified sponsor that uses mass media to persuade or influence an audience. Because there are so many different advertisers trying to reach so many different types of audiences with compelling messages, many forms of advertising have evolved. We discuss nine forms of advertising and the information tasks they require of the communicator.
1) Brand or national consumer advertising– This type of advertising emphasizes brand identity and image. Advertising campaigns for Coca-Cola, Nike or American Express are examples. Brand advertising attempts to create demand for a product or service and then convince the audience that a specific brand is what they want. For example, Nike ads try to create demand for expensive athletic shoes and convince buyers that they want Nikes over Reeboks. The information tasks for these types of campaigns are extensive, but much of the information collected usually does not appear in the content of the ads themselves. Instead, the information informs the development of the advertising campaign strategy and the choice of media on which the advertisem*nts are placed.
2) Retail- Advertising that is local and focuses on the store where products and services can be purchased is called retail advertising. The announcement emphasizes price, availability, location and hours of operation. For example, Nike may generate a brand ad about their shoes, but the local department store will generate a store ad touting the big sale on Nikes and other shoes. Department store managers don't care what brand of shoe you buy as long as you shop at their store and not at your competitor's store. The information tasks of these types of ads involve collecting a lot of very specific information about the retailer, given the purpose of the ads.
3) Phone book– Ads that help you discover where to buy a product or service are index ads. The telephone directory is the most common form of advertising in telephone directories, but many other telephone directories perform the same function. The ads that appear as "sponsored links" next to your search engine results are a form of index advertising. They are classified and presented to you according to the terms of your search. These types of advertisem*nts are almost exclusively informational and meet an already expressed need for information on the part of the audience member. The information tasks associated with directory advertising involve the analysis of vast data sets of consumer information, much of which is performed by computer algorithms. But ad creators need to understand how and why a particular consumer was targeted for a particular ad to be effective.
4) Politics- Advertisem*nts intended to convince people to vote for a politician are a common phenomenon
the media landscape every political season. We can all remember the candidate ads we've seen during every election cycle. Information tasks for these types of advertisem*nts include gathering background research on the opposition candidate and material about the candidate sponsoring the ad, recent polls of likely voters, public opinion on the issues, and other facts that determine the copy and placement strategy. of the advertisem*nt. Communicators should also be aware of the relevant legal and regulatory restrictions on political advertising in each market where their advertisem*nts may appear.
5) Instant response– These types of advertisem*nts can appear on any medium. A direct response ad attempts to immediately stimulate a sale. The consumer can respond by phone, email or electronically and the product is delivered directly to the consumer by mail or on a mobile device (a coupon for the pizza stand you just passed on the street). On TV, infomercials for hair care products, fitness equipment, or kitchen appliances are examples of direct response ads. Flyers that you receive in the mail with the text 'Buy this product' are also examples. These advertisem*nts have a high information component and the information tasks of the communicators reflect the need to be well informed. The creators of the message assume that the audience is already interested or curious about the goods or services when they see the infomercial, read the catalog or visit the website. The direct answer contains a lot of information about the products and the goal is to complete the sale. Mobile versions of direct response ads must have a good hook to get the recipient to pay attention and take action.EXAMPLES AND EXPLANATIONS
6) Business-to-business- Messages addressed to retailers, wholesalers, distributors, industrial buyers and professionals such as lawyers and doctors include business-to-business advertising. These advertisem*nts are concentrated in business and professional publications. For example, banks advertise to small business owners; or equipment manufacturers advertise to factory managers, hospital administrators, restaurant owners, and others who might purchase their equipment. Unless you do the kind of work that makes you an audience member of these types of posts, you probably won't see many business-to-business ads. Because these types of ads target a specialized audience with specific needs for products or services tailored to a particular industry, the information tasks required to produce these ads are very detailed.EXAMPLES FROM AWARD-WINNING B2B ADVERTISERS
7) Institutional– This type of advertising is also called corporate advertising. The focus of the message is on establishing a corporate identity or convincing the audience for the organization's position. Rather than outlining the product or service offered by the institution, the advertisem*nt attempts to create an image or reinforce an attitude toward the company as a whole. The advertisem*nt may also attempt to influence policymaking by advocating a particular position on a national issue that affects the interests of the sponsoring institution. The information component of this type of advertising typically consists of extensive background research into the attitudes and psychology of the intended audience, and the information tasks involve gathering in-depth knowledge about the sponsoring institution and its objectives for the message.
8) Advertising features- This form is also called advertorial, branded content or native ads
are becoming increasingly common. Many magazines have posts that look like an article, but are actually generated by an advertiser or PR agency, not a journalist. For example, you find an article in a news magazine about a healthy lifestyle that contains articles and photos sponsored by a pharmaceutical company. The communicator must have thorough background information on the product, service or topic AND must be able to write like a journalist. Therefore, the information tasks for this type of content include both substantive and stylistic aspects.
9) Public services– This type of ad conveys a message on behalf of a good cause, such as stopping drunk driving or preventing AIDS. Unlike the other forms of advertising, media professionals make these advertisem*nts free and the time or space to display the advertisem*nts is donated by the media. The advertisem*nts usually contain information that emphasizes the nature of the problem or its cause so that the public will take the problem seriously. Information tasks for public service announcements, or PSAs, usually involve identifying an emotional or psychological "hook" for the audience to engage with the advertising content.UNEP World Environment Day PSA
Much of the information used in creating advertisem*nts never appears in the ad copy or in the footage produced. Instead, extensive information is revealed to help advertising professionals understand the audience's background and message. For example, communicators need to understand the product or service they want to pitch, the interests and needs of the intended audience, and the pros and cons of competitors' products. All this helps them decide how much money to spend on the campaign and where to spend it. the ads we will meet.
