Advertising: Meaning and Objectives

While watching a movie in the cinema hall or a television at home you must have noticed that suddenly there is a break and a model appears on the screen displaying a product, indicating its special features, prices, etc. This is followed by similar appearances relating to other products before the movie is resumed. These displays are known as advertisements which are used by different firms to inform a targeted group of customers about their product, its quality, availability, price etc.

Likewise, you come across a number of advertisements for a variety of products in the newspapers and magazines. These are impersonal messages duly paid for, by firms to an audience who may be the current or prospective buyer of goods.

According to American Marketing Association "Advertising is any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods and services by an identified sponsor." Thus, advertising is

Paid form of Communication: Advertisements appearing in the newspapers, television, cinema halls, etc. are duly paid for. The firms have to pay huge amounts for use of space in newspaper or time slot in television and radio, etc.

Non-personal Presentation of Message: In advertisements there is no face to face communication as it happens in case of personal selling. These are presentations through mass media and as such are impersonal in nature.

The Idea is to Promote Goods or Services: Advertising is done with a specific objective of promoting a product or service and increase their sale.

Issued by an Identified Sponsor: The advertisers who sponsor the advertisement are duly identifiable in the advertised messages.

Objectives of Advertising

The main objective of advertising is to help a business firm to promote its products and increase the sales. But, there are some other goals also which a firm can achieve with the help of advertising. The objectives to be achieved through advertising are:

  1. Introduction of new product: Business firms keep on introducing new products in the market and have to inform the prospective customers about its features, price, usage, availability etc. Advertising not only attracts their attention but also helps them in forming an opinion about the product and making the best purchase decisions.

  2. Increase in sale: Advertising helps in increasing the sale of firm’s products. It also helps in turning non-users of products to users of products and also in attracting the consumers of competitor’s products. Business firms make use of advertising to inform the consumers about the advantages and superiority of their product.

  3. Maintaining existing buyers: Now-a-days new products keep on entering in the market at a fast pace and consumers tend to switch over to the new products. Advertising is used to remind the consumers about how good their products or services are and that they are still in the market as old and reliable ones. The idea is to prevent decline in the sale of their product in the market.

  4. Create and enhance goodwill of the firm: Advertising helps in building reputation of the business house. Through advertising, the firms can communicate their achievements to the consumers and clarify any misconceptions or doubts in the mind of the public about themselves or their products, if any. This helps in creating a good image of their firm in the minds of consumers, workers, investors, government and so on.

  5. Dealer support: Another objective of advertisement is to provide the necessary support to firm’s dealers and distributors. Hence some advertisements, besides the information about the product characteristics, price etc., include a list of dealers and distributors.

  6. Create and enhance brand image: Advertising is also used for creating a brand image which helps in building customers’ loyalty. When customers develop brand loyalty, they do not shift to other brands easily. Brand image gets enhanced with repeated advertisements.

  7. Helps in personal selling: Advertising facilitates the process of personal selling. The salesperson’s job is made easier if the customer has familiarity with the product. This is achieved through advertising. A customer is more receptive to the salesperson if he or she already has some idea about the product.