Advertising Fundamentals and Methods

Understanding Advertising

Advertising is a component of various marketing activities, specifically promotion. It serves to communicate the message of an identified sponsor to a specific audience, using paid, impersonal, and far-reaching media such as television, radio, print media, and the internet, among others, in order to achieve set objectives.

Advertising vs. Publicity/Propaganda

Propaganda is regarded as work done to spread an idea and is usually free, while advertising is a set of paid activities used by a company to win and increase their clientele.

Key Features of Advertising

The primary feature of advertising is communication.

The Communication Process

Communication is a process that consists of a set of elements:

• Issuer: The source of communication.
• Coding: Definition of symbols used when communicating a message.
• Channels: The media used.
• Decoding: Interpretation by the receiver of the symbols used by the sender.
• Response: The reaction sought by the issuer, which may or may not occur. Responses can be cognitive, affective, or behavioral.
• Feedback: Assessment of the receiver's response, often through market research.

Consumer Perception in Advertising

In the world of advertising, consumers can have different types of perceptions:

• Perception through humor
• Perception through everyday scenes
• Perception influenced by a famous person
• Perception influenced by professional endorsement
• Perception based on Brand Image

Advertising Influence

Advertising influences our tastes and guides us towards making a purchase.

Types of Advertisements

• Presentation: Focuses on the characteristics of the product.
• Qualification: Explains the benefits of the product.
• Comparative: Compares the product to competitive products.
• Brand/Slogan Presence: Emphasizes the brand or slogan.

Advertising Objectives

1. The ultimate objective of advertising is to transmit information, create an attitude, or induce an action beneficial to the advertiser.
2. To promote the sale of products or services, establishing relationships between merchant and consumer, and increasing belief in the target audience.
3. To inform about goods or services with the aim of procurement. This content is subject to commercial purposes, specifically to lead the consumer towards a purchase action.
4. To influence the message recipient to modify their behavior. The message acts as a stimulus causing a change in the recipient, expressed as a response.

Advertising Classification

Advertising doctrine has followed different criteria for grouping the various means of advertising action into coherent systems. The most representative positions include:

Classification by Haas

According to Haas, the number of advertising methods is vast, but they can fall into three general groups:

• Those directed to an isolated individual: press, radio, television, direct mail, gifts, etc.
• Those addressing the crowd: outdoor advertising, cinema, etc.
• Those capable of orienting toward the individual or the crowd: showcases, displays and booths, demonstrations, etc.

Clemente Theory

Based on the analysis of elements contributing to each medium, Clemente's theory provides a classification utility arranged as follows:

• According to Sensory Perception: The graphic or audiovisual medium determines its expression and values to support a particular message.
• According to the Duration of Post-Contact: The nature of the medium carries with it the transience or supports retention of the message.