Marketing Communications

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Marketing Communications
Advertising Techniques

MEDIA – these are carriers or vehicles of the advertising message such as newspapers, magazine,
television and radio. MEDIA VEHICLE refers to a specific newspaper or a particular broadcast station.

There are other specialists that contribute to the production of an advertisement such as Lithographers,
Typographers, Printers, Art Studios, Recording Studios and so on. They assist advertisers, agencies and
media vehicles with various aspects of production. (Stanley, 1977; Kleppner, 1979 and Stanton, 1981)

STRENGTHS OF ADVERTISING

1. It presents a set of controlled messages.


2. It has the ability to expose large groups of prospects as a low per prospect cost.


3. It can reach prospects that sales person cannot.


4. It helps to presell a product.


5. It can help to introduce a new product quickly.

wEAKNESSES OF ADVERTISING

1. Advertisements are at the mercy of the media vehicles in regards to timing.


2. Reinforcement of the message can only be achieved through repetition which tends to
   increase cost of advertisement.


3. The advertisement or messages is set and cannot adjust to the prospects reactions or answer
   his objections to the product or service.


4. People do not believe fully the claims made for products or services in advertisement,
   because they recognize the advertising message is designated to influence them.


5. Prospects’ buying reactions are usually delayed as they do not occur immediately the message
   is exposed to prospective buyers.

EVALUATING AN ADVERTISABLE PRODUCT

To evaluate how advertisable a product will be, some factors should be considered. They include:

1. THE PRODUCT’S DEMAND: the presence of a favourable primary demand trend, that is,
   a demand for general class of the product.


2. PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION: a chance for significant product differentiation.


3. PRODUCT QUALITIES: the importance to the prospect of hidden product qualities.


4. TYPE OF ADVERTISING APPEAL: the opportunity to use strong emotional appeals.


5. MESSAGE FUNDING CIRCUMSTANCES: consider circumstances favouring the
   accumulation of sufficient funds with which to advertise.


6. CONSUMER’S PERCEIVED RISK: the perceived risk of trying a new product or brand.


7. PRODUCT’S CAPABILITY: the product’s capability of being presented effectively in the
   advertising media.