Advertisers ‘buy’ space on newspapers and magazines to place their ads. They ‘buy’ time on the television and radio to broadcast their ads. The main advertising media are newspapers, television, direct mail, radio, magazines, outdoor signs, and the Internet. Let’s have a look at each in detail.

Newspapers

Newspapers allot about 60% of their space to advertising. Local businesses and individuals place the most ads in newspapers. Newspapers offer more advantages to advertisers than do other types of media, like magazines and so on. This is because most adults read a newspaper daily and many specifically check for ads to get information about different products and services. An advertisement can appear within 24 hours in a newspaper. Advertisers pay for the size of the space they want on the newspaper. A small ad, for instance, will cost a lot less than a larger ad that covers a bigger space.

Modern newspapers contain three types of advertisements:

Display ads – These ads range in size from less than 1 inch to a full page or more and most of them include illustrations. An illustration is a picture that is used to explain something.

With photos and graphics, display ads can cost a lot depending on their size. These ads, generally placed by department stores, movie theaters and other businesses, may be prepared by an advertising agency or the advertising department itself. They are called run-of-press ads and they produce the most revenue for the newspaper.

Classified ads - Classified ads, often called want ads, consist of a few lines of print. A whole page or even two pages of a newspaper may be allotted for these ads. These ads are classified according to the area they represent. These ads come from individuals trying to buy or sell items, businesses seeking workers, or trades people offering a wide variety of services. These ads are not expensive, popular, and highly effective in reaching tens of thousands of people in a day.

Inserts - Inserts, the third form of advertising, are favored by large national chain stores. These are booklets tucked to newspapers in huge bundles for distribution with the Sunday edition. Inserts produce less revenue than run-of-press advertising. Newspapers charge only for distributing inserts, and not for the printing. Inserts are usually printed elsewhere.

Television

Large companies use television for advertising. These companies spend more than half of their advertising budget on television. Companies for snacks, clothes, drinks, cosmetics etc., advertise mostly on television. This is because their advertisements on the TV bring sight, sound, and action directly to consumers in their homes.

Advertisers can explain and demonstrate their products to viewers who are enjoying their favorite TV program and cannot easily avoid the ads. Millions of people watch TV after work and the chance of at least a few thousand people seeing a particular ad is very high. The cost of advertising on television is very high compared to the other advertising media. Television ads can be broadcast live, from film or from videotape.

Live ads are not so popular, but in these ads, an announcer delivers a message in front of a TV camera. Filmed or videotaped ads are pre-recorded in a studio and are broadcast later. We see these type of ads everyday on TV, where performers are shown in true-to-life situations, where, for instance, a family is shown sitting at home having dinner or a group of people enjoying a drink at a party.

Some ads consist of animated cartoons or stop-motion films. In stop motion, objects are photographed in different positions in order to show movement. It appears as though the object is moving. For example, you see toothpaste tubes dancing on a table. The majority of ads last for about 30 seconds with short announcements. 

Advertisers also sponsor many movies or special programs on TV. A sponsor is a person or a business that pays the cost of a radio or TV program. 

Every evening, as I flip through the channels on TV, I come across a variety of advertisements. As soon as I see my favorite one, I stop and watch the whole sequence… And I say to myself, “Hey, one day I’m going to buy that…”
Do YOU like any particular ad? Have you ever thought about all that goes on behind the making of an advertisement?

Well, let’s start answering some of your questions…

The meaning of Advertising

Advertising is the business of promoting and selling products, services, or ideas. Advertising makes use of all the major media, including newspapers, magazines, television, radio, direct mail, and outdoor billboards. Printed advertisements make up a large part of newspapers and magazines. Poster ads appear in buses, trains, shops, even rickshaws, and so on. Billboards are seen at almost every roadside. The popular ‘breaks’ during your favorite TV program are very common!

Why do people advertise so much? Well, the main aim of advertising is to sell a product or service to as many people as possible. Advertisements persuade a person to buy a product or service. Large businesses use advertising to create a favorable image of their company, since they want the name of the company to be known and respected for the products it makes. Local businesses use advertising to gain new customers and increase sales. Advertising, therefore, plays a very important role in the competition among businesses. It is the cheapest and fastest method of informing thousands of people. In addition to being used by companies, advertising is also used by individuals, political parties, social organizations, and the government. Many people advertise in newspapers to sell cars, homes, or other products. Political parties use advertisements to try to win votes. Social organizations often advertise to promote a cause or to influence the way people act or think.

Advertising is a huge industry that has gained tremendous recognition in the past few years. Because advertising influences a lot of people, it has encouraged people to eat certain foods, buy certain clothes, use certain household products and so on. Advertising has helped shape up an individual’s tastes, habits, and attitudes.