newspaper advertisement | Newspaper Advertising Encyclopedia

April 15, 2020April 22, 2020

The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Advertising Media

The purpose of any advertisement is to express a message, with a view to induce a positive customer action. For effective communication, proper mediums must be put to use.The channel used by an advertiser to communicate the desired message to the target audience is known as the “Advertising Media”.

Advertising Media, can hence be defined as the channel, vehicle or device employed by a business to communicate its promotional content to a larger audience. Traditionally, not many mediums for advertising were available. However due to advancements in communication technology, a number of modern day mediums are also available for advertising.

Let us discuss these advertising mediums in detail, with special reference to their merits and demerits :

Newspapers:

Newspapers are the most traditional mediums for advertising employed by all organisations, big or small. Newspaper reading is a common habit all over the world to keep updated with all the latest news. Newspapers continue to be the most reliable source of information which educates and entertains as well.

Advantages of Newspaper Advertising :

Newspapers are cheap and can be afforded by most people all over the world, ensuring greater reach and readership.
There is high flexibility in advertising as alterations can be made to the advertisement message regarding the ad size or placement any time before publishing.
Length of the message need not be cut short and the advertiser can communicate as much of the story he desires.
Continuity in advertisement can be maintained to create an impact since newspapers are circulated daily.

Disadvantages of Newspaper Advertising :

Newspapers have a short life and are usually discarded once read.
The advertisements in newspapers are of low quality due to the usage of low quality paper and colour.
Newspapers cannot be read by illiterates and hence do no good for them.
Newspaper advertisements have a tendency of being overlooked by readers while reading the issue.
A lot of advertisements, including competing advertisements, when printed on the same page create clutter.
Competitors may instantly react to the advertisement as newspaper is a highly visible medium for advertising.

Magazines :

Magazines are an excellent medium for advertising on account of the high quality prints and papers used. Magazines are published for the general public and many special magazines for specific audiences are also published. They are available as weekly, fortnightly or monthly issues and are a more focused alternative to newspaper advertising.

Advantages of Magazine Advertising :

The high quality paper used ensures better colour reproduction and good quality advertisements. Magazines are usually colourful, giving the advertised product a better representation.
Life of magazine advertisements is usually longer as magazines can be preserved for a longer duration.
Targeting is made easy as specified magazines for specific categories are available for the products to be advertised depending upon the target audience.
Magazine advertisements are read when at leisure, hence have a greater chance of being read and remembered.

Disadvantages of Magazine Advertising :

It is costly as space and layout costs are higher, especially in comparison to newspapers.
There is less flexibility in terms of format and ad placement and long lead times are involved in planning the advertising content weeks or months in advance.
Circulation of magazines is relatively limited compared to circulation of newspapers. Also, the frequency of the advertisement is limited as magazines are available once in a week, fortnight or month basis.

Television :

Television is the most rapidly growing medium for advertising due to the expansion of electronic media and cable networks. Television is available to most of the people in developing nations today and the audio visual experience of such advertisements create a lasting effect on the minds of the audience through visuals, sound and motion.

Advantages of Television Advertising :

Television advertisements are extremely attractive and appeal through both the eyes and the ears of the audiences on account of the audio visual elements associated with such advertisements.
Such advertisements allow reaching out to a large audience in a short time, on a national or regional level.
It is possible to demonstrate the use of the products advertised and elaborate details can be communicated.
There are no limitations on the size of such advertisements, normally viewable full screen.

Disadvantages of Television Advertising :

Television is an expensive medium of advertising in terms of creative, production as well as broadcast costs
Creation of such advertisements is a time consuming process
High clutter is involved. Too many advertisements during the commercial breaks between television programs make the advertisement less effective.
Length of television advertisements is limited to usually 30 seconds, and the message too has to be limited to match the duration.
Audience selectivity is a concern as the advertisements are viewed by

Radio :

Radio advertising is an immensely strong method for advertising as radio is a widely used mode of entertainment. Traditionally played on radio sets, radio is currently available on every mobile phone and can be accessed even without internet, making it a popular medium for people while driving or travelling. Ardent followers of specific radio stations or shows make it a point to tune in on time and radio advertisements are heard by a large number of people.

Advantages of Radio Advertising :

Radio advertisements enjoy mass coverage as they are listened to by every kind of listener. They cover numerous people with varying tastes and hence has an effective appeal
Such advertising campaigns can ensure reaching out to the illiterate people as well.
The cost of advertising on radio is lower as compared to television and other modern means of advertising.
Selectivity is possible as advertisements may be included in different programmes for different types of people
Radio advertisements can be easily edited unlike television and hoardings, which require time to alter.
Advertisements can be played in different languages on regional radio stations.

Disadvantages of Radio Advertising :

Radio advertisements lack a visual appeal and may be less effective compared to mediums having a visual impact. Products advertised this way cannot be demonstrated.
Such advertisements are timed, and there is a possibility of missing them completely or catching them in between the ad run.
People might forget what they hear over the radio.
Advertisers need to increase the frequency of such advertisements to ensure adequate action from the audiences. The rates for different timings are generally different with limited time available..

Film Advertising :

Film advertising involves playing of short advertisements in cinema halls before a movie begins and even during intermission. Big organisations execute their advertising campaigns by creating such short motion films and distributing them to cinema houses for being played. Cinema advertisements are remembered by the audiences for a long time.

Advantages of Film Advertising :

Film advertising is effective as it combines audio, video and motion graphics to create an impact.
The impact of the message is greater due to less distraction when people come to halls to specifically watch movies.
There is selectivity in cinema advertisements. The advertiser can advertise his products with a certain audience on the basis of the region and the show.
There is less clutter in cinema halls and the booking time for cinema advertisements is also less.

Disadvantages of Film Advertising :

Creating cinema ads is expensive and is ideally used by big organisations only.
Cinema advertisements is a time consuming process and it is not easy to make changes to the message.
They have limited effectiveness as very few people are in the cinema halls when such advertisements are played – before the movie begins and during the intermission.
These ads can get ignored when played while people talk to each other.
The message is limited to only those visiting cinema halls.

Outdoor Advertising :

The idea behind outdoor advertising is to catch the attention of people on busy streets and other public places. Also known as “Indirect Advertising”, outdoor advertising includes posters, billboard displays, transit displays, sky writing and electronic displays.

Advantages of Outdoor Advertising :

Outdoor advertisements enjoy flexibility as the same message can be modified for different regions or localities, in different languages.
It is less costly compared to television, radio and magazine advertisements.
Outdoor advertisements enjoy a longer life, until they are removed.
Such advertisements easily catch the attention of people on busy roads.

Disadvantages of Outdoor Advertising :

There is a limited audience who get exposed to outdoor advertisements.
Outdoor advertisements have a low retention value as people cannot dedicate special time to go through them.
Such advertisements may distract the passersby, leading to accidents.
It is difficult to target specific audiences through outdoor advertising, as the people belonging to all age groups, gender and economic background are exposed to the same message, and the same may not be useful for everyone alike.
Such advertisements cannot carry lengthy messages and need to be concise.

Direct Mail :

Commonly identified as “Direct Response Marketing”, direct mail is a technique wherein various forms of printed advertising messages are sent directly to the potential buyers by post. Direct mail includes product literature to provide ordering opportunities in the form of catalogues, booklets, postcards, sales letters, package inserts, store publications and brochures.

Advantages of Direct Mail :

It is easy for the advertiser to clearly define its target market.
The advertiser can create and deliver the message effectively in the absence of competition or clutter.
Direct mails involve an element of personal touch as messages are directly addressed to the receiver. Personalised messages have a tendency to generate a positive impression.
Advertisers enjoy high flexibility as the messages can be easily modified whenever desired, as the total control on the presentation of the advertisement vests in the advertiser.
It is easy to measure the effectiveness of the response to the advertisement.

Disadvantages of Direct Mail :

It is expensive as the cost of individual communication is higher compared to messages communicated through newspaper advertising.
Long lead time is required to creatively prepare, publish and mail the messages.
It involves additional cost in using professional services of copywriters, photographers, printers, designers, etc.
People tend to ignore most of these messages as junk mails and immediately discard them without even going through them.

Internet Advertising :

The most modernised medium for advertising, internet advertising is an interactive medium to spread the message online. The popularity of the internet as a means for education and entertainment has created the market for online advertising. Websites take fees from advertisers for sharing space on their web pages.

Advantages of Internet Advertising :

Internet advertising incurs less expenses compared to other means of advertising.
Online advertisements can be made interactive to facilitate a two way communication with the audience.
High flexibility of giving personal touch exists and the message can be dramatised.
Online advertisements are appealing to the viewers due to the visuals used. Some advertisements even contain video and high quality graphics.

Disadvantages of Internet Advertising

Internet advertising has limited reach in developing countries as many people do not have access to the internet.
Being a relatively new medium for advertising, its effectiveness is yet to be established.

April 14, 2020April 22, 2020

Drawbacks of print advertising that you need to be aware of

Print advertising has been the traditionally used medium for advertising and this business has been flourishing since the inception of newspapers and magazines. While print advertising has a plethora of advantages to offer, we must not forget that there are always two sides to a coin, and print media to suffers from a few drawbacks.

Let us discuss the limitations of print advertising :

Limited Shelf Life :

Newspapers are usually read once or twice, and thereafter sold off to scrap dealers or are simply thrown away. The average effective life of a newspaper, for any individual, is estimated to be a maximum of 15 to 20 minutes only. Typically, no reader refers back to an outdated newspaper issue and therefore, advertisers must repeat their advertisements to ensure that the advertisement has a lasting impact.

Uncertainty :

Since many readers tend to read newspapers in a rush, there is no guarantee that the advertisements will definitely be read. There is a high degree of uncertainty involved with newspaper advertisements, as readers might give the advertisement a total miss.

Limited readership due to Literacy factor :

Newspapers are meant to be read, and hence advertising through newspapers does not work for people who cannot read or write. The readership of newspapers is consequently limited to educated people only. This is a major problem with the rural areas, where literacy rates are reasonably lower than elsewhere.

Lack of quality reproduction :

Newspapers involve the use of low-quality paper for publishing purposes. The desired visual effects may not be achieved, and the advertisement may not be appealing to the audience.

Availability of modern advertising mediums :

There are better and modernised mediums for advertising available today. Advertising through radio, television or internet, though expensive, are remembered much more than newspaper advertisements on account of an audio/video element attached to it.

Competitor Threat :

As newspapers are a highly visible medium, competitors may instantly react to the advertisements published.

Lack of control over Ad Placement :

Newspapers do not guarantee publishing of advertisements on particular premium pages. There are high chances of the advertisements not being published on the desired page or desired dates when the ad space runs out for a particular date.

Advertisement Clutter :

Multiple advertisements when printed on the same page tend to create unnecessary visual clutter, causing people to overlook specific advertisements. Advertisers with smaller advertisements, often run the risk of not catching the attention of potential customers when they are overlooked due to the clutter created by other competing advertisements.

Lesser Targeting :

Newspaper advertisements generally broadcast the message to one and all alike. They do not project the advertisements as specifically meant for a certain audience group. It is often difficult to target a specific target audience through newspaper advertising.

Increase in Advertising Cost :

To enhance the appeal of the newspaper advertisement, the advertisers often need to spend more towards the advertisement design, as compared to a plain text advertisement. Graphics, colours and images are employed to enhance the visual appeal of the advertisement, which incurs extra expenditure on the advertising campaign. Furthermore, advertisements need to be published frequently in order to be remembered by the audience. Repeated advertising too implies an increase in advertising expenses.

Lead Time Delays :

As print media requires production, the information requires a lead time before it is processed and published in the newspaper. Sometimes this causes the information to become obsolete even before it reaches the audience.

To conclude, every advertising medium is effective in its own way. It is required to plan the advertisement stressing on the positive aspects of the advertising medium concerned while working to minimise the adverse effects of advertising through print media.

April 11, 2020April 14, 2020

Types of Newspaper Advertising: which do you need?

Advertisements and business promotion have become two sides of the same coin. The most traditionally used means of advertising, newspapers, are the first choice for any advertiser when it comes to advertising. Low cost, wide reach and flexibility in advertising options are pretty much the reasons why advertisers see newspaper advertising as their prime choice.

Talking about newspaper advertising, there are plenty of options available to choose the advertisement type from. The decision behind opting for any particular type of newspaper advertising is primarily driven by the cost of advertising and the purpose behind the advertisement, with special emphasis on the target customer base.

The basic kinds of newspaper advertisements you will commonly come across while reading any newspaper, are listed below:

Classified Advertisements :

Usually towards the back of a magazine or newspaper, classified advertisements are small insertions, normally charged on a per word basis. Since these ads are less costly as compared to other forms of newspaper advertisements, classifieds are usually the first choice for any advertiser when advertising through the medium of newspapers. These ads can either be text based or image based, and the cost varies accordingly. The common sub classifications of classified advertisements are as follows :

Matrimonial
Property
Tender Notice
Public Notice
Auction Notice
Educational
Public Appointments
Situations vacant
Situations wanted
Rental

Display Advertisements :

Display advertisements occupy a space as much as one eighth of a page to an entire page in a newspaper. Being highly visual, these advertisements catch the attention of the readers towards the message of the advertisement.These advertisements are commonly termed as “box ads” since they usually take a rectangular or a square shape on the newspaper page. Larger the space, higher is the cost of the advertisement. These ads are generally used to advertise the everyday essentials like domestic items, kitchenware, cosmetics, electronics and sanitary products. Newspaper Display ads are usually costlier but has a huge impact.

Insert Advertisements :

Insert advertisements are full paged advertisements, usually in the form of small cards or pamphlets. The rate for such advertisements largely depends on the circulation and production cost for the flyer. Since inserts are “stand alone” in nature, it is possible for the readers to pull out the advertisement from the issue and keep it handy with themselves.

Spotlight Advertisements :

As the name suggests, Spotlight advertisements tend to place the ‘spotlight’ over a certain product, collection, employee or customer of the business. These advertisements tend to create an impact by providing huge avenues for brand recognition, highlighting the relevance of a particular product or employee, through their social achievements or the problems solved by them.

Business Cards :

Business Card advertisements typically outline a company’s information for the readers to connect with. With the use of creative slogans, taglines, pictures and graphics, these ads help people identify the companies, which helps them create a market for their products and services.

Sale Advertisements :

Sale advertisements are commonly used to make announcements when an entire store or a complete department of a store puts up a sale. These ads are most commonly used at the time of stock clearance to clear the old stock and thereby generate cash flows.

Coupons :

Coupons are used to attract customers to a business’s online or physical stores, by providing them an opportunity to avail certain offers against the coupons in the newspapers. This kind of advertising is pretty easy to evaluate in terms of the number of coupons redeemed by customers during an offer.

Informational Advertisements :

Such advertisements are printed in an editorial format, just like an article, usually with a disclaimer above the post, notifying the reader. Since such advertisements can also be posted online, these can easily drive more traffic towards the business’s website or store.

Disclosures :

The legal notices usually printed around the classified section of the newspapers are commonly termed as “Disclosures”. This is an important type of newspaper advertisements, as it usually advertises important information with the intent of making the information known to the general public. Advertisements for change of name and debtors fall under this category.

Foldings :

A small printed advertisement, usually placed on the left hand side of a newspaper, is known as a folding. Foldings catch the readers’ eyes as they are attached separately to the newspaper, with the advertisement printed on either one or both its sides. Visually pleasing, it comes in the way of a reader’s reading and hence draws attention towards itself.

Flyers :

The glossy and colourful advertisements within the newspapers are commonly termed as “Flyers”. Usually deployed by large retailers like pharmacists, grocery stores and supermarkets, flyers usually contain advertisements relating to seasonal sales going on in the respective stores, and encourage people to visit the store before the last date warning them of limited period or limited stock offers.

House Ads :

House ads are commonly placed by publishers to promote the value of purchasing ad space. These ensure more advertisers coe up and place advertisements with the newspaper, as a response to house ads.

Having discussed the various types of newspaper advertisements, the choice of the kind of advertisement depends on the advertiser, having considered the budget of the campaign, the target market to reach and purpose of the campaign.

February 19, 2017February 23, 2017

5 Things to Remember for Effective Newspaper Advertising

Effective newspaper advertising may seem like a very abstract term for a newbie in the newspaper advertising industry. Well, it is very simple, effective newspaper advertising refers to making the advertisement fulfil the goals it was meant to achieve. It should be able to drive the desired audience response and reach out to the relevant target audience. Ad on Newspaper

Most advertisements are published with an objective as was taught in the first course on Newspaper advertising. Achieving that objective is what makes it effective for the advertiser and if the consumer gets what he/she had expected from the advertisement, then it is effective for them. Following this, only one thing strikes an advertiser, “What are the elements that can make a newspaper advertisement effective?”

Well, the answer is quite simple and requires you to consider only 5 simple points to remember while engaging in newspaper advertising.

5 elements Necessary for Effective Newspaper Advertising

1) Right Selection of Newspaper

Newspaper selection forms the crux of effective newspaper advertising since it is the medium of communication. Based on the coveted results or audience reach, an advertiser needs to choose the preferred newspaper. For example, if the objective of a local garments store is to promote its clothes and offers available, then the best bet would be to go for a newspaper which is locally popular and has a high circulation to ensure higher footfalls to the store. It can either be an English or Hindi daily or a regional language daily, whichever has a readership in the targeted city or locality.

2) Right Selection of Edition or Package

A particular Newspaper is distributed across different cities and has special packages associated with multiple locations covered by the concerned daily. Some newspapers even have special district editions such as Eenadu that covers all the districts of the state of Andhra Pradesh and is not limited to only cities. Depending on the reach an advertiser intends to have, the edition (read as location/neighbourhood/city/district/country) of a newspaper should be selected. One more thing must be considered, that in case the exact location is not available for the chosen newspaper, then an advertiser must choose the closest location to the original preferred location.

For Instance, if you want to advertise in The Hindu and the preferred location is Pondicherry which is unavailable then the closest edition which can be chosen is Chennai which will reach out to the readers in Puducherry as well.

3) Correct selection of Supplement

Supplements are specific to categories such as Business, Entertainment and Lifestyle, Recruitment, Property and even Public Notices and Tenders. Selecting the right supplement or pullout published under a preferred newspaper is essential to reach out to the appropriate target audience. If an advertiser wants to book a Display Education advertisement in a supplement of Times of India, there is no point in releasing it in Times Property. It will be most relevant only when it is published in Education Times, which is the specific education pullout of Times of India.

4) Right Selection of focus day

Newspaper Supplements have a specific day when they are published along with the main newspaper. Getting an ad released on a specific day ensures higher responses from relevant audiences. The purpose of the advertisement is instantaneously affected by advertising on focus days. Even if the ad is not published in the specific supplement, but is released in the main newspaper, the response rate for that ad versus the one published on a different day will be much higher. This is simply because audiences keep an eye out for the category specific supplements on their focus day to access them, should the need arise.

5) Including Direct and Multiple Contact Details

An advertisement is communiqué which demands the need for content which communicates the intended message to the audience. This creates the need to provide relevant contact information that includes all the communications modes like phone/SMS, email, website and the local address. Providing contact information helps imbibe the faith of the audience as well as creates a sort of assurance in the consumer that the advertiser is available for direct communication. Also providing different mediums for communication will ensure that anyone from anywhere can contact the advertiser.

By now I am sure you have comprehended and gained enough knowledge about the field of newspaper advertising and its effects in India and the Indian audiences. So pull up your socks and get ready to help advertisers gain the attention they have been looking for.

February 19, 2017February 23, 2017

7 Mistakes to Avoid with Newspaper Advertising

Newspaper advertising, if limited to classified ads, is the easiest way to reach out to people, especially in case of personal requirements or small scale promotions. Taking risks or making small mistakes in classified advertisements may not be a big issue due to its low cost.

But when it comes to something as grand and expensive as newspaper display advertisement then, advertisers need to become meticulous about everything associated with the advertisement. Advertisers are aware of the fact that a lot of hard work goes into newspaper advertising, in terms of money, time, effort, market research and creativity.

Hence, it is necessary to be very careful with it and avoid making mistakes which either leads to spoiling the reputation of the advertisers or dumps the efforts made in waste if desired responses are not received. While getting your newspaper advertisement released ensure relevant responses from the concerned target audiences, by avoiding 10 crucial mistakes made by many.

7 avoidable mistakes in Newspaper Display Advertising

Although a winning newspaper advertisement may not be subject to avoiding these mistakes but they should be avoided by every ad. Ensuring that these mistakes do not harm the potential of the advertisement is the main objective of encompassing and informing advertisers about them.

Let’s find out these mistakes along with possible solutions for the same.

1) Use of Complex Taglines

While advertising it is really essential to realise that an advertisement is also the form of communication with the masses and communication should be comprehensive. The simpler the content of the ad the more comprehensive is the advertisement. A tagline should give out the message but in simple words and not in some flowery terminology, because in advertising using uncomplicated terms, is extremely crucial.

2) Use of Abstract Taglines

Abstract taglines are often baffling for the readers. It barely delivers the message and actually leaves the audience wondering as to what is the purpose of the advertisement. For instance, if you intend to advertise your jewellery retail chain, then you must mention jewellery in the tagline or the type of Jewellery you are promoting, like “The Best Kundan Jewellery at a store near you!” This statement conveys the message as well as talks about the product that is promoted.

3) Excessive use of Text

The key strategy of an advertisement is to deliver a message, be it for sales, branding or an announcement. The primary necessity of an advertisement is to be crisp and concise because it is an advertisement and not an essay. Copy or Content is always an essential ingredient of an ad, but using it judiciously and effectively is what makes an advertisement stand out among the rest. So keeping the words or message concise in an advertisement ensures a much more elegant and crisp way of delivering it to the target audience.

4) Infrequent Ad Releases

It takes the time to gain the trust of any buyer irrespective of the medium of advertising. It also takes the time to establish the name of a brand and create a substantial recognition for it. Also, if a festive offer is running for a certain period of time, then announcing the event just once may not be enough since readers may tend to forget about it. Therefore, just one advertisement is never enough for either branding purposes or for increasing sales. Multiple ad insertions mean that the chances of the ad getting noticed are increased by many folds alongside increasing the number of repeated eyeballs it receives.

5) Single Ad Testing

Many advertisers often get discouraged by a single trial advertisement and end up concluding that newspaper advertising is not effective. The same advertisement if released several times may not get the responses it is expected to. Versatility is always welcome for the ordinary readers and audiences. So newspaper ad trials should not be limited to just one ad but released with a few changes every time it is published. Changes, such as using a different image or a more direct tagline, crisper content or even a different background colour may make it more relevant or attractive to the audience.

6) Ignoring the Contact Details

This is the basic requirement for an audience to be able to contact an advertiser. An address alongside a contact number and an email or a website, if available provided in the advert can prove to be highly beneficial to the advertiser. In fact, it is best to provide all these details as the audience can have at least one mode of contact in the absence of others. For instance, a person without internet access should be able to contact the advertiser through phone, while an interested buyer without a phone can directly visit the store for purchase.

7) Ad Release at the Wrong Time

While promoting a product or a sales event or offering festive discounts, it is essential to advertise at the right time. Timing is extremely crucial for advertisements even for making announcements and brand awareness adverts. There is no point in reminding the audience of the brand twice within a week, neither is there a point in promoting the Sale period after it is over or making an announcement which has crossed its deadline or too close to it. An illustration explaining the situation can be garnered through a series of adverts by Shopper’s Stop that needs to promote their Diwali offers which extend over week overlapping the festival. In this case, there is no point advertising after Diwali is over unless it is extending even after the festival, rather the event promotion should begin from the day it begins and continues until the day it ends.

Avoiding these mistakes may not make a display ad full-proof or a huge hit, but it will surely get it noticed and make it stand out among the rest of the advertisement that we see every day in a newspaper. So keep these mistakes in mind, to avoid making them, not implementing them!