An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication (IMC). An IMC is a platform in which a group of people can group their ideas, beliefs, and concepts into one large media base. Advertising campaigns utilize diverse media channels over a particular time frame and target identified audiences.
The campaign theme is the central message that will be received in the promotional activities and is the prime focus of the advertising campaign, as it sets the motif for the series of individual advertisements and other marketing communications that will be used. The campaign themes are usually produced with the objective of being used for a significant period but many of them are temporal due to factors like being not effective or market conditions, competition and marketing mix.
Advertising campaigns are built to accomplish a particular objective or a set of objectives. Such objectives usually include establishing a brand, raising brand awareness, aggrandizing the rate of conversions/sales. The rate of success or failure in accomplishing these goals is reckoned via effectiveness measures. There are 5 key points at which an advertising campaign must consider to ensure an effective campaign. These points are, integrated marketing communications, media channels, positioning, the communications process diagram and touch points.
The process of making an advertising campaign is as follows:
- Research: First step is to do a market research for the product to be advertised. One needs to find out the product demand, competitors, etc.
- Know the target audience: One need to know who are going to buy the product and who should be targeted.
- Setting the budget: The next step is to set the budget keeping in mind all the factors like media, presentations, paper works, etc which have a role in the process of advertising and the places where there is a need of funds.
- Deciding a proper theme: The theme for the campaign has to be decided as in the colours to be used, the graphics should be similar or almost similar in all ads, the music and the voices to be used, the designing of the ads, the way the message will be delivered, the language to be used, jingles, etc.
- Selection of media: The media or number of Medias selected should be the one which will reach the target customers.
- Media scheduling: the scheduling has to be done accurately so that the ad will be visible or be read or be audible to the targeted customers at the right time.
- Executing the campaign: Finally the campaign has to be executed and then the feedback has to be noted.
Media channels
Media channels, also known as, marketing communications channels, are used to create a connection with the target consumer and influence the behaviour. Traditional methods of communication with the consumer include newspapers, magazines, radio, television, billboards, telephone, post and door to door sales. These are just a few of the historically traditional methods.
Along with traditional media channels, comes new and upcoming media channels. Social media has begun to play a very large role in the way media and marketing intermingle to reach a consumer base. Social media has the power to reach a wider audience. Depending on the age group and demographic, social media can influence a company’s overall image. Using social media as a marketing tool has become a widely popular method for branding. A brand has the chance to create an entire social media presence based around their own specific targeted community.
With advancements in digital communications channels, marketing communications allow for the possibility of two-way communications where an immediate consumer response can be elicited. Digital communications tools include: websites, blogs, social media, email, mobile, and search engines as a few examples. It is important for an advertising campaign to carefully select channels based on where their target consumer spends time to ensure market and advertising efforts are maximized. Marketing professionals should also consider the cost of reaching its target audience and the time (i.e. advertising during the holiday season tends to be more expensive).
Characteristics of Effective Advertising Campaign
Most advertising campaigns can be called effective in their own rights, although they may be absolutely different from each other. Here are some common aspects of effective campaigns that succeed in meeting their goals.
Appeal to the Right of Customers
Each customer and target market has a pain point. And the most effective way to address this pain point is by letting them know how they can take care of it by themselves, and how the product being advertised will aid the process.
Draw Attention
An advertising campaign will only be successful if it is able to draw enough attention. This means high levels of graphics and content becomes an inherent part of the process. But on the other hand, minimalism is also quite capable of drawing audience attention.
Educate the Target Market
If the adverts themselves provide value, then customer trust is easily established. Thus, creating an advertising campaign that provides useful information to the target market opens a communication channel that helps in establishing value to the brand.
Trust is the Key
All successful advertising campaigns bank on establishing trust with their targeted audience. This can be done through various means such as giveaways, trial offers, etc.
Call to Action is a Must
Call to action is basically a command given to the viewer at the end of an advertisement to perform a certain task. The most usual call to action is to ask the viewer to buy the product or service.
Short and Sweet
Advertisement campaigns that drag on for too long are bound to lose mileage and the successful ones usually get the message delivered within a short time. Minimalism can pay off greatly if used by the right person.
Easy to Remember
Memorable advertising campaigns featuring mascots or themes are some of the best examples of successful ads. Creating a memorable advertisement boosts brand recognition as well as sales.
Types:
- Traditional media campaign
A traditional media campaign is one that relies on traditional media outlets to increase brand awareness and/or promote a product or service. Common traditional media outlets used for this type of campaign include TV, print advertising, radio and direct-mail advertising. An example of a traditional media campaign is placing ads in your local newspaper to let potential consumers know about a sale your store is running.
- Seasonal push campaign
A seasonal push campaign is a campaign used to promote seasonal sales, products or services. This type of campaign is frequently used by companies that experience a seasonal influx of business such as retail chains and restaurants. For example, a local retail store may create ads on social media informing consumers of a winter sale to increase revenue during the winter months.
- Product launch campaign
Launching a new product often involves marketing campaigns aimed at spreading awareness of the product and why customers need it. A product launch campaign is executed by the manufacturer in coordination with any distribution partners. For example, consider a shoe company that launches a new pair of women’s sneakers. The marketing campaign would likely focus on reaching women of a certain age group and would include marketing tactics such as social media advertising and emails to existing customers.
- Brand awareness campaign
A brand awareness campaign is one in which marketing efforts focus on building or strengthening the awareness of a company’s brand. Larger brands may implement regular brand awareness campaigns to maintain their popularity.
For example, a company may start a blog and produce high-quality content relevant to its target audience. This ensures that when the target audience searches for an answer to a question that the company has addressed in its blog, the audience is made aware of the company or brand. While they may not make a purchase at that moment, the target audience becomes cognizant of the brand and will likely return to it in the future.
- Rebranding campaign
A rebranding campaign is when a company uses marketing to promote a change such as a new company name, logo or merger with another organization. This type of marketing campaign is also used by companies that have fallen out of favor with their target audiences or that wish to make a comeback in their industry. For example, a fast-food restaurant has been under scrutiny for its unhealthy meal options. The company could use a rebranding campaign to advertise new healthy options and promote its commitment to encouraging health and wellness among its customers to encourage new sales.
- Brand launch campaign
Similarly to a product launch campaign, a brand launch campaign is used when a company has created a new brand and wants to increase awareness of it. For example, a large company recently developed a new brand focused on a new market that the company has not been in before. The organization uses a brand launch campaign to advertise its new brand on social media and sends out emails to existing customers offering a discount when making a purchase from the new brand.
- Contest marketing campaign
Contest marketing campaigns are not a new concept but have become increasingly popular thanks to social media. This type of campaign can encourage new organic website traffic and spread awareness of a company and its products.
For example, a company runs a contest marketing campaign on its social media account to promote a new product. In order to enter the contest, individuals must tag three friends in the comments on the company’s post and follow the company’s account. This gives the company new followers and, thanks to the participants tagging friends who may not know of the brand, spreads awareness of the company.
- Email marketing campaign
Email campaigns are used by companies to keep in contact with current customers and inform them of sales, coupons, discounts and new products or services. For example, an organization may send out an email campaign to all of its customers informing them of an upcoming sale and offering an additional 10% off coupon.
Advantages of Advertising:
The advantages of advertising are to be analyzed in terms of its advantages which are as follows:
(i) From Viewpoint of Manufacturers:
A well-advertised product is easier to be sold by the salesman in the market. If a brand is popular and well-known, people respond favourably to the salesman’s efforts. It provides a support to salesmanship, as the audience understands the product and its uses more clearly through the advertisement and the salesman’s effort is reduced to convince the buyers.
(a) Increase in Sales:
The main object of the manufacturer in advertising his products is to promote the sale of his products. Goods produced on a mass scale are marketed by the method of mass persuasion through advertising.
Repetition of advertisements, the manufacturers are not only able to retain existing markets but are also able to expand the markets both by attracting more people to their products and also by suggesting new uses for them. Advertising is a helping hand to selling.
(b) Supplementing Salesmanship:
It creates a ground for the efforts of the salesmen. When a salesman meets its prospect, they have just to canvass for a product with which the consumer may already have been familiarised, through advertisements. Therefore, the salesman’s efforts are supplemented and his task is made easier by advertising.
(c) Lower Costs:
Sales turnover and encourage mass production of goods are enhanced by advertising that results in large scale production, average cost of production reduces and results in higher profits. At the same time, when the cost of advertising and selling costs gets distributed over a larger volume of sales, the average cost of selling also lowers down.
(d) Greater Dealer Interest:
Advertising creates demand by which every retailer gets an opportunity to share with others. Hence, the retailers who deal in advertised goods are materially assisted by advertising in the performance of their functions. The retailers have not to bother much about pushing-up the sale of such products. Therefore, they evidence more interest in advertised products.
(e) Quick Turnover and Smaller Inventories:
A highly responsive market is created by well-organised advertisement campaign thereby facilitating quick turnover of the goods. Resulting, in lower inventories in relation to sales and being carried-on by the manufacturers.
(f) Steady Demand:
Seasonal fluctuations on demands for products are smoothened by advertising generally the manufacturer’s tries to discover and advertise new possible uses of which a seasonal product maybe put. The innovation of cold tea and cold coffee for the use during summer has helped in increasing the demand for these beverages even in that season. The same maybe said for refrigeration.
(ii) From Viewpoint of Consumers:
(a) Improvement in Quality:
Usually, goods are advertised under brand names. When a person is moved by the advertisement to use the product, they proceeds on the hope that the contents of the particular brand will be better than the other brands of the same goods.
When his experience confirms his expectation, a repeat order can be expected. Or else, the sales may rise very high once but may drop down very low subsequently when the consumer’s confidence in the quality of the product fails.
(b) Facility of Purchasing:
Purchasing becomes easy for the consumers after advertising. Generally, the re-sale prices (prices at which the goods are to be sold by the retailers) are fixed and advertised. Thus, advertising offers a definite and positive assurance to the consumer that they will not be overcharged for the advertised product. The consumer can make his purchases with utmost ease and confidence.
(c) Consumer’s Surplus:
The utility of given commodities is increased by advertising for many people. It points-out and pays even more for certain products which appear to have higher utility to them. If these products are available at the original lower prices, there will naturally be a certain amount of consumer’s surplus in terms of increased satisfaction or pleasure derived from these products.
(d) Education of Consumers:
Being an educational and dynamic principle, the prime objective of advertising is to inform and educate the customers about new products, their features, prices and uses. It also convinces them to adopt new ways of life, giving up their old habits and inertia and have a better standard of living.
(iii) From the Viewpoint of Middleman:
(a) Retail Price Maintenance becomes Possible:
The consumers are quite keen on getting quality products at stable prices over a period of time. Each consumer has his or her own family budget where he or she tries hard to match the expenditure to the disposable income for a socially acceptable decent living.
In case the prices go on changing abruptly, these individual budgets are likely to be distorted to such an extent that the consumers will have to think of substitutes for the products they are enjoying at present.
(b) Acts as a Salesman:
What a travelling salesman does for this organisation is done by the advertising at least cost. This is the reason that most of the retail organisations do not employ large army of travelling salesman, rather they are willing to spend on advertising which attracts consumers to the sores where the counter salesmen cater to their needs.
(c) Ensures Quick Sales:
Every retailer having the stock of different producers needs a quick turnover. By bringing the wide range of these products to the notice of the consumers, advertising boosts up of sales.
Faster sales imply the specific advantages such as reduced capital look-up, reduction in losses of holding stock over longer period, increased profits even by reducing the profit margin per unit. Further, advertising gives much leeway and freedom to better serve the needs of the consumers.
(iv) From the Viewpoint of Society:
(a) Change in Motivation:
Radically advertising has changed the basis of human motivation. While people of earlier generations lived and worked mainly for bare necessities of life, the modern generation works harder to supply itself with the luxuries and semi-luxuries of life.
(b) Sustaining the Press:
For support and sustenance the newspapers, periodicals, journals, looks for advertisers, press, look to advertisements. In the absence of income from advertising, the newspapers have to be produced at a higher cost and may not be able to keep themselves free from its competitors.
(c) Encouragement to Artists:
Designing artists, writers to do creative work. They earn their living from preparing advertisements.
(d) Encouragement to Research:
When manufacturers are assured of sufficient profits. They undertake research and discover new products or new uses for existing products. Advertising puts forward this assurance and thereby encouraging industrial research with all its advantages.
(e) Glimpse of National Life:
A glimpse of national life is provided by national life.
Disadvantages of Advertising:
Advertising too have its own limitations. In some case it’s being misused by few people over looking their business interests.
The main weaknesses of advertising are discussed below:
- Deferred Revenue Expenditure:
It is a deferred revenue expenditure, as the results are not immediate. As advertising occupies a substantial portion of the total budget of the organisation. Hence, investing a large sum in it does not necessarily yield immediate results thus limiting its utility.
- Misrepresentation of Facts:
A major drawback of advertising is misrepresentation of facts regarding products and services. Advertisers usually misrepresent unreal/false benefits of a product and make tall claims to excite people to indulge in actions leading to their benefit, but opposed to consumer’s self-interest.
Advertising creates desires as consumers have low purchasing power. It leads to discontentment. Such discontent is obviously not very desirable from the point of view of society, particularly if it affects a large majority of people. But it is important if it acts as a spur to social change.
Advertisements promote industrial concentration to a greater or lesser degree. The extent of such concentration may vary with the character of the individual trade, the advertisability of the product and the technical conditions of its production. Although, studies on this subject are not conclusive. The evidence of positive association between advertising and concentration is weaker than can be expected.
- Wastage of National Resources:
It is objected that advertisement is that it is used to destroy the utility of goods before the end of their normal period of usefulness. Now models of automobiles with nominal improvements are, for example, advertised at such high pressure that the old models have to be discarded long before they become useless, not that merely, the most-advertised products are delicate, fragile, and brittle.
It is much debated whether advertising induces additional cost upon a product which the community has to pay. In a sense, it is true since expenses on it form a part of the total cost of the product. But at the same time, it would be unjust to infer that if the advertising costs were cut down the goods would necessarily be cheaper. Advertising is, one of the items of costs but it is a cost which brings savings in its wake on the distribution side.
Critics state that advertising encourages unnecessary product proliferation. As it leads to the multiplication of products that are almost identical, resulting in wastage of resources which could otherwise have been used to produce other products.
Advertising compels people to buy things they do not need as it is human instincts, to possess, to be recognized in the society, etc., are provoked by advertiser in order to sell products. At times, various types of appeals are advanced to arouse interest in the product. Sentiments and emotions are played with to gain customers.
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