Advertising in the Modern World: Trends and Evolution
Advertising in the Modern World
Whether or not you agree with communications guru Marshall McLuhan that advertising was the greatest art form of the twentieth century, it is a big part of modern culture. Shared references feed into it, and it, in turn, feeds into daily life: advertising catchphrases turn up in TV comedy sketches and everyday conversation. And we become ironic about advertising, perhaps to show we think we are able to resist it. TV advertising is still glamorous, even if its heyday is over, what with the proliferation of channels and the saturation of the markets (at least in advanced economies) of consumer goods it normally promotes. But the other media are not to be discounted: cinema and the press – while hoardings (BrE) or billboards (AmE) are an integral part of the urban landscape. All these will be around for some time.
Internet Advertising
Internet advertising expenditure is on the increase. Some people find banner and pop-up advertisements a major source of irritation, but others find them a useful source of information. Debate about the relationship between Internet advertising and search engines such as Google is intensifying.
Alternative Advertising Methods
Advertising can be continued by other means, such as sponsorship of particular events or product placement in films. This is where the product’s makers negotiate for their products to appear and be used by the film’s characters. Another phenomenon is product endorsement, where a celebrity is used in advertising a particular product. This can be dangerous if, for whatever reason, the celebrity falls from favor.
The Effectiveness of Advertising
Some very creative minds come up with seductive combinations of sound, images, and words, but tests show that we often don’t remember the brand being advertised. Quantifying the effect of advertising is very difficult, and there has been a backlash against it in favor of other, supposedly more targeted, forms of communication. This usually means direct marketing, otherwise known as direct mail, but, as those living in apartments who receive mailshots for gardening products know, the targeting can still be ludicrously imprecise.
Advertising Agencies and Campaigns
Advertising agencies may offer to run direct-mail campaigns, but what they are best at is creating advertising campaigns. When a client becomes dissatisfied and the agency loses the account, this is major news in the advertising industry and means a big loss of revenue (and self-esteem) for the agency. Agencies develop a creative brief for clients, with proposals on the idea to be used in the campaign. One key problem is reaching the right target audience (for example, young women between 28 and 30), so the selection of media (the right TV channels, magazines, etc.) or new media (such as the Internet) is very important. And the advertising must fit into the company’s overall marketing strategy – its plans on how it will compete and succeed in particular markets.
Word of Mouth
All these activities, all this expenditure. But the ultimate in advertising is word of mouth: friends and colleagues are often our most reliable sources of information. This form of advertising is usually free. All the advertiser can do is hope that it is positive.