Advertising – Culture and society – Companies and businesses
We explain what advertising is and when this means of dissemination emerged. Also, what are its stages and the techniques it uses?
What is advertising?
Advertising is a means of dissemination in which various organizations, companies, individuals, and NGOs, among others, try to make themselves known, advertise, or allude to certain goods or services to interest potential buyers, users, etc.
Within marketing, advertising is considered the most effective means to attract the attention of the required public. Advertisers and agencies specialized in the subject are hired to carry out this function.
These aim to create advertisements published in various media through pamphlets, radio, television, etc. Currently, one of the most used media is the Internet.
When did advertising start?
Advertising as we know it arose in the last years of the 19th century. This is due to the second Industrial Revolution and the need to target as many individuals as possible.
It was also at this time that the media began to have a significant development, which in turn needed to be financed, which is why it is considered that a kind of association was formed between the media and advertising.
After the Second World War, there was a new explosion in the advertising world, and many techniques and media we still use today began to emerge.
Phases or stages of advertising
Within the advertising world, three phases can be highlighted:
Promotion phase. Also known under the initial stage, it is tried to expose the new goods or services produced here.
Competition phase. At this time, the promoted product is positioned in the market but not in the desired place, which is why it is trying to increase its demand.
Image conservation phase. The good or service obtained the demand that the bidders desire. That is why they launch campaigns to maintain the image they already enjoy.
In addition, a research stage begins when the advertising campaigns have already been launched. The objective is to know the effectiveness of advertising. Some of the reasons are to see the acceptance or rejection of the public, to know if the message reaches the desired crowd, and finally, to know if the advertising costs, which are usually high, are compensated by the profits obtained thanks to them.
What are the advertising techniques?
Various resources and techniques are used in advertisements to attract potential users or buyers.
Some of the concrete techniques are, for example, scarcity. In this case, they create campaigns whose production stock is limited; in this way, they make a particular purchase urgent.
Peer approval is also used, where satisfied characters are shown with whom potential applicants can feel reflected and identified.
Other times the product is advertised based on clear and straightforward information; however, scientific resources are used, where they demonstrate, based on specific figures, the satisfaction of the buyers or the good results obtained.
Many slogans can often be identified where the guarantee is paramount, that is, that the positive results will last for years, or if the client is unsatisfied, their money can be returned.
On certain occasions, specific fears of potential users or buyers are exploited to encourage demand for them; this is a widely used resource in insurance.
