Understanding Advertising

Many people claim to understand advertising, but that claim is based on theory and perception and not on personal experience. Until I recently started working as an Online Advertising Service (OAS) Provider on http://ghadsghana.blogspot.com/, my understanding of advertising was only based on theory through my business studies. As simple as advertising seems to most people, it is strategic, technical and somehow complex so that it can produce the best results profitably.

Now let us remind ourselves of the fundamentals of advertising as business people. Advertising is the business of making adverts or advertisements (announcement of products and services in the media) to seek the attention and patronage of potential customers or the general public. Advertising is a type of Promotion (Promotion is part of the 4Ps of the Marketing Mix). Advertising is primarily intended to INFORM, PERSUADE, REMIND and EDUCATE (IPRE) potential customers or the general public.

Moreover, I was shocked at the simplistic and primitive responses of some of my potential clients, as I sought to explain my OAS to them for possible patronage. The common response in pride was: "We do not need advertising because we already have our customers, we are an old business, and our customers are increasing." I mostly ignore these reasons in humility due to the proud insistence on these reasons. But I have some explanatory responses to dispute the above reasons by my potential clients.

These potential clients of mine who claim to understand commerce are ignorant of the primary bases of advertising, IPRE. New and recent firms, products and services are advertised to INFORM potential customers or the general public about their existence. For example, the currently famous "Drop That Yam" Ad on TV by Tigo Ghana about the Samsung Galaxy Young 2 is intended to inform potential customers or the general public about this affordable smartphone.

Also, existing firms, products and services in market competition are advertised to PERSUADE potential customers or the general public to patronise the firm, products and services rather than other competing ones. For example, Voltic Mineral Water is advertised to persuade people to buy it rather than other competing Mineral Water products like Special Ice Mineral Water, Everpure Mineral Water etc.

Old, popular and established firms, products and services are advertised to REMIND existing and potential customers or the general public about their long, popular and established existence. So that they continue to stay in the minds of these people, and to still get the attention and patronage of these people. For example, one of the most popular products in the world, Coca Cola continues to be advertised despite its longevity, popularity and establishment.

Moreover, organisations, products and services which are somehow socially oriented are advertised to EDUCATE existing and potential customers or the general public about some issues in society. For example, Camel Antiseptic is advertised to educate the general public about personal hygiene but in a commercial or profitable way.

The detailed explanation of IPRE has disputed the simplistic and primitive reasons given by my potential clients. Lastly, let us all remember that advertising carries huge power in the world of commerce. For a Business Guru once said that "Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing, but nobody else does."

#Underatanding
#Advertising
#IPRE
#OAS
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(Dated 28-01-15).
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