The objectives of advertising play a major role in promoting a product or a service to its market segment. As the world is getting more industrialized and the competition is getting increased day-by-day, the importance of providing accurate details to the existing and potential customers at the right time through the right method has been highlighted.
Advertising is considered as best and one of the most effective ways to get customer attention and to communicate to the customers. It helps the business to inform the customers about the product, features, value-additions, and the benefits of using the product. The target market segments that can be reached through advertising are vast. From kids to adults and the elderly generation, almost all the marketing segments can be reached through the correct way of advertising to achieve the objectives of advertising.
Various media types can be used to reach each type of market segment, highlighting the importance of advertising as a way of reaching the customers in the right time and right manner.
There are four main objectives of advertising that can be identified.
1. Trial – This is an objective that is trying to achieve by most startup businesses. This objective highlights the importance of creating a brand or product awareness in the target market. This involves educating the customers about the new product and convincing them to buy the newly introduced product to the market. Advertisers usually use flashy, attractive, and unique advertisements to catch potential customers’ attention to check the product and purchase as a trial.
2. Continuity – Once the trial stage is over, the business has to make sure that the customers continue to purchase the product over all the available competitor products in the market. This objective emphasizes the need of keeping the existing customers attached to the product by repeat purchasing. Advertisers usually highlight the value-added benefits of the product as a way of maintaining customer attraction.
3. Brand Switch – This objective is for companies who are planning to achieve a competitive advantage in the market. When the product needs to attract the customers of the competitors, the advertisers use this objective as a method of convincing customers to switch from their current brand to the new product. This is usually done by highlighting to added benefits or financial savings of the product.
4. Switching Back – This objective is about re-gaining the lost customers. This is used when the companies want to get their previous customers back, who have switched to the competitor products. The advertising methods that are used in achieving this objective are different from the previous objectives. Usually, the advertisers use methods such as package reworking, sales and discounts, new advertisements and providing a new perspective of the product use, etc.
Advertising is considered s a very creative, unique, and artistic way of communicating with customers. It is used to inform, persuade, and remind the customers about the product when achieving each objective level.
Objectives of advertising can be used as a way of stimulating sales, attract customers and create brand and product loyalty, create a confident and enthusiastic customer base, and achieving a competitive advantage over the market competition.
At the same time, it helps the producers to create an image of the product in the existing and potential customers’ minds. It is crucial for the advertisers to be sure about creating a positive and pleasant image in the customers’ minds about the product.
Finally, the objectives of advertising can be identified based on the product positioning in the market and the target market that the product is planning to reach. Whatever the target market is, it is important for the product to use the most effective advertising methods to reach the customers.