First, watch this really interesting THIS VIDEO and then read to learn further about what we've seen in class about the topic of advertising. Here are some other techniques...
Advertising techniques
Today every
company needs to advertise its product to inform the customers about the
product, increase the sales, acquire market value, and gain reputation and name
in the industry. Every business spends lot of money for advertising their
products but the money spent will lead to success only when the best techniques
of advertising are used for the product. So here are some very common
and most used techniques used by the advertisers to get desired results.
- Emotional
Appeal
This technique of
advertising is done with help of two factors - needs of consumers and fear
factor. Most common appeals under need are:
§ need for something new
§ need for getting
acceptance
§ need for not being
ignored
§ need for change of old things
§ need for security
§ need to become attractive, etc.
Most common
appeals under fear are:
§ fear of accident
§ fear of death
§ fear of being avoided
- fear of getting sick
fear of getting old, etc.
- Promotional Advertising
This technique involves giving away samples of the product for free to the
consumers. The items are offered in the trade fairs, promotional events, and ad
campaigns in order to gain the attention of the customers.
- Bandwagon Advertising
This type of technique involves convincing the customers to join the group
of people who have bought this product and be on the winning side. For e.g.
recent Pantene shampoo ad which says “15crores women trusted Pantene, and you?”
- Facts and Statistics
Here, advertisers use numbers, proofs, and real examples to show how good
their product works. For e.g. “Lizol floor cleaner cleans 99.99% germs” or
“Colgate is recommended by 70% of the dentists of the world” or Eno - just 6
seconds.
- Unfinished Ads
The advertisers here just play with words by saying that their product
works better but don’t answer how much more than the competitor. For e.g. Lays
- no one can eat just one or Horlicks - more nutrition daily. The ads don’t say
who can eat more or how much more nutrition.
- Weasel Words
In this technique, the advertisers don’t say that they are the best from
the rest, but don’t also deny. E.g. Sunsilk Hairfall Solution - reduces
hairfall. The ad doesn’t say stops hairfall.
- Endorsements
The advertisers use celebrities to advertise their products. The
celebrities or star endorse the product by telling their own experiences with
the product. Recently a diamond jewellery ad had superstar Amitabh Bacchan and
his wife Jaya advertising the product. The ad showed how he impressed his wife
by making a smart choice of buying this brand. Again, Sachin tendulkar, a
cricket star, endorsed for a shoe brand.
- Complementing the Customers
Here, the advertisers used punch lines which complement the consumers who
buy their products. E.g. Revlon says “Because you are worth it.”
- Ideal Family and Ideal Kids
The advertisers using this technique show that the families or kids using
their product are a happy go lucky family. The ad always has a neat and well
furnished home, well mannered kids and the family is a simple and sweet kind of
family. E.g. a dettol soap ad shows everyone in the family using that soap and
so is always protected from germs. They show a florescent color line covering
whole body of each family member when compared to other people who don’t use
this soap.
- Patriotic Advertisements
These ads show how one can support their country while he uses their
product or service. For e. g some products together formed a union and claimed
in their ad that if you buy any one of these products, you are going to help a
child to go to school. One more cellular company ad had a celebrity showing
that if the customers use this company’s sim card, then they can help control
population of the country.
- Questioning the Customers
The advertisers using this technique ask questions to the consumers to get
response for their products. E.g. Amway advertisement keeps on asking questions
like who has so many farms completely organic in nature, who gives the strength
to climb up the stairs at the age of 70, who makes the kids grow in a proper
and nutritious ways, is there anyone who is listening to these entire
questions. And then at last the answer comes - “Amway : We are Listening.”
- Bribe
This technique is used to bribe the customers with some thing extra if they
buy the product using lines like “buy one shirt and get one free”, or “be the
member for the club for two years and get 20% off on all services.”
- Surrogate Advertising
This technique is generally used by the companies which cannot advertise
their products directly. The advertisers use indirect advertisements to
advertise their product so that the customers know about the actual product.
The biggest example of this technique is liquor ads. These ads never show
anyone drinking actual liquor and in place of that they are shown drinking some
mineral water, soft drink or soda.
These are the major techniques used by the advertisers to advertise their
product. There are some different techniques used for online advertising such
as web banner advertising in which a banner is placed on web pages, content
advertising using content to advertise the product online, link advertising
giving links on different sites to directly visit the product website, etc.
