Advertising and promotion are marketing devices used to influence people of different social and ethical standards to buy and use specific brands. In addition to advertising and promotion's role in attracting and retaining customers, these methods are also used to influence social and cultural standards, beliefs and practices.
Function
Advertising is the method by which a product, service, person or place is introduced to a potential or already established market in an effort to obtain or retain loyal customers and constituents. Advertising's main function is to alert the buying public of the availability of an individual's or company's products to ensure that their brand names are continuously considered to be among the best on the market.
Targeted Audiences
Advertising is best utilized when it is targeted to specific individuals and related groups of people. Therefore, advertising campaigns are highly focused around the demographic needs and desires of potential and established customers. Targeted audiences include mothers, students, elderly people, thrill seekers, political conservatives, political liberals, homeowners, the wealthy, the fashion-conscious, the health-conscious and the weight-conscious.
Types of Advertising Outlets
Advertising strategies utilize many outlets, often interchanging these approaches to suit current individual and company goals and take advantage of new technological advances. Examples of these advertising types include public service, print, television and radio, event and trade show, billboards and celebrity. The Internet has only served to expand the possibilities, materializing in the form of website banner ads and email blasts.
Targeted Advertising Promotions
Targeted advertising promotions are specific campaigns that usually run for predetermined periods of time to achieve specific goals. For example, holiday promotions are run right before Christmas, Easter, Halloween and other national or religious holidays, but they can also be run for prospective political candidates, new vehicle releases, and movie and music releases.
The Historical Significance of Advertising
Advertising campaigns are biased opinions and views of specific entities set forth to persuade people to buy into the promises of products, services, places and people. Therefore, since people, particularly those living in industrialized countries, are exposed to advertising methods at much higher rates than they are exposed to true social and political factual evidence, advertising has been known to contribute to erroneous impressions of groups of people. According to authentichistory.com, many Caucasian people living in the late 19th and early 20th century formed their opinions about African-Americans based on stereotypes of them presented in advertising campaigns.
