What is an advertisement? Discuss its types and importance.
Can you see that billboard in the following picture? Have you ever seen something like that in real life? If yes, then you know what an advertisement, advert, or ad is (different names and terms, same thing)
Imagine a billboard that displays a poster as an advertisement for your dream car. While moving across the streets, if every day you get to see that ad, then it may grow your desire to have it sooner. If there were no ad or billboard at that place, then you would have been untouched from the thought of buying it early. Well, that’s the power of an advertisement.
Advertisement is a medium to spread awareness and send a message to the people. That message can be for a product, service, public issue, job, etc. Advertisement can take many forms like banners, posters, web posts, videos, etc. A good ad has the capability of influencing people. That influence can be for understanding something or making a decision. Recall the example I have mentioned above. An advertising agency or an advertiser designs an ad for a sponsor or a brand.
Types of Advertisement
1) Offline/Print Ads
As the name suggests, these are the ads displayed offline such as in the newspaper, magazines, TV, billboards, etc. It may take further the form of an article, classified column, box ad, pamphlets, etc.
2) Online Ads
They are also known as digital ads and are being displayed with the help of the internet. Online ads are popular in the present era. They may be in the form of video, text, graphics, etc. on the internet. For example, YouTube Ads, Facebook ads, etc.
Some more types of ads include radio, television, directories, emails, catalogs, theatre, outdoor space (like billboards), etc.
However, there can be more classification for the ads that depend if we get specific.
Now, let’s understand the importance of ads.
Importance of Advertisement:
Ads have importance for advertisers/advertising agencies, sponsors/businesses, as well as the target group. For each entity in the advertisement, the reasons for importance are different.
Let’s generalize them as five reasons advertisements matter, which are:
1) An effective way of spreading a message or announcement. (Good for all three.)
2) They help promote of goods, services, products, brands, etc. (Good for all three.)
3) They are a source of income for advertisers. (Good for advertisers.)
4) They generate employment. (Good for people.)
5) They are helpful in marketing. (Good for businesses.)
To gain more insight into the importance of an advertisement, I would suggest you imagine a world with literally no advertising. Here’s a post that would let you imagine that world. As this answer is getting long, so I would suggest you read that. I am sure you would have a better understanding of advertisements after reading that post.
Please feel free to reply for more information.
Good Luck!
Thanks,
Cleo
