Advertising is the name given to the process of commercial promotion of goods and services in order to increase its sales. Advertising can be done by means of a number of mediums like television, newspapers, wall paintings, billboards, magazines, Internet, by the word-of-mouth and in many other ways. Advertising informs the buyers about the availability of a certain product or service in the market and encourages them to buy it. The main objectives of advertising are: * Increasing the usage of a certain product and hence acquiring more orders. * Creating new customers and increasing brand recognition. * To obtain feedback from customers regarding a certain product. * To indicate introduction of new products or replacement of old ones. Advertising has a number of uses. Apart from promoting commercial goods, advertising can also be used to educate and motivate the public about non-commercial issues such as AIDS, deforestation, family planning, etc. It is a powerful media which is capable of reaching to the far out masses. Now a days we find many ads on the internet also. These ads in most cases, have been successfully in connecting the user with the information he requires. To prevent complete commercialization of electronic media, some countries have made it mandatory for broadcasters to air some advertisements related to consumer interest. These public advertisements educate people of that country on a number of social and moral issues. However, some people are very keen on exposing the negative side of advertising. The impact that advertisements cause depends on the state of mind of an individual and his past experiences. For instances, young kids will be easily attracted by the false claims made in advertisements. People are also arguing about the increase in consumption of substances like alcohol and cigarettes after viewing the ads. Excessive advertising has become a nuisance in most cities of the world. Manufacturers easily make false claims about any product and influence the minds of the people. To confront this problem, companies are being asked to withdraw any false and negative claims made in their ads and also being made to pay a fine for these false claims. Today, the field of advertising has undergone a sea of change in comparison to the early years of the industrial revolution. Nowadays, advertising is carried out through various media like the TV, Internet, radio, newspapers, etc. With the rise in the number of media, the advertising techniques and methods have also changed a lot. What is Advertising? Advertising is one of the different forms of communication which helps in selling products or services of a particular brand or a company. According to famous ad man Mr. Morris Hite, the best ways to advertise are not those which reach the masses, but the one's which take into account the needs of local buyers or customers. Ways to Advertise Advertising activity can be carried out both online and offline. With the advent of Internet shopping, many firms have started targeting their potential customers online. This being besides the previously used conventional methods. Let us understand the different methods of advertising

used in today's world. Ten Ways to Advertise The following paragraphs provide information about 10 ways to advertise. Here is a list of the different methods used in advertising. The list contains methods both online and offline advertising. Some of the advertising techniques mentioned in this list are simple, yet highly effective in reaching the buyers. Personal Profiles on the Internet Creating personal profiles on social networking sites like Linkedln, Friends Reunited, Facebook, Ecademy, etc., would help in advertising the services or products in a big way. One should advertise by adding links pointing to their company or business websites. Instead of just hard selling, one can be subtle to market his services. Press Release Newspapers are still considered to be an effective medium to reach potential customers. Writing a press release would help in gaining free publicity. Newsletters could also be circulated by means of newspapers. Comments in Web Postings The comments section at the bottom of a web posting can be used effectively for advertising. If your comment gives some relevant information or data regarding the topic being discussed, readers would be interested in the expertise or advice that you provide. Links could be inserted in such spaces to guide the reader (or the potential customer). Craiglist One can also use a 'Craiglist' for the purpose of advertising. Craiglist is a network of communities present on the Internet. This centralized network features classified advertisements for free. Using the Car Window Placing a poster on a car window is a simple, yet effective method of advertising a product or service. One can just paste the web address of his company website on the car window in order to reach out to people. Free Directory Websites Using free directory websites too help in marketing products and services. There are many websites that one can use in marketing his service, thus reaching out to many people from all over. Shop Windows The concept of shop windows could be implemented both online and in retail stores. A poster which advertises the features of a service or product could be pasted on shop windows for gaining free publicity. Many websites provide the users with an event page to advertise their products or

services. Blogging It is one of the modern advertising methods used to promote a service or product. It requires writing the content that explains about the business in a clear and effective manner. One has to have command over the language in order to create content that is both informative and catchy. Link Swapping The concept of link swapping helps increase web traffic to the site. It is one of the techniques used for website promotion. Creating Reference Material It is one of the best free ways to advertise on the Internet. Creating reference material for the business websites helps in increasing the popularity of website. It is one of the best ways to advertise your business by simultaneously helping Internet users with some informative content.

Effective Advertising Techniques Used in AdvertisementsAdvertising is an art, an art of manipulation and persuasiveness, that enables an advertiser to market products and services for a profit, or even relay a social cause. This article aims to understand the techniques used by advertisers Advertising is all about the way information about products and services is presented. Advertisements are created to generate interest of the consumer, to facilitate increased consumption of products and services. Most companies hire advertising agencies to create an awareness about their brands, or rely on their in-house advertising team to do so. Mediums used to propagate information are television, radio, cinema, video games, the Internet, telephonic, banners, billboards, and print media like newspapers and magazines. Although not everyone 'buys' the message transmitted through the advertisements, at certain times we do get intrigued by some of them. For the companies who advertise their products and services, this intrigue and curiosity translates into sales in the longer run. Advertising is a billion dollar industry in American alone. Not only do the advertisers create advertisements, but spend huge sums to run, test, and measure advertising effectiveness. Effective Advertising Techniques Used in Advertisements Advertising techniques can be of many kinds. All creative advertisers use some of the following effective advertising techniques and tricks to grab the potential consumer's attention and turn it to sales. Arouse Curiosity Nothing works better than this technique. Humans, by nature are always drawn towards the unknown, or in this case something new and advanced. Arousing curiosity with words, prints, images or visuals will definitely make an impact. On an average, an individual spends less than 5 seconds to go through an entire ad. If your subject does not arouse curiosity immediately, it is a lost opportunity. A well-crafted ad should be eye-

catching, and difficult to ignore. Promise a Benefit Most brands are associated with some pre-defined character, and they need to be re-emphasized with every new service advertised. The headline must promise a benefit for the consumer, because in most instances it is the headline that sells the product more than the copy, images or the celebrity. Advertisements should also carry general information about the service center address, phone numbers, credit cards that the business accepts, and the name of a person to ask for when calling for more information. Emotional Appeal Many advertisers attract attention by pulling at the heart stings and triggering emotions. An emotional response is by far the most powerful reason for making decisions. Emotional and rational thoughts are interdependent, as the ability to decide rationally is determined by issues that drive the emotions. We get more attracted to products and services that make us feel good and safe. The concept of emotional appeal are best seen in insurance ads made world over, and also companies that associate their sales with social upliftment causes. Children In most houses, children have a say in every big or small purchase made. Most parents just give in to the tantrums, a fact well known to the advertisers. Out of ten commercials one sees through any medium, 8 have children featured in them who are generally a little more perfect than the target audience. These perfect children then go on to become role-models that have to emulated by other children. Celebrities A celebrity's larger-than-life image, whether downright weird or righteous, strikes a chord with people of all ages. Advertisers understand this appeal and use celebrity status and image to convince consumers that their products are worth purchasing. Besides celebrities that have international and national fame and recognition, many local advertisements use local, but popular celebrities in their ads. While choosing a celebrity to endorse your products and services, it is imperative to ensure that their image and character matches the brand advertised. Consumer Intelligence As a rule, never underestimate or insult the consumer's intelligence. Most ads exaggerate, however, the benefits and basic information of the product and service should be well presented. A consumer who is interested will always check the market before making a decision. Irrelevant and over-the-top exaggerated information will definitely turn off the potential consumer. No one really believes in words like the greatest, unbelievable or once-in-a lifetime-fantastic offer. Another thing to bear in mind is that, while certain products cater to general masses, some are only meant for limited market. Therefore, it's important to appeal to basic sense and culture of different markets while creating ads. An advertisement is more like a gamble. There is no fixed advertisement techniques for it to succeed. Some ads have all the right components, yet fail to create an impact, while some score over in their simplicity. The most, and perhaps the only important reason an ad is made, is to generate revenue for the company by selling products and services.

Types of Advertising Techniques

Advertising aims at promoting the products and services of a company. It helps in the creation of a brand identity and serves as an effective means to communicate to the world the value of the product or the service. Through different advertising techniques, companies achieve a growth in the sales of their products and services by attracting the masses towards them. Different types of advertising techniques aim at highlighting the product features and bringing about its uniqueness in relation to its competitors. Advertising techniques often intend to make a product stand out by throwing light on its features that make it look different from the rest. Advertising is carried out through different media so that the advertisements gain a mass appeal. It is brought before the public through various channels to ensure that the product or the service is noticed by the general public. Following is a description about the various types of advertising techniques. Print advertising makes use of the print media such as magazines and newspapers. The print media also offers options like advertising through brochures or pamphlets. The effectiveness of the advertisement made through the print media depends on the popularity of the media used. The advertisements, which appear in prominent newspapers, have a greater chance of being noticed. Fliers and brochures are commonly distributed with newspapers and supplements are attached to newspapers. In such cases, the popularity of the newspaper and the location of the advertisement in it, matter most. The use of audio-visual media is another popular advertising technique. Television, radio have been used in advertising since long. Internet advertising that has emerged in the relatively recent times has earned a huge recognition. In case of radio and television the broadcasting time decides the cost of the advertisement while the livelier Internet hosts websites that contain advertisements. Advertisements relate to the subject discussed by the website and popularity of the website and the position of the advertisement on the web page are determinants of its noticeability. Advertisers use not only the print and the TV and radio channels but also movies to feature their advertisements. Covert advertising is the practice of indirectly publicizing a product through movies and TV shows. For example, the actress in the film or the TV show may be shown to be using a particular brand of clothes or cosmetics; a particular restaurant or company may be shot so that the company name appears in the scene. The audiences watching the show or the movie are sure to notice the name advertised, thus contributing to the promotion of the product showcased. The use of eminent people for the promotion of a brand is one advertising technique while making use of common people is another. The purpose behind the use of celebrities is that many identify with the celebrities and it is a general psychology to emulate the person one identifies with. Celebrities are widely admired and hence prove highly effective in advertising. The use of plain folks strategy in advertising is based on the idea that common people can easily reach out to the masses. Some advertising techniques use promotional techniques that demonize the enemy. A point of view is stressed upon the masses and the ones with an opposite standpoint are made to feel inferior. Some advertisers present before the public a comparative study between two brands and bring out the superiority of their product in comparison to the competitors. Some advertising techniques use sarcasm to promote a product while demoting the competitors' products. Many advertising techniques are based on repetition in which the product or the service name is emphasized and is repeatedly put forth the public. Some advertising techniques make use of human psychology to follow something because the others are following it. People in large numbers are shown to be using the product thus in a subtle way compelling the audiences to start using it. Advertising techniques often make use of emotional and touching words or actions to attract

the masses. Advertising techniques are and should be efficiently used for social causes. Awareness about certain important subjects, social issues and environmental problems can be effectively communicated to the public by means of advertisements. The government and other social organizations are seen implementing public service advertising. But commercial product and service companies should take the eyes off moneymaking for a little while and come forward to advertise for a social cause.

3 Offline Advertising Techniques That Work .Many marketers these days have changed their focus from offline marketing to online marketing. But leaving offline opportunities is a big mistake. Offline marketing strategies are generally more personal, and if youre more personal with people, theyll feel like they know you and will be more apt to buy your products or services. Several low-cost options in offline advertising are effective and easy to implement. Here are three of them that you should be using. 1. Business Cards. One of the first things you should do once you establish a business is get business cards. They are relatively cheap to print and are easy to distribute. This is one of the necessary marketing devices you need. Of course, an effective design is key. It should be simple, with no more than two fonts and your logo clearly placed. Your logo should be the main element on your business card. Business cards are easy to transport and easy to distribute just hand them out to people you meet at conferences, trade shows, restaurants, anywhere! If you provide a product or service a waiter might need, leave your card on the table with the tip. Ive even heard of someone who leaves his business cards in bathroom stalls or on bathroom sinks. 2. Flyer advertising. Flyers are extremely easy to create at home or you can pay a printing company to do it for you. You can create your flyer in many software applications, the most common being Microsoft Word and Microsoft Publisher. You need to decide whether you want to use color printing or black-and-white. Color printing is more expensive, but the colors attract people to the flyers and youll have a better chance of bringing in more sales. When designing your flyer, keep it simple. Dont use more than two fonts if possible, and one main photo (you dont have to use a photo, but its a good idea). If you use multiple photos, be sure to choose one as your main focal point it should be bigger than the rest and placed on the top half of the page. You can distribute your flyers to people on the street walking by; hang them up in supermarkets and other stores; or hang them in banks and community centers. Be sure to check the local ordinances so that you dont break any laws by hanging your flyers in community spots. 3. Vehicle advertising. This one isnt quite as conventional as the previous two, which is precisely why it works. People dont expect it. If you commute in a city, you drive past thousands of people every day. If youre stuck in slow or stopped traffic, people will want something interesting to look at. You might as well be that something!

You can stick magnets that have your company name and Web site address to your car. If you want something more permanent, you can have decals or an ad painted onto your vehicle. You could also use your license plate holder as advertisement space. Many car dealerships do it, and you can too! There are many Web sites that will make custom plate holders for you. Vehicle advertising is on the rise, so get in on it while its still new so that you get noticed! Kaye Z. Marks is an avid writer and follower of developments in color printing industry and how these improvements can benefit small to mediumscale business.

Controversial Television AdvertisingControversial advertising in television has always been a matter of curiosity. Here is a short list of the various controversial television advertisements. Controversial Television Advertising Enlarge Image The television, or the idiot box, as it is today known, came into our lives in the '50s. The television is sometimes said to be one of the most business strategies ever created. Imagine, from the salesman's point of view, they would have an entire nation watching and listening closely to every word uttered for a set amount of time. Needless to say, the television exposed us to media like never before, bringing foreign worlds, fantastic ideas and advertisements to our living room. Television advertising is generally a thirty second audio visual clipping telling us the features and advantages of a particular product. Since the time span of an advertisement is so less, the advertisement should always be exciting, interesting and get the point through immediately. If we marry the concept that advertisements are always time bound and that human psychology is always attracted to controversy, we get the perfect advertisement, not good advertising, not bad advertising, but perfect advertising - controversial advertising. Controversy and media has gone hand in hand since time incarnate. A controversy depends on various factors. One of them being the target market of the advertisement. What may be passe in one country may be blasphemy in another, that is one main reason why even multinationals seldom keep the same advertising company across countries, leave alone continents. Controversy in television advertising can be related to anything, the religion, culture, general opinion. Most often, the controversy will center around the more baser inclinations, like sex. One such (banned) advertisement making the rounds on the popular film clips website was about women using a female sexual object, with the Christmas tune 'O Come All Ye Faithful...' without the '...To Bethlehem' in the end. in the

background. Another recent example of controversial advertisements was when Go Daddy girl Candice Michelle acted out a particularly risque advertisement during the Superbowl XXXIX. A major percentage of advertisements for condoms, sexual objects and to an extent personal effects like deodorants, perfumes tip toe on the thin line between intelligent advertising and controversial advertising. Sex isn't the only concept that has been used in controversial advertising. Sometimes, advertising speaking about current events have come under flak from various support group. Theoretically speaking, how would one like a raincoat ad based on the concept of the not-so-recent-now Tsunami? Some advertisements gain controversy just by being, for example the Crazy Frog advertisement. When the advertisement was broadcast in on Belgian Television, some parents complained that the frog in the advertisement appeared to have genitalia, while some others complained about the frequency of the advertisement. Showing genitalia in advertisements and other product collateral is not something new. A international cigarette brand had a man showing his genitalia through line art for many years. Legend has it that the cartoonist thought he wasn't paid his correct worth. Another case of controversial advertising is using famous or infamous figures. For example, Benetton became the center of controversy when it decided to use Victor Taylor the main accused in the Trinity murders as models for their advertisements in 2000 titled 'We, On Death Row'. Though controversial advertising is said to disturb people at the most, there are other types of controversial advertising that has raised the heckles of consumers. False advertising stands high on this list. False advertising is when the company makes false statements in a deliberate manner to generate consumer interest and therefore, gain revenue. Controversial advertising does have it returns as well as pitfalls. Where many companies may be told to pay a fine if their advertisements are deemed to be controversial, there have been cases where the person responsible for the advertisements has been jailed. For example, a few years ago, an in-house advertising idea caused employees of a bank to be put into prison. Their ad copy said that they wished to search for terrorists who could give them the most number of victims for their insurance policies.

Television Advertising In any business having some innovative idea or a unique service or a special product will make people survive in the field. But to really make an impact in your segment you should have a strong marketing and advertising team which is innovative as well. With out good advertising the external world is not going to be aware of your product and hence you are not going to be a winner in the field. Hence advertising is like heart of any business. Different Types of Advertising:

There are different modes of advertising. Some of them are television advertising, print media advertising, internet advertising and so on. Out of these, television advertising has seen a lot of drastic changes in the last few years. In the recent years almost all types of businesses are moving towards the television advertising at a rapid pace. As we all know more than ninety percent of the house holds now have the television sets and out of them more than ninety percent have the satellite cable connection attached to them. So, there is a great chance to attract so many people from the television advertising. There are even some channels which are dedicated to television advertising. Controversy about TV Advertising: How ever, in the last few years there is lot of buzz around about the television advertising. The television audience is getting really frustrated with the untimely and lengthy advertisements, which they cant really avoid. With all these frustration which is creeping up in the minds of the TV watching people, the advertisements are not getting the intended amount of customers from the television advertising. Hence this controversial television advertising has to be made in some other way so that it benefits both the advertisers and viewers. On-Demand Advertising: One of the most interesting answers that are given by our technology to this controversial advertising is one-demand advertisement. The main concept behind the on demand advertising is that the viewers will be shown with a small advertisement while the programs will be running on the channel. If the viewer is interested in seeing that advertisement then he can click a small icon which will be displayed on that advertisement with the help of a special remote controller. Then full advertisement will appear and he can stop it whenever he wants. On demand advertising is really a great concept. This is basically a sub concept of interactive television.

This can help both the advertisers and the viewers. This concept is already in place in some of the developed countries like United States of America. Navic is one of the biggest companies, which are working on this technology in the western world. Hopefully todays controversial advertising will turn into a very beneficial one for both the advertisers and the viewers in the near future.

Effects of Advertising on Childrenoes advertising have a strong hold over the way we think or act? Does the mass media dictate our needs and wants? Well, there are plenty of theories about the effects of advertising. Various creative heads that belong to different advertising agencies are often churning out new ideas to deliver their message to the public. Children form the major chunks of the target group for advertisers. Many advertisements aimed towards children are a sole proof of this fact. The prime motive of any advertisement is to convince the viewer about the quality of the product and instill that urge in him/her to purchase the same. Today, advertising plays an important role in the society, as it tends to influence young minds in particular. The first prime motive of advertising is to attract attention. With children, the messages need to be conveyed in a different manner. Goods are particularly packaged in order to appeal to the younger generation. Children today, are more specific about their needs and wants. Children are therefore reckoned to be a major buying force by advertisers. However, advertising can also have a negative influence over young minds if parents are not really careful and do not teach their children about the importance of money. In many cases, children tend to misinterpret the messages conveyed through the advertisement. They end up having wrong notions about many issues. Advertising influences the minds of children, which creates a need to own that particular product being advertised. Glossy images on the magazines or billboards or flashy advertisements on television only create the urge for impulsive buying. Parents who cannot deal with the rising demands or temper tantrums only tend to give in to the demands of their children. Children then get used to a certain kind of lifestyle, which is shown on the television or through various media. This only creates a very wrong impression on their young minds making them lose the ability to live a life without relying on materialistic joys. The power of advertising thus, cannot be ignored. For example, a child may prefer only a specific pair of branded jeans as compared to other clothing available in stores. He/she may want to live the life that is projected in the advertisements. The child may dictate to his/her parents about personal preferences in clothing, food, toys etc. Well, with these kinds of effects of advertising, one wonders who is to be blamed in this whole issue. Parents play a major role in this case. They need to monitor what influences the minds of children. Parents also need to be firm with children whenever their demands increase. Children need to be told gently that a no cannot be converted into a yes with tears or brawls! Parents also need to instill good habits and help children to

differentiate between right and wrong. And the sooner its told, the better it would be for the child and subsequently parents as well. Advertisers on the other hand, can also try to put their message across creatively and target the entire family rather than just children. This will ensure even parents stay within the loop and can monitor the demands of the children. With a balanced approach, the negative effects of advertising can surely be curbed to a great extent.

THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ADVERTISING Advertising is the name given to the process of commercial promotion of goods and services in order to increase its sales. Advertising can be done by means of a number of mediums like television, newspapers, wall paintings, billboards, magazines, Internet, by the word-of-mouth and in many other ways. Advertising informs the buyers about the availability of a certain product or service in the market and encourages them to buy it. The main objectives of advertising are: * Increasing the usage of a certain product and hence acquiring more orders. * Creating new customers and increasing brand recognition. * To obtain feedback from customers regarding a certain product. * To indicate introduction of new products or replacement of old ones. Advertising has a number of uses. Apart from promoting commercial goods, advertising can also be used to educate and motivate the public about noncommercial issues such as AIDS, deforestation, family planning, etc. It is a powerful media which is capable of reaching to the far out masses. Now a days we find many ads on the internet also. These ads in most cases, have been successfully in connecting the user with the information he requires. To prevent complete commercialization of electronic media, some countries have made it mandatory for broadcasters to air some advertisements related to consumer interest. These public advertisements educate people of that country on a

number of social and moral issues. However, some people are very keen on exposing the negative side of advertising. The impact that advertisements cause depends on the state of mind of an individual and his past experiences. For instances, young kids will be easily attracted by the false claims made in advertisements. People are also arguing about the increase in consumption of substances like alcohol and cigarettes after viewing the ads. Excessive advertising has become a nuisance in most cities of the world. Manufacturers easily make false claims about any product and influence the minds of the people. To confront this problem, companies are being asked to withdraw any false and negative claims made in their ads and also being made to pay a fine for these false claims. Television Advertising Pros and Cons According to a recent study by Ball State University on the media consumption habits of average Americans, despite the Internet's steady rise in popularity over the last few years, television remains the dominant medium in most U.S. households. On average, the general population spends over four and a half hours a day in front of the tube, making TV watching one of the most common modern leisure activities. Is it any wonder then that television advertising is also the most powerful form of advertising? Advertising on television allows you to show and tell a wide audience your business, product, or service. It allows you to actually demonstrate the benefits of ownership. You can show how your product or service works and how it's packaged so prospective customers will know what to look for at the point of sale. In advertising, it often takes multiple touch points to effectively influence consumers' purchasing behavior.

Television advertising has been a popular medium for large retailers ever since the TV first began to appear in living rooms. With the arrival of cable television came lowered production costs and the opportunity to reach smaller, more targeted markets, making it a viable option for small to medium-size businesses as well. To create an effective television ad, it's first necessary to have a good script that highlights a strong offer. Ads must also be effectively produced, and it's for this reason that it's often better to enlist the services of an advertising agency, which can help you create an entire campaign * TV reaches a much larger audience than local newspapers and radio stations, and it does so during a short period of time. * It reaches viewers when they're the most attentive. * It allows you to convey your message with sight, sound, and motion, which can give your business, product, or service instant credibility. * It gives you an opportunity to be creative and attach a personality to your business, which can be particularly effective for small businesses that rely on repeat customers. Some Disadvantages to TV Advertising For all its advantages, advertising your business on TV does have some disadvantages. Barring late night spots on your local cable television network, no other advertising medium is as likely to eat up your budget as quickly as TV will. Producing the ad, which can include hiring script writers, actors, film editors, or an advertising agency, is only the first step. You must also pay for air time, and because studies have shown that TV ads are most effective with repetition, you'll almost certainly want to run your piece a number of times. Because of this, most television stations structure their pricing to make it more attractive for you to purchase advertising in chunks.

Another disadvantage is how difficult it can be to make changes. Whereas with newspaper advertising, updating sale pricing or a special offer is often as simple as swapping out a coupon, with television advertising it means updating your script and reshooting the entire ad, which costs additional money. It can also be difficult to effectively target your core audience with television advertising, although there are a few best practices that can help. For starters, consider who your audience is before structuring your ad and purchasing airtime. Is a large portion of your clientele Spanish speaking? If so, you'd do well to purchase airtime on a Spanish-language station such as Telemundo. And if you're in the baby stroller business, you're probably better off purchasing time slots during the day when stay-at-home moms are most likely to see your ad. Television Advertising - Advantages and Disadvantages by Mike Brassel

Professional Member - American Marketing Association Marketing Plan and Promotions site - Tell-A-FriendWatching TV is the most common leisure activity in our country today. It is the medium where the consumer spends the most "attentive" time. A number of surveys report average daily television viewing time as high as five to six hours. No wonder it has grown into a giant advertising medium. While the newspaper may cover the citys general metropolitan area, TV offers the greatest possibility for creative advertising. With a camera, you can take your audience anywhere, and show them almost anything. The power of television is in its ability to simultaneously appeal not only to sight and hearing, but to strengthen interest through the dimensions of movement and the realism of full color. It is

comprised of pictures and words, but of the two, the pictures are infinitely more important. TV advertising can show and tell many people about your product or service, and actually demonstrate the benefits of ownership. Since they see how it works and how it is packaged, every time they see it they will be psychologically reminded of their desire to have it. Television always has been a popular medium for large retailers, but because of lowered production costs and the ability of cable to reach smaller market areas, its use by small and medium size businesses is becoming more popular. Television is often referred to as the "king" of the advertising media. It has proven its power to influence human behavior again and again. But it is also the "king" of advertising costs as well. Advantages of Television Advertising Some advantages of television advertising include the following: * Television reaches very large audiences - usually much larger than the audience your local newspaper reaches, and it does so during a short period of time. * Since there are fewer television stations than radio stations in a given area, each TV audience is divided into much larger segments, which enables you to reach a larger, yet, more diverse audience. * It has the ability to convey your message with sight, sound and motion, and can give a product or service instant validity and prominence. * You can easily reach targeted audiences. Children can be reached during cartoon programming, housewives during the afternoon soap operas, and insomniacs after midnight. Disadvantages of Television Advertising

* When you advertise on TV, your commercial is not only competing with others, it is also competing with the viewers environment as well. * Even if your commercial is being aired, viewers may never see it unless it is intrusive enough to capture their attention. * A minimum amount of airtime provides limited length of exposure and ad clutter. * The message comes and goes, and thats it! Unless you buy additional time, the viewer doesnt see your commercial again. * Multiple exposures are required to achieve message retention and consumer action. If you dont reach your viewer at least 5-7 times, you are just throwing money away. * No station loyalty; Viewers have little or no loyalty to the station itself - especially since cable can bring dozens of viewing alternatives into the home. For example, viewers will watch a given channel for a program they know will be aired at a specific time. If a football game, popular movie or some other preferred form of entertainment appears on another channel, the viewer will not hesitate to switch channels without leaving the couch. * During a commercial break the viewer may choose to get a snack, go to the bathroom or have a conversation about whatever they were just watching. * Because of a larger "area of dominant influence," the relative cost will be higher - both the terms of airtime and production. The "glitz and glamour" associated with producing a television commercial makes it one of the most appealing advertising methods. Carefully consider your budget and other options, however, to be sure a TV ad makes sense for your company.