One of the most difficult tasks with advertising is the limited amount of time and space provided to convey a message. Whether it be a commercial or a print advertisement, advertisers only have a few seconds to capture viewers’ attention instantly. In addition to that challenge, advertisers are competing against many other advertisers who are trying just as hard to win attention. For instance, how do advertisers make sure to target their audience and get their message across at the same time? Should the advertiser feed the viewers with information such as filling the print ad with text, graphics and colors or should he/she use a picture instead to provoke thoughts? The answer depends on three things: object and purpose, target audience and brand image.
A sign found in the Grand Bazaar in Instanbul
First of all, understanding the company’s object and purpose are important because it helps them map out what exactly they aim to accomplish. Is the company striving to improve its image, sell a product or establish brand awareness? Secondly, the question is audience outreach; in other words, who does the advertiser want to reach and what type of mechanisms should they use to relate to that targeted group? That said, the organization will then proceed to carry out appropriate qualitative and/or quantitative research both for pretesting and post testing. Last but not the least, it is important for companies to assess its current and desired brand image, competitors in the market as well as analyze current trends in the media. The problem with the advertising industry is that the more ads they make, the more and more they will have to create. Customers follow the “out of sight, out of mind” concept. The industry must reinforce their messages to the customers because once they stop advertising, customers have a tendency to forget that a certain product exists.
