18. Advertising

Lead-in:

1. advertising – рекламування

2. mass media – засоби масової інформації

3. setting the objectives – настанова завдань

4. drawing up a budget – розробка бюджету

5. appeal – звернення, заклик

6. total expenditures – сукупні витрати

7. steady demand – постійний попит

Advertising is the act of making a product, a job vacancy, an event publicly known. It is a non-personal form of communication through paid means of information distribution with a clearly stated source of financing.

In business billions are spent on advertising. Products and services are advertised through mass media (including radio broadcast, television, newspapers and magazines), billboards, handbills, booklets and so on. In big business the whole army of specialists is employed in the field of advertising. They work out advertising programmes, provide means for advertising purposes, discuss and solve many advertising problems with the owner or manager of a company.

Making advertisement is a complicated five-stage process which includes such stages as setting the objectives, drawing up a budget, the appeal, the choice of means of information distribution and assessment of the results.

The objectives should be clearly stated, no matter whether it’s informing, persuading or reminding. Informing prevails on the stage of introducing a new product on the market. Persuading forms a special demand for a certain brand of products. Some persuading adverts tend to be comparative, i.e. they tend to show advantages of one brand over the other one of the same trade class. Comparative adverts are used to promote such categories of goods as deodorants, tooth paste, tires and cars. Reminding is important to make the consumer remember the product but not to persuade or inform.

The budget can be drawn up according to such principles as “on the level of competitors”, “out of certain objectives and goals”, etc. Any advertiser should keep in mind the four AIDA points – attention, interest, desire, action – consequent stages of the consumer’s response before buying.

The choice of means of information distribution depends on setting the following questions: stating the range of frequency and the impact of the advert, choosing a specific advertising means and the right schedule.

The economics of advertising continue to be subject to much discussion. It is true that the total expenditure on advertising is high. Most of it is spent on promoting “branded goods”. This is almost inevitable: if advertised goods were not branded, the buyer would have no guide to enable him to recognise in the shops the goods he has seen mentioned in an advertisements.

Unless goods were branded, no mass market could be created under modern condition and there would be no steady demand.

Questions for comprehension check-up and discussion:

1. What is advertising?

2. Is advertising expensive?

3. How can products and services be advertised?

4. How many stages are there in making advertisement?

5. What is intorming advertisement?

6. What is persuading advertisement?

7. What is reminding advertisement?

8. What four AIDa points should any advertiser keep in mind?