Advertising industry has expanded and grown exponentially in recent years. Advertisements are surrounding us everywhere, from our mobile phones to roads to television screens to newspapers.

A successful advertisement spreads like wildfire. It can easily attract the audience, improve the brand’s image and even generate sales. In this information age, brands have access to a wide variety of mediums but they should choose the most suitable medium that would benefit them. When we have to choose from a plethora of options, we tend to get confused and often choose the wrong option. A brand should consider various factors like budget, target audience, product type, etc to choose the apt medium. In this article, we will provide 9 types of advertisements that a brand can choose to promote their business. Without any further 

delay, let’s get started with the list.

9 Types of Advertising

Display Advertisements

A popular and effective way of advertising, display advertisements are done digitally as well as use traditional mediums of advertising.

Display ads is a lucrative way for marketers who are looking for a wide reach with a variety of audiences. You can usually spot display ads while scrolling various social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or while walking on a road and you can see a huge billboard of Airtel with ‘This is the fastest Indian Network’ written on it.

As digital advertising is booming in the country, many brands give their advertisements online because the majority of the population is on their phones. The main purpose of these ads is remarketing or retargeting. They are like reminders. For example, if a user visits a website but comes out without purchasing, they try to display ads on different websites to remind you to revisit and buy the product. 

Advertisements that are found in magazines or newspapers are printed . It is not a hidden fact that the newspaper industry gets the majority of its income from advertisements. Brands also promote themselves via newspapers because they know that the majority of Indian homes get newspapers every morning, therefore diversified reach. It is a win-win situation for both.

For a more targeted audience, brands look for advertising in magazines. They have to select the most suitable magazine that defines their target audience. For example, a kitchen appliance brand would want to advertise in magazines that are read by women and housewives. It can also offer better picture quality for the advertisements which can be a better visual experience for the audience.

Television Advertising

Watching a 30 min show on television means 20 mins show and the rest of the 10 minutes are advertisements. Television can show advertisements repeatedly with numerous channels available. It can be quite costly for the brands. The factors of the costs are determined by the following factors:

Ad length

Timing

Television show

Frequency

Geographical reach

If an advertisement is to be aired late at night or in the early morning then its cost would be comparatively less as during this time the audience would be minimal, hence it won’t be much effective. Therefore, the brand must select wisely at which time and on which network it should present its advertisement. 

Radio Advertising

Radio is another mass medium that has its reach to a diverse audience. Those who can’t afford televisions or can’t have access to television use the radio to entertain themselves. Radio also generates revenue from advertisements. The advertisements on the radio should be audio creative to hook the listener as the listeners are very impatient and their main reason to tune in to the radio is to enjoy music. People get irritated by advertisements easily. Brands can research which radio network would provide them their target audience. Timings also play a crucial role. 

They can also learn at which times their target audience is most active on the radio. 

Podcast Advertising

While Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotsta,r and other OTT platforms are getting popular these days with the variety of content they offer their audience, there is this podcast industry that has too created quite an impact on the Indian audience. India has the third-largest podcast listenership in the world and has even reported a significant growth in recent years. If you have good internet access, then you can listen to podcasts anywhere and anytime. Unlike radio, you can pause the episodes, revisit any episode multiple times, and can share its link with others as well. 

One can listen to advertisements either at the beginning of the podcast or after the podcast ends, the advertisement automatically pops up. Several podcast shows collaborate with various brands which also helps the brand reach the listeners of the podcast. Podcasts are a booming industry, their advertising here can be beneficial for brands.

Mobile Advertising 

Gone are the days when there used to be one landline in the colony and people used it as a medium to communicate with others. The PCO days are an old memory. With the advancement of technology, mobile phones have become a necessity in today’s age. We are on our mobile screens and the pandemic has encouraged this activity even more. The fact that the advertisements can reach anywhere, anytime is beneficial. Whether it be through SMS, emails, notifications. Not only this, you would have seen advertisements popping up while playing games or visiting a website. Nowadays there are QR codes through which one can scan and visit the website on their phone. The QR codes are also used to provide small discounts or vouchers.

Social Media Advertising

From kids to grannies and grandpas, people are getting more involved in social media sites irrespective of their age. The focus of brands is to reach different people irrespective of their age group, geographical background, etc. The content is the king, and social media is the proof. Even small brands and entrepreneurs have huge followings with millions of people watching and sharing their content. There are various methods of advertising and in social media, anything can trend!

Rather than the full advertisements, these strategies are more cost-friendly and effective when it comes to marketing. 

Public Service Advertising or PSAs

It refers to the advertising that promotes the social cause, or an initiative rather than the product. PSAs can be aired on radios, televisions or cinema halls. For example, the Sanitary Pads advertisement featuring Akshay Kumar is a PSA that promotes the use of sanitary napkins and emphasises the menstrual health of women. This type of advertising is mainly done by government agencies or nonprofit organisations where the primary objective is to spread awareness among the masses.

Guerrilla Advertising

It is a less conventional strategy that is used to attract people through its creativity and is less costly. For example: rather than putting a billboard or pasting handouts on public areas, draw a mural art or write a text creatively on the walls. These activities sometimes invite public participation and are eye-catching, and that’s the reason why some companies choose to use this method. Advertising via word of mouth can be more effective than all of the above strategies that were discussed, as people believe each other’s testimonies. 

Conclusion

The mediums change, but the aim is the same, the promotion of products to a wide audience and attracting them towards the brand. Every brand wants its audience to know that they exist. These were the 9 types of advertising that a brand can use to advertise itself. What do you think about these mediums? Let us know!