Department of Communication and Media Studies Subject Introduction To Advertising and Public Relations BS5 Semester

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES

SUBJECT
INTRODUCTION TO ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
BS 5th Semester
INTRODUCTION TO ADVERTISING
Advertising has been the engine of growth of mass media. Much of the financial support
for the development of the technologies media has come from business and industry, which need
large –scale advertising to make their ware known in the marketplace.
MEANING OF ADVERTISING
For the common men advertising means television commercials, radio jingles and print
advertisements. Advertising can be defined as a paid dissemination of information through a
variety of mass communication media to motivate a desired action. The term 'advertising' is
derived from the original Latin word 'advertere' which means 'to turn' the attention. According to
oxford dictionary’ the verb, ‘to advertise’ means: to make generally or publicly known.
DEFINITIONS OF ADVERTISING
One of the earliest definitions of advertising was: ‘The dissemination of information
concerning an idea, service or product to compel action in accordance with the interest of the
advertiser’. This definition tells us about advertising being a kind of communication about a
product, service or idea, and is being goal-oriented. However, it does not include many important
aspects of advertising.
Jeremy Bullmore defines advertising as ‘Advertising is any paid –for communication
intended to inform and /or influence one or more people’. Here, the first element paid for
distinguishes advertising from free publicity. The second element communication indicates
transmission of messages and the use of a medium. The third element intentional is about
advertisements being goal-oriented. Fourthly, inform and/or influence indicates about the
persuasive nature of advertising.
Prof. James E. Littlefield and Prof. C.A. Kirkpatrick in their book define advertising as
follows: ‘Advertising is mass communication of information intended to persuade buyers so as to
maximize the profit’. This definition is again not complete.
American Marketing Association AMA defines advertising as: ‘Advertising is any form
of non-personal presentation of goods, services or ideas for action, openly paid for by an
identified sponsor’.
Instructor: Komal Mehreen

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The key elements in the above definition are:

1. Any form
Advertising can take any of the following forms of presentation. It could be a sign, symbol,
illustration, verbal message, etc. advertising can be in any form that best conveys the message.
2. Non-personal
This phrase distinguishes advertising from personal selling; as advertising is an indirect form of
conveying messages.
3. Goods, services or ideas
Advertising promotes goods, services and ideas. It also promotes persons and parties, places and
events as well as institutions.
4. For Action
This phrase denotes the action-oriented nature of advertising.
5. Paid for
Advertising is always paid for. It is not free. So it is distinguished from free publicity.
6. By an Identified Sponsor
In advertising the sponsor is always identified. We always know who the advertiser is.
PURPOSE AND GOALS OF ADVERTISING

Functions/roles/purposes of advertising are many some are given as under:
1. Marketing
Marketing is the strategic process in business that is used to satisfy consumer needs and wants
through goods and services, to reach its target audiences, marketing use many tools of
promotion. Also known as marketing communication, these tools include personal selling, sales
promotion, public relations and of course, advertising. Advertising is the most widely used and
most visible promotional tools in marketing.
2. Communication
Advertising is a commercial form of mass communication. Advertising not only informs
prospective buyers, it also transforms the product by creating a personality for it. Using visuals,
words, music, drama and lot of other things, advertising creates an image/nee for the product.
3. Economic role
Advertising play an important role in the economy by helping the society to achieve abundance
by informing and persuading people about products, services and goods. Advertising is a source
of information that increases the price sensitivity and stimulates competition.
4. Social role

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Advertising plays a number of social roles. It informs us about new and improved products.
Some imes it tells us how to use certain products. It also helps us compare products and services.
5. Improve sales
Advertising can also be for winning back the lost consumers, by announcing some
improvements, new schemes, attractive packages, or better quality of the product or services. It
might be necessary to reduce prices to hold on the consumers against competition.
6. Provide satisfaction
A consumer buys a product or service for the satisfaction it provides. The interest is not in the
product or service for itself, but in the satisfaction it provides. It can be psychological too. If one
buys a soap which is advertised as the beauty soap of the stars, one knows very well that one
cannot become a film star by using the soap or even acquire the complexion of the film star. The
psychological satisfaction is of the self-delusion that one uses the same toilet soap as a film star.
7. Sells Lifestyle
Advertising also sells lifestyle. This is very true of the advertisements of such products as
pressure cookers or gas stoves. These might be described as conveniences products. Thus,
advertising creates demands for the new products and hence creates a lifestyle.
8. Provide Employment
Without advertising, products and services could not be sold in sufficient quantities. Without
sales, factories would close down causing unemployment. Thus advertising stimulates economy
by providing employments to many people.
9. Revenue for Media

It is true that newspapers, periodicals and even the electronic media depend on advertising as a
major source of revenue.
10. Influences Public Opinion

Advertising today has become a very powerful instrument for motivating public opinion and
action. That is why it is used for political campaigns as well.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q. Define Advertising?
Q. Discuss the main goals of Advertising?

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES

Instructor: Komal Mehreen

The key elements in the above definition are:

PURPOSE AND GOALS OF ADVERTISING

Instructor: Komal Mehreen

9. Revenue for Media

10. Influences Public Opinion

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Instructor: Komal Mehreen

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