The successful promotion of a product requires a positive
message to be received by the potential customers. For many
products, advertising is the most popular means of conveying
that positive message. Advertising is not a new concept
(about 3,000 years ago, in the ancient Greek city, Thebes,
an advertisement was written on papyrus plant calling for
information regarding a runaway slave; this was not necessarily
the first advertisement, but merely one of the first examples
which has survived), it is certainly a very innovative one.
The biggest challenge before the marketer today is `value
for money' while purchasing communication media. While he
is perhaps not as spoilt for choice while shopping for media
as is a buyer of soap, there certainly are a plethora of
options. There is print media which includes newspapers,
tabloids, magazines, mailers, circulars, etc.; there is
outdoor media, which includes hoardings, kiosks, glow signs,
transport, etc.; there is electronic media including television,
e-mails, mobiles, etc.; there is radio too and the list
need not be exhaustive. And for the last several years,
online advertising is a significant addition to the list.
Online advertising is also known as `Web advertising',
Internet advertising and e-advertising. In a very simple
sense, online advertising can be defined as, "The use
of electronic communication resources (especially, Internet
and its enabled technologies) to engage in the activities
of advertising".
It is interesting to examine the growth of this new communication
platform. The Internet has provided a revolutionary way
for the business to communicate and interact with customers.
From small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, everyone
is engaged in creating their presence in cyberspace with
their own `Home Pages' on the World Wide Web (www). The
reason is not far to seek. The number of Internet users
around the world is constantly growing. The computer industry
almanac has reported that by the year 2005, 118 people per
1,000 around the world will have Internet access. Online
advertising has therefore become a part of media mix that
is being considered by advertisers worldwide.
|
