Traditional advertising-led by its poster child, the 30-second television spotis dead, dying, or in dire need of a shot in the arm.
Although many would not agree with Joseph Jaffe, the fact that traditional advertising media are losing their sheen is indisputable. The days when mass media-radio, television, print and outdoor-accounted for 100% of the advertising budget, were over quite sometime back. Over the past decade, Internet and other options for advertisers opened up in order to reach out to the target audience.
In the initial days of marketing goods, the sellers' vocal chords did the awareness and interest generation part. This primitive form of advertising was replaced by other means such as pamphlets and banners. Progressively, other modes of advertising that guaranteed a broader reach came into play. These included outdoor, print, radio and TV. As these assured wide reach to a dispersed audience, the term `mass media' began to be applied to these advertising channels.
Outdoor as a medium was one of the earliest mass advertising channels. Vivid graphics painted on the hoardings along both sides of busy roads, grabbed the attention of motorists. As vehicular traffic grew and traffic crossings became a way of life, the few seconds of idle time were pretty soon captured by eye-popping giant hoardings strategically located at vantage points. Specialized outdoor advertising agencies began promising targeted eyeballs, with the right profile of passers-by. What began as a mainstream advertising medium slowly took on a supporting role later on, to supplement media with wider appeal such as radio and TV.
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