These days, we have advertisements for everything, right from a packet of chips to the chip used in computers. It was often believed that ads persuaded the purchase of a product by exaggerating the facts. But is it not unethical on the part of the company to indulge in such acts? The question that arises here is whether the ad itself was wrong or was it understood in a wrong manner?Ad reading is an art by itself though they are only breaks in between our favorite TV programs. If one even appreciates the effort and skill that has gone in delivering an advertisement, one would understand the intention of the ad much better. Ads have multiple objectives-they are meant to create awareness in products that are either launched anew or to promote the sales of the products or to relaunch a product.
This article focusses on television as a media for advertisements because this is a get-together platform for family members and friends. TV is a common relaxation spot where the family discusses the information, quality of the ads and the utility of the product. The company should actually assume its presence in this sort of arguments and understand how the ads are placed in the minds of viewers. Success of an ad lies in the following factors: Creating an awareness for the utility of the product: The viewer expects the ads to reveal the utility or usage and has to match his need with the availability, to become a customer. The ads should, therefore, bring forth the need for the product and how it would impact the life of the customer.
For example: For the utility part of the product, Huggies, the baby diaper ad shows how the product gives the real feeling of relief to the baby. The ad by Whirlpool for its Refrigerator with fast forward ice system at just a press of the button.Creating an urge in the viewer: Once the user is aware of the product, the next stage is to create the need in his mind. There are many products that the viewers are aware of, but the level of purchase is more important. Awareness and purchase are two different things and, hence, to match these, the ads have to create the desire to purchase the product in the minds of the viewers. For example: Everyone is aware of a product called Aqua Guard from Eureka Forbes, but the important fact is, how many buy it. For this, the ad has been well-framed where the father awaits a doctor to treat his baby, who is a few months old, when a salesperson from Eureka Forbes arrives asking, "May I help you, sir." This strongly attaches a relationship between health of a family and the product.
Viewer carrying the ad fresh in his mind when he visits the shop: The ad should be a memorable one and not a `once upon a time' tale. The ads may be made memorable by way of good music played in the ad that keeps the viewer humming and, thus, becoming an unforgettable ad or by way of punchlines like "Feels like Heaven. Feels like Raymonds." The common nature of a human is that he relates everything that he sees to something he is familiar with. Hence, this is the strategy that is adopted. Once the customer sees a product displayed in a store, he relates it to the advertisement and tries to recollect what was shown in the ad. At that point of time, if he feels it is sensible to buy a product, he goes in for it. So what is more important is not only an unforgettable ad but also its relevance and importance to the customer in real life.A very good example would be of the Airtel network for its tune composed by A R Rahman, and the main factor is that the ad has not lost focus on the product, which is seen by the idea of a cell phone being attached to the mike to play the music and the clarity is beyond words. This is what the company had to say. |
