Radio Advertising

Radio Advertising This is a verbal medium of advertising and has the widest coverage because many people can afford a radio set. It can be used in areas without electricity with the help of batteries.

Advantages of Radio Advertisement • It is affordable compared to other methods of advertising • It has the widest coverage because many people own radio sets. • It offers the opportunity of addressing a targeted audience. • It is flexible. The message can quickly be changed. • Advertising can be done in both English and local dialects for the benefit of all.

Disadvantages of Radio Advertisement • Radio advertisement are usually brief. • It only appeals to the ears. • There is lack of excitement. • It is not suitable for product demonstration.

Newspaper Advertisement This provides relatively permanent record for adverts carried in them. They exist on daily and weekly basis. Information in them have both local and international coverage. Advantages of Newspapers: • Newspaper advertisement can be stored for a very long time. • They have wide coverage.

It makes it possible for the pictures, prices and other information of the advertised products to be seen. • Adverts in them are usually colorful and attractive to viewers. Disadvantages • They are only beneficial to literates. • The cost of advertisement is very high. • The pictures of advertised products may be distorted.

Magazines/Journal Advertisement These appeal to the general public and have wide circulation. Advantages • Readers can see the pictures of the advertised products. • They have wide coverage. • They provide information such as the uses of the product and where to obtain them. • Adverts can be read as many times as possible. • They have relatively long life span.

Disadvantages • Information on them can only be read by literates. • The pictures are usually distorted. • It is very expensive to advertise through these media. • Adverts on these lack impact. ( That is sound and movement)

Bill board or hoarding advertisement This is a medium of advertising goods in large posters pasted on very large boards in some conspicuous positions along major roads. Advantages of Bill boards or hoarding • Large colourful pictures are used to convey the message even to illiterates. • It easily captures attention as they are placed at strategic places. • it has good reach and frequency.

Disadvantages of bill board/hoarding advertisement • It is expensive to erect. • It is usually located in cities, restricting it to towns only. • The message on bill boards are too brief and unable to give full information about the product.

Window Display Advertisement This is a method of displaying goods on the windows, shelves in shops, front of houses etc. The goods displayed attract customers. Advantages of window display • It brings about impulsive buying. • It appeals and persuades people to buy. • It provides twenty-four hours advertisement. • It attracts customers to the goods.

Disadvantages • It has high over head cost. • Burglars can target such buildings because of the displayed goods. • The special lights can be deceitful. • It has low coverage since it is restricted to a particular location.

Assignment State three advantages and two disadvantages of these advertising media. WASSCE 2004 question 10. • Posters • Direct mail • Catalogue • cinema

Factors to be considered before choosing a particular advertising medium • The cost of using the medium • The target audience • The medium coverage/ extent of circulation • The nature of product • The media used by competitors • The effectiveness of the medium • The purchasing power of the targeted audience • The age group. • Government regulations or policies

Advantages of advertising • It provides employment opportunities. • It arouses the interest of the consumers in a particular product. • It gives vital information about the goods. • It create healthy competition among firms which leads to increased quality of goods and services. • Effective advertising encourages mail order business. • It improves the standard of living. • It leads to mass production. • It increases sales as a result of high demand. • It increases the rate of turnover. • It gives the producer the opportunity to explain the uses and features of the product.

Disadvantages • It leads to increase in the cost of goods sold. • Some advertising messages are misleading. • It gives undue credit to certain products that could not have favorably competed with others. • It leads to the driving away of small firms from the business and consequently resulting to unemployment. • It leads to exploitation. • It encourages people to buy harmful products. • It encourages people to want more material possessions. • It can create public nuisance e.g. posting of bills in unauthorized areas.

Advertising Agency These are specialists who are involved in the planning and creating of advertisement in the media. Functions of advertising agency • They advise clients on advertising strategies and the media to use. • They conduct market for research. • They buy air time and media space for advert placement. • They provide advert copy (ies) to clients for approval. • They plan advertisement. • They perform marketing functions like selecting target audience, designing products etc.

Consumer Protection In Nigeria, certain bodies have been established to control advertising practices. Some of them are: • Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) • Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria ( OAAN) • Broadcasting organization of Nigeria (BON) • Consumers Protection Organization of Nigeria (CPON)

Below are some of the rules that govern the practice of Advertising agencies: • Establishment of professional groups. • Acceptance of the established code of advertising practice • Establishment of statutory control. • Establishment of advertising practitioners council of Nigeria.

Radio Advertising