To estimate, the average person is exposed to more than 600 advertisements per day. As every marketing manager knows, people are bombarded with messages through an expanding variety of media. Television and radio have long been the staples of advertising programs and they compete with newspaper and magazine ads, billboards, signs, direct-mail campaigns and other traditional channels.
Recently, the number of ways to contact customers has grown. Ads on the Internet, clothing lines with messages printed on them, telemarketing programs and even messages heard while a consumer is on hold on the telephone create numerous new opportunities to contact potential customers.
This situation represents a tremendous challenge for marketers. A company simple cannot afford to prepare ads for every possible medium. Choices must be made and messages must be of sufficient quality to give the company an advantage in a highly cultured world, a world in which people are becoming increasingly proficient at simply tuning ads out. To be effective, an ad first must be noticed. Next, it must be remembered. Then, the message of the advertisement should incite some kind of action such as a purchase, a shift in brand loyalty or at least a spot in the buyer's long term memory.
Three ingredients must be combined to create effective advertisements:
1. Development of a logical advertisement management scheme for the company.
2. Careful selection of the media.
3. Thoughtful design of the advertisement.
Selecting media and designing the actual advertisements go hand in hand, one cannot be performed without the other in mind. It is always good to remember that these two ingredients are connected to each other. Only then will the ad agency or creative department be able to create consistent, effective advertisements and promotional campaigns.
Advertising campaign management is an integral part because it lays the groundwork for the total advertising program. Advertising campaign management is the process of preparing and integrating a specific advertising program with the overall IMC message. One key element in this process is to develop the message theme. The message theme is an outline of key ideas that the advertising program is supposed to convey. The message theme should match the company's overall marketing and IMC strategies.
As can be seen, the task of managing an advertising program involves careful thought, with a clear linkage between individual IMC objectives and the tactics used to reach those objectives. After all, advertising is just one element in the overall Integrated Marketing Communication program!
Mona Abdulla is the owner of M.A.A. Home Biz Solutions and reviews popular home business ideas and opportunities. By joining 