Advantages and Disadvantages of 4 Different Advertising Media Options - Essay Example

Evaluate and Recommend Advertising Media Options Inserts His/Her Inserts Grade Inserts (17, October, 2012) Introduction It is important to use appropriate media for marketing of a product or service because media has a lot of effect on the effectiveness of any firm’s communication strategy. Advertising media options should be picked according to the target market of the product or service. Matching target market with advertisement media is important because different people have access to different advertisement media. In this paper, a fast moving consumer good company is selected which sells detergents and personal care products. The product selected for this assignment is an anti germ hand wash. The assignment will also include advantages and disadvantages of different advertising media options. Identification of target market for the product, ideal communication media, and suggestions for marketing will also be included in the assignment. Advantages and Disadvantages of 4 Different Advertising Media Options There are certain advantages and disadvantages of using different advertisement media options. Every option offers some advantages and disadvantages both. The table below will include pros and cons of using four advertisement media options like television, billboard, internet, and sponsorships. Advertisement Media Advantages Disadvantages Television Wide reach, attractive, targeted audience High cost, short, complicated, cannot be changed quickly Billboards Low cost, easy to use Limited reach, limited time Internet Extremely wide global reach, relatively lower cost, targeted audience Chances of being copied, lack of customer attention Sponsorships High customer attention, good targeted reach Extremely high cost, limited to a specific target market Product History and Identification of Target Market The organization under discussion is a fast moving consumer goods company that has been in the market for many years. The company has recently launched its anti germ hand washing product. The aim of the product launch is to cater to the needs of health cautious people, and therefore health safety will constitute a major theme in the marketing communication of the company. The main target market for this anti germ or anti bacterial hand wash is young children and teenagers. Parents and older people are also a major target market for the product. The target audience for this hand wash is health cautious people who want to make sure that they are germ free. This is why younger generation and middle aged men and women are the main target market. Also old people are also careful about their health and this is why they are also identified as a major target market for the product. Young women, who are mainly concerned for their skin beauty, are excluded from the target market for this product. 2 Best Media Choices for Advertisements of the Product The best two media for advertisement that must be used for the anti germ hand wash are television and sponsorships. The first advantage of using television is wider reach of the media because many people across the region watch television. The second advantage is the ease with which local audience can be targeted (Pleshette, 2012). The third advantage is attractiveness of the media. The fourth advantage is the ease with which effectiveness of the media can be measured. The fifth advantage is catering to different sets of target market. A few disadvantages of the television media are higher cost, complicated process of making television advertisements, difficult to change, short duration, and necessary expert help required for making advertisement. The first advantage of using sponsorship is that it allows the company to focus on a particular target market and improve product’s brand image (McQuerrey, 2012). Other benefits of sponsorships include long duration, high effectiveness, less complications, and opportunity for important feedback from users. The disadvantages of using sponsorships are very high cost, no option for retrieval (as once sponsorship has been taken there is no turning back), not very wide reach, difficult to change, and chances of negative publicity (BBC, 2012). Ideal Customer and Suitability of Media The two chosen media for advertisement, television and sponsorships, are best suited for the ideal customer of the product. Television will allow the company to target younger children, older people, and parents at the same time. The company can buy slots between programs that are famous in all the three target markets and run advertisement on those slots. An ideal customer will learn about the new product and its advantage through television advertisement. Sponsorships are also highly suited because it will allow the company to focus on specific target markets. For example the company can sponsor health awareness events through which it can improve its brand awareness (Friedman, 2012). Also through sponsorships company can get product feedback from customers because people who attend event constitute a great sample of the company. Recommendations A good recommendation of the company should be to adopt an aggressive marketing campaign because this strategy is usually adopted after the launch of the product (Jovanovich, 2012). Such an aggressive marketing strategy will allow the company to increase its brand image and improve product recognition. This will be the first good recommendation of the new product of the company. Another good recommendation will be to focus on highlighting how the use of product will improve the health of the user. The nature of product is such that health related theme should be adopted in the communication strategy of the product. The main differentiating element of the product will be its health improvement benefit. The product should be placed as a doctor’s recommended anti bacteria hand wash. The company should also look into sponsoring events that are conducted by nonprofit organizations and health institutions. This might strength the position of the company by making sure that the product is associated with health improvement cause. All these recommendations will play a role in making the successful marketing strategy of the company. Conclusion A good communication strategy is dependent on using the appropriate advertisement media keeping in mind the effectiveness of the media and its match with the target market. There are both advantages and disadvantages of using every advertisement media but it is essential to match the target market, the needs of the customers, with the communication media and communication strategy. Bibliography BBC. 2012. Social and cultural factors affecting participation. Accessed on October 17, 2012 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/pe/participation/1_participation_socialcultural_rev1.shtml Friedman, S. 2012. Sponsorship: A Key to Powerful Marketing. Marketing.about.com. Accessed on October 17, 2012 from http://marketing.about.com/od/eventandseminarmarketing/a/sponsorship.htm Jovanovich, P. 2012. Top Aggressive Marketing Strategies To Quickly Sell Any Product. Strategic Business Promotion. Accessed on October 17, 2012 from http://strategicbusinesspromotions.com/newsletter/2012/02/16/top-aggressive-marketing-strategies-to-quickly-sell-any-product/ McQuerrey, L. 2012. The Advantages of Corporate Sponsorship Funding. Chron.com. Accessed on October 17, 2012 from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-corporate-sponsorship-funding-18081.html Pleshette, L, A. 2012. Choosing the Right Advertising Medium for Your Small Business. Power Home Biz. Accessed on October 17, 2012 from http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol118/sadmediums.htm Read More