Communications for Dummies: ADVERTISING

Hello everyone and welcome back to Communications for Dummies: a mini-series!! If you didn't catch the first article on public relations, go ahead and give that one a look after you read this one.

Today, let's talk about advertising!!

This might seem more familiar to you. After all, we are surrounded by advertisements everywhere we go, which is sometimes intimidating. Here's a little bit more about advertising to help you understand it better.

What is it?

• Methods of advertising have evolved and changed over the years, but there is one goal: get an audience interested in a product and influence them to do something about it. Advertising comes in many forms: print, TV, digital/social media, mail, radio, direct, and more. 

Why is it important?

• Advertising is a way to build and showcase your brand (what your business is all about). People can see what you offer, why it would be beneficial to them, and why it is better than the competition. Today, there is more room for creativity in advertising than ever. Businesses who have good, convincing advertisements that cater well to their target market are among the most successful because not only do they sell a product well, they create a name for themselves and let customers do the advertising for them by talking about it.

What careers are available in advertising?

(Many of these are similar to careers in public relations)

• Copywriter

• Social media manager

• Art director

• Sales representative

• Campaign manager

• Marketing analyst

• Photographer

• Graphic designer

• Web designer

• Advertising manager

• … and more!

What do you do?

(Responsibilities vary based on jobs in advertising, but here’s the gist of it)

• Promote messages about a product

• Create new customers

• Create content like images, videos, and films

• Develop and present new products and services

• Show differences between your product and the competitor

• Create sales strategies

• Manage/oversee ad campaigns

What kind of skills do you need to work in the advertising industry? 

• Communication

• Creativity

• Research

• Organization

• Problem solving

• Digital skills, such as:

  • Social media

  • Web design

  • Content creation

Advertising in our daily lives:

This one’s not hard to do. We are surrounded constantly by advertisements every day. Here are some examples in each method:

A job posting in the newspaper.

The billboard you saw for a new flavor of protein powder.

Influencers promoting one of their favorite swimsuit brands, mascaras, hair products, vacuums- the list goes on.  you name the product, an influencer has done an ad for it.

Every single super bowl commercial ever.

A radio ad for a window cleaning service.

Banners for various companies who sponsor your favorite sports team at an event.

The weekly grocery store coupons in the mail.

So what is the difference between public relations and advertising?

• While they are similar, and they are both integral in promoting a brand, advertising is PAID media, and public relations is EARNED media. Marketers pay for advertisements in the media to give exposure to their brand, while public relations involves receiving support from the media based on the image that has been built. 

What did you think of this article? Is advertising something that looks interesting to you? Let me know, and stay tuned for the next installment in the series: journalism!