There are different types or formats of advertising media available to an advertiser. A few of the important are the following:
Direct Mail:
This foam of advertising media is one of the oldest methods used by advertisers to market their products or services. In this format, advertisers send circular letters, booklets, and catalogs to the potential client to create the reader’s interest in the service or the product. This format is particularly useful for the people who sell directly to the customers.
A major disadvantage of this format is that its access is very limited, and this method is successful for only a few products.
Newspaper:
It is one of the major platforms used by marketers to advertise their products to a wider range of people. It is the go-to format for the advertiser if he wants to market its new product to a larger population as the newspaper has a broader circulation and universal appeal. Advertising cost is less in this medium as compared to the other formats. The major drawback of this format is that it does not cover the illiterate segment of society.
Radio Advertising:
It is another major format of mass marketing used by advertisers these days. The main advantage of this format is that it covers every segment of society whether it is illiterate or educated. The drawback of this format is the fact that is one of the expensive advertising media. Also, the radio advertisement has a shorter life cycle and lacks personal touch as well.
Television Advertising:
It is the most popular and widely used format of mass marketing. As compared to the radio and any other format it is more effective and has the ability to leave a lasting impression on the viewer’s mind. The major disadvantage is that it is extremely expensive. Also, the duration of the ad is extremely limited.
Outdoor Advertising:
It is another effective medium of advertising and is also referred to as “mural advertising”. It includes scaffold wraps, posters, billboards, neon signs etc. The objective of this format is to capture passersby’s attention within the twinkling of an eye. The main advantage of this format is that it has wider coverage as well as greater flexibility and the ads and posters can be designed by keeping in view the characteristics of the particular locality. But this format adversely affects the cleanliness of the city or locality.