Types of Advertising

Classification on The Basis of Area Coverage

:
• On this basis advertising may be classified into
the following four categories, viz.,
• (1) local,
• (2) regional
• (3) national,
• (4) international advertising
 1. Local Advertising
• It is also known as „retail advertising‟. It is
undertaken by local retail stores, departmental
stores, co-operative stores, selling cloth, saris
and other consumer goods and consumer
durables. It is directed at local customers.
Media, used for local advertising, are shop
decorations, local newspapers, magazines,
posters, pamphlets, hoarding, new signs, local
cinema houses, etc
 2. Regional Advertising
• It has wider coverage, as compared to local advertising. It covers a particular

region, which may be one state, or, more than one state, the people of which

may be having a common tongue, or, using one common product.

• It is undertaken by manufacture, or, regional distributor of a product.

Media, used for regional advertising, include regional newspapers,

magazines, radio, regional T.V., outdoor media, etc.

• It is considered to be an ideal form of advertising for launching and

marketing a new product in a specific region.

 3. National Advertising
• It is generally undertaken by manufactures of branded goods, for which,

advertising messages is communicated to consumers allover the country.

Almost all possible mass media, including national newspapers, radio and

television network, are employed for national advertising.

• Product services, and ideas, which have demand all over the country, are

suitable for national advertising. In India, Indian Airline Hindustan Lever Ltd.,

Vicco, Godrej, Bajaj and Kirloskar are a few leading advertisers at national

level.

• Likewise, detergents, soaps, toothpastes, cosmetics, scooters, cars, and

bicycles, are some of the products, which are advertised all over the country.
 4. International Advertising
• This type of advertising is undertaken by those companies, which operate

in more than one country, known as „multi-national‟ companies.

• Exporters, generally advertise their products and services in foreign

countries, where ready markets are available. Air India and other airlines,

and multinational companies advertise their products and services allover

the world.

• Coca-Cola and Pepsi are advertised globally, as the sales are almost all

over the world. International advertising is extremely expensive, involving

the services of professional advertising agencies in different countries.

Classification on the basis of Audience
• On this basis, advertising may be classified
into the following four categories, viz.,
• (1) consumer advertising,
• (2) industrial advertising,
• (3) trade advertising, and
• (4) professional advertising.
 1. Consumer Advertising
• This type of advertising is directed to the ultimate
consumers of the consumer products, i.e., the individuals,
who buy, or, use the consumer products, or services, 25
say, for example, toilet soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, tea,
textiles, etc., for themselves and for their families.
• All types of consumer products need continuous and
extensive advertising on T.V., radio, and press.
 2. Industrial Advertising
• This type of advertising is used by manufacturers and

distributors of industrial goods. Such as, machinery, plants,

equipments, spare parts and components, and are directed
at industrial users or customers.

• Such advertisements usually appear in trade journals, trade

dictionaries, business magazines and so on. The appeal

made is tactual and rational.
 3. Trade Advertising
• This kind of advertising is employed by
manufactures and/or distributors to influence
and persuade wholesalers and dealers
(retailers) to stock and sell the goods of the
advertiser by offering incentive schemes to
them, or, by inviting dealership for their
particular products(s).
 4. Professional Advertising

• It is directed at professional like doctors,

professors, engineers and others, who are
expected to recommend, prescribe, or, specify
the advertised products to ultimate consumers.
This is done through professional journals and
representative of the advertisers.
Classification on the basis of media
• On the basis, advertising may be-classified
into the following four categories viz.,
• (1) Print media advertising;
• (2) electronic, or, broadcast media advertising;
• (3) outdoor media advertising.
 1. Print Media Advertising
• The print media consists of newspapers,
magazines, journals, handbills, etc. No newspaper
or, journal, today, can survive without advertising
revenue.
• Print media advertising, even today, is the most
popular form; and revenue derived by mass media
from advertising has, therefore, been progressively
increasing year after year.
• Print media appeals only to the sense of sight, i.e.
eyes.
 2. Electronic or Broadcast Media
Advertising
• Electronic, or, broadcast media consists of (i) radio, (ii) television, (iii) motion

pictures, (iv) video, and (v) the internet. The radio is audio in nature, appealing only to

the sense of sound (ears).

• Radio advertising is more effective in rural areas, as compared to urban regions.

Television, as an advertising medium, is more attractive and effective because it is an

audio-visual medium appealing to both the senses of sight sound (eyes and ears).

• Different methods, such as, spot announcements, sponsored programmes, etc., are used

for broadcasting advertising messages. However, broadcasting media are very

expensive form of advertising. Advertising is also undertaken through movies, video,

and the internet.

 3. Outdoor Advertising
• This include posters, neon signs, transit, point
of purchase (POP), etc. Outdoor advertising
can be a good supporting media to other forms
of advertising. It is a good form of reminder
advertising, especially, the POP advertising.
 4. Other media
• This includes direct mail, handbills, calendars,
diaries, cinema advertising, internet and so on.
These miscellaneous media can play an
important supporting role to the major media
such as television, and newspapers.
 Classification on The Basis of Function
• Direct Action and Indirect Action Advertising
• Primary and Selective Advertising
• Product and Institutional Advertising
Direct Action and Indirect Action Advertising

• Direct action advertising is undertaken to obtain

immediate response or action on the part of target
audience.
• Examples include discount sales advertising, sale along
with free gift offers, and mail-order coupon sales, etc.
The media used is mostly newspapers, and television.
Indirect action advertising is undertaken to influence the
audience in respect of advertiser’s brand.
• The advertiser expects the target audience to prefer his
brand as compared to competitors whenever a buying
decision arises in future.
 Primary and Selective Advertising

• Primary Advertising is undertaken by trade

association or by cooperative groups. It is
undertaken to create generic den1 and for products
and services.
• For example, the Coffee Board may advertise to
consume more coffee.
• Selective Advertising is undertaken by marketers of
branded products. The advertiser intends to create
selective demand for his brand. Examples include
Pepsi Cola, Coca Cola.
 Product and Institutional Advertising

• Product or Service advertising is undertaken to

promote the sale of products and services-
branded or unbranded.
• Institutional advertising is undertaken to build
name and goodwill of the organization.
• It is also, known as corporate advertising or
image advertising. It is mostly undertaken by
large firms.
 Classification on The Basis of Advertising
Stages
• On this basis, advertising may be classified
into the following three different categories,
viz.,
• (1) advertising at pioneering stage,
• (2) advertising at competitive stage, and
• (3) advertising at retentive stage.
• Advertising at Pioneering Stage : Advertising at
„pioneering stage‟ is undertaken to make the
audience fully aware of the new brand of product and
to inform, influence, and persuade them to buy, or,
use it by highlighting its unique features.

• Advertising at Competitive Stages : Once the brand

survives the introductory stage, it has, soon to face a
stiff competition with other well established brands
in the market. At this stage, competitive advertising
is undertaken to promote sales effectively.
• Advertising at Retentive Stage or Reminder Advertising :
When the product has captured a large share of the market,
„retentive advertising‟ is undertaken to maintain, or retain
the stable position in the market as long as possible.
• Moreover, if the same product is passing through the
declining stage in the market, this type of advertising is used
to remind the buyers about the product hence, it is also
known as „reminder advertising‟.
 1. Social Advertising
• Social Advertising is undertaken by
noncommercial organisations such as Trust,
Societies, Associations etc. The main objective
of Social Advertising is to work for social
cause. Advertisements for collecting donations
for war victims or for victims of natural
calamities, sales of tickets for a show etc. are
examples of Social Advertising.
 2. Political Advertising
• Political advertising is undertaken by political parties to motivate the
general public in favour of the ideology of the party in question.
Political advertising are intensively made during election times to gain
favour of the voters.
• Such advertising promote plans and policies of the concerned party. It
also try to expose weaknesses of the opposition with a view to convince
the voters to vote for their party candidates.
• Some political advertisement are also made to assist the Government to
implement its schemes for rehabilitation and national reconstruction.
• Mumbai Regional Congress Committee children affected by communal
riots in Mumbai under the scheme of National Foundation for
Communal Harmony. Advertisements issued by a political party is
essentially a political advertising.
 3. Retail Advertising
• Retail advertising is the advertising by retailers who usually
sell goods direct to the customers. Retail advertising has
such objectives as :
• (i) to sell the stock;
• (ii) to establish the identify of business;
• (iii) to attract personal, telephone or mail order shoppers.
Retail advertising is done through window display, neon
signs, posters, leaflets etc.
• It is usually local in character. The various advertising
approaches of Akbarallys, Amarsons, Asiatic Departmental
Stores are the examples of retail advertising.
 4. Cooperative Advertising
• Manufacturers of consumer durable goods or specialty products often show

special interest in their dealer’s advertising.

• To help identify the dealers in different geographic markets, dealers put the ads

in local media under their names

• The manufacturer often provides the dealer with the material and guidelines to

develop ads for print, television or radio commercials. This ensure that the

message is in line with what the manufacturer wants to communicate.

• The manufacturer and the dealer usually share the media costs and hence the

name ‘co-operative advertising’.

 5. Service Advertising
• Service advertising is designed to operate in the public interest. It is undertaken to seek public

welfare and social development.

• It is in the nature of non-commercial institutional advertising. In this type of advertising, the

objective is to put across a message intended to change attitudes or behaviour and, as a result,

benefit the public at large.

• It is generally used by government and other organizations to promote public welfare.

• Service advertising is designed to operate in the public interest. It is undertaken to seek public

welfare and social development. It is in the nature of non-commercial institutional advertising.

In this type of advertising, the objective is to put across a message intended to change attitudes

or behaviour and, as a result, benefit the public at large. It is generally used by government

and other organizations to promote public welfare.

 4. National Advertising
• It is generally undertaken by manufactures of branded goods, for which,

advertising messages is communicated to consumers allover the country.

Almost all possible mass media, including national newspapers, radio and

television network, are employed for national advertising.

• Product services, and ideas, which have demand all over the country, are

suitable for national advertising. In India, Indian Airline Hindustan Lever

Ltd., Vicco, Godrej, Bajaj and Kirloskar are a few leading advertisers at

national level. Likewise, detergents, soaps, toothpastes, cosmetics,

scooters, cars, and bicycles, are some of the products, which are advertised

all over the country

 5. Financial Advertising
• When an advertising message is directed to
attract for raising capital, it is called financial
advertising. The banks, insurance companies
and commercial undertakings collect required
funds from the savings of the people by
motivating them to post-pone present
expenditure to future-period.
Advantages of Financial Advertising
• (a) Financial advertising transmits to target consumers all
the material information about new investment
opportunities for investment of savings, or, surplus funds.
• (b) It provides education and guidance to consumers in
respect of their investments in shares, debentures, and
public funds, off companies.
• (c) It serves as a reminder to consumers to take suitable
follow-up action on their part.
• (d) It helps to tap yet untapped rich areas in mini-metros,
small towns, and even in villages for financial
institutions.
• (e) As financial ads are required to give the required in formation about the

aims, objective business operation, for which additional funds are required

by the advertiser, the company gets wide publicity through such ads.

• (f) Financial advertising serves as a : backbone to brokers as well as

underwriters, who as „intermediaries‟ between the advertiser and the

clients.

• (g) Finally, financial advertising indirectly aids and supports the economic

an industrial growth of country by mobiling public funds for expansion and

diversification of business.
 6. Comparative Advertising
• Comparative advertising is a marketing strategy in which a
company's product or service is presented as superior when
compared to a competitor's.

• A comparative advertising campaign may involve printing a side-

by-side comparison of the features of a company's products next
to those of its competitor.

• It may also feature a comparison based on value or cost.

Typically, the competing product is shown in a disparaging light.
• Comparative advertising may compare products or services directly or

indirectly and may take either a positive or negative tone, though

negativity tends to be far more common. Comparisons may entail a

single attribute or multiple attributes.

• Comparative advertising is not used solely for the promotion of a product

or service. It has become a common technique used in political

advertisements, with one candidate listing how they would not have

made the same specific decisions as the incumbent if elected. This type

of advertising is popular with companies releasing new products, as the

focus of the ad will be on how the new product is better than products

already on the market.

• Another highly-referenced comparative advertising campaign is

between competitors Coca-Cola and Pepsi, in which advertisements

will directly compare the tastes or benefits of one over the other.

For example, the now-famous Pepsi Challenge is a recurring

commercial that has been aired since 1975. In the Pepsi Challenge,

PepsiCo runs taste tests on the street where consumers vote which

taste they like better. Both companies are specifically mentioned

and compared.