Article By: Madhuri Pahuja
Advertising has a central role to play in developing a brand image. It informs consumers of the functional capabilities of the brand while simultaneously inspiring the brand with symbolic values and meanings relevant to the consumer. Advertising strategists, planners or the creative people in an advertising agency looking for unique emotional values to add to the brand. They look for ways to create emotional involvement because this represents the stronger bonding between the brand and target customer.
Businesses use advertising to spread their brand among the masses as well as to directly sell products and services to the public at large. Repetition of the company’s message creates a familiarity with the brand. Advertising is important for companies trying to direct consumer behaviour because it is an effective method for mass selling and communications.
“A brand that captures your mind gains behaviour”
“A brand that captures your heart gains commitment”
-Scott Talgo, Brand Strategist
Role of Advertising in Brand Positioning
- Creates Awareness
Creating awareness of the product or services such as brand name and price is one of the major roles of advertising. The awareness of the product or services can be created by highlighting the unique features of the brand. Nowadays, due to intense competition, awareness is extremely required.
- Persuasion
Through persuasive messages, the marketers try to provide reasons regarding the superiority of their products as compared to competitors available in the market. Persuasion can be done through creative advertising messages, product demonstration at trade fairs, offering free gifts, premium offers and organizing contests.
- Reminder
If target customers already have a positive approach towards a firm’s product or service, then a reminder objective may be necessary because the satisfied customers can be targets for competitors’ appeals. They should keep on reminding them about their presence in the market. For example, ‘Raymond – the complete man’ campaign is designed to remind the customers.
- Brand Image
Advertising helps in building a good image of the brand in the minds of the target audience. There are several factors, such as the character of the personality that endorses the brand, the content of the advertising message, nature, and type of packaging and the type of programmes or events sponsored, that can help to develop the brand image in the minds of the target audience.
- Brand Loyalty
Advertising helps in developing brand loyalty, which results in repeat purchases and favourable recommendations to others by existing customers. Sales promotion, effective personal selling, timely and efficient direct marketing, and other techniques also help to develop brand loyalty.
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