Internet has additionally be a significant and powerful medium for advertising and contains be forecasted how the online marketing and advertising is  rapidly planning to substitute the advertising via conventional medias for example television set, radio stations, newspapers and magazines. I have got selected around 10 benefits of internet marketing (not for the reason that order) in comparison with the conventional off-line advertising.

1) Wider Coverage

The internet advertising and marketing gives your advertisements an increasingly wider coverage and also this around the world wider coverage helps with creating your advertisements achieve much more viewers, which can eventually assist you in improving final results using your internet advertising campaign.

2) Targeted Audiences

In comparison with off-line advertising, internet advertising always allows you to get to the targeted audience which assists in creating your advertising campaign more money-making and achieving much more appropriate prospects.

3) Affordable

An additional most important benefit of internet advertising or marketing is definitely the significantly reasonably priced when compared to the conventional advertising expenses. Having a lot lower amount to can advertise on the web for just a broader variety of target audience and geographic destinations.

4) Easy to Track and Measure Conversion

Measurability and easiness to follow the conversion process can make internet advertising mile after mile forward around the conventional advertising techniques. A great deal of successful business results resources are offered to calculate internet advertising campaigns which assists in additional improvement of your advertisements.

5) Speed

Internet Advertising is significantly quicker than off-line advertising and you may begin delivering your advertisements to the broader target audience, as soon as you begin your advertising campaign.

6) Informative

In internet advertising, the advertiser has the capacity to acquire more information about the advertisement towards the target audience and that too at relatively affordable. The majority of the internet advertising campaigns are comprised of an click on capable connect to a unique website landing page, exactly where customers acquire more information regarding the product or service described inside the advertisement.

7) Flexible Payment

Payment flexibility is an additional benefit of online marketing and advertising. In offline advertising and marketing you need to give the complete figure to the advertising agency regardless of the final results. But also in internet advertising there’s the versatility to pay for just competent prospects, mouse clicks or opinions.

Better Return on investment

Since internet advertising is mainly focused entirely on overall performance dependent settlement, you ROI is certain to be much better in comparison with offline advertising.

9) Easy Audience Engagement

Online advertising campaign can make is simple for your target audience to interact together with your advertisements or products and solutions. As an advertiser we are able to acquire more suggestions in the target audience and therefore enhance the caliber of our adverts moving forward.

10) Better Branding

Any kind of advertising assists in enhancing the branding an internet-based advertising and marketing appears a level large in enhancing the branding of your respective organization, products or services.

In the following paragraphs, I’ll talk about one of the most frequently used strong reaction advertising and marketing vehicles/types for promising small to medium-sized companies, including:

• Newspaper

• Mail

• Publication and Classifieds

• Television and radio

• Internet Advertisements

• Outside Mass media – Billboards, Transportation Indicators

• Press Announcements and Public relations

• The Yellow Pages

Certainly, the secret to success is to fit your idea in your marketplace utilizing a appropriate vehicle. For example, it can make no perception to promote your retirement community utilizing a fast-paced, noisy, radio stations just right a hip-hop station… regardless of the sales person states! So before buying, ensure you’ve properly recognized your targeted potential customers; created communications that inspire them and chosen the right advertising.

Here are a few general strategies for selecting your advertising and marketing medium.

1. Until your potential audience is wide, it’s better to select 2-3 major advertising vehicles… kinds that you may manage to take control of. Certainly not, ever before depend exclusively on a single kind of contacting the general public – this is just as well high-risk. Instead, select mass media that enhance one another and make sure that your potential customers listen to about you in several kinds.

2. Select strategies in accordance with cost, focusing on and response… Any advertising campaign may be divided into expenses for each thousand, and in case you’re utilizing immediate result advertising (that you simply must) standard your ability to succeed using expenses for each sales. Your costs consist of price tag of design and style (also referred to as innovative), development (developing or publishing your advert), and placement (radio stations, advertising campaign, list buy and shipping).

Like a common tip, the better specific the method, the larger the price. In exchange, however, you are very likely a greater result rate, therefore the price for each result may be less than inexpensive techniques.

Select advertising and marketing strategies that are compatible with your potential audience. Companies that promote advertising can present you with lots of helpful tips regarding their target audience. Also, it’s a great idea to take a look at other kinds of companies that constantly use different mass media. Make certain they’re individuals exact same target audience while you. Main point here: prevent uncertainty, by examining just before investing in significant buying.

3. Ensure you know your complete advertising spending budget fewer what’s currently invested or “guaranteed”. This assumes on that you’ve currently created every part it’s based upon:

• Business rules

• Required income

• Accessible funds

• Possibility expenses

• Company’s threat patience

• Typical Client Life time Worth (CLW) – the need for a client more than their time with company having a business.

Basically: CLW = Profits Obtained – Price to obtain and Keep

4. Discover what the competitors are investing on mass media within the similar marketplaces. As an example, if you choose to operate a radio advert within the Chicago marketplace twice daily, on two channels for 2 weeks along with a competitor is managing a related advertisement within the similar marketplace but operating it 15 situations per day, on 15 channels for 15 weeks you’d be silly down the sink your hard earned money if you attempt to compete… no one is going to see your location. This really is one other reason it’s extremely important to utilize reliable advertising company to purchase this kind of advertising (applies to Television also).

5. Although your financial budget will considerably determine your moderate choice, you have to be also knowledgeable and responsive to your own personal product sales cycles. For example, if you’re the master of an air-conditioning products organization you realize that customers don’t invest in a product each and every year. For that reason, your connection needs to be consistent and continuing so you’re “top rated of mind” when they’re able to purchase. Also, you must produce an additional communication, especially in the warmth of summer season, for those who have a very “burning” (no word play here planned) want to purchase now.

Additionally, if you’re a jewelry expert you really should enhance on your own advertising before Mother’s Day, The holiday season and Valentine’s Day and do small, or free, in August.

6. Observe and evaluate your results… Advertising is definitely an sophisticated technology. For that reason, the easiest method to make certain that something is, or perhaps is not, functioning is always to calculate it utilizing pre-specified signs or symptoms. Determine the strength of your advertising right from the start by continuing to keep in depth information on which you did; when; to whom; based on how significantly; and what actually happened.

Of course, the final results of specific advertising take time and effort to evaluate. Even so, in case you don’t calculate and track record your final results you most likely are totally wasting funds and losing the opportunity help make your judgments much simpler next time about. Essential indications to become examined are price per thousand, price per reaction and percentage result.

Keep in mind additionally that advertising and marketing form a component of your organization strategy which targets getting profitable. In case your advertising and marketing doesn’t provide an step-by-step total income (a lot more than expenses immediately linked to the method) you should know why.

7. Recognize and observe laws… Before selecting your advertising techniques, ensure that you know about all regional, state, state, and federal government laws and regulations about information safety, client legal rights, client privateness and opt-out rules. This is particularly significant if you’re involved with retaining and taking advantage of mailing databases (e-mail and in any other case), private client information, telesales, mail, fax-marketing and e-mailing.

The formula suggests that the attention and interests of the customers must be gained first before the process of stimulating desire, imparting conviction and urging action in advertisements can bring about a change in the buying behaviors.

We are not usually carried away by advertisements unless the products themselves are of some value or use to us. After all, we do not have a lot of money to throw around. Advertisements grab attention by their sizes, color, visualization layout, positioning or by a striking headline or slogan or appeal.

Further, they stimulate desire for the product by various strategies such as making you feel ‘exclusive’ or ‘modern’ or ‘ with-it’ or perhaps by offering discounts or other incentives. Finally, advertisements impart conviction and urge action.

The importance of a good advertisement copy can hardly be over emphasized. All the planning, research and expense would go waste if proper care were not taken in drafting an advertisement copy that will achieve the purpose of advertising. The psychological aims of an advertisement are that the public must be made to:

• Look
• Like
• Learn, and
• Buy

‘The aim of advertising copy is that it shall be seen, read the message conveyed and then acted upon’. An advertisement, which fails in attracting the attention of the prospects and creating an urge in their minds for possessing the product, will naturally be of no use though a large sum has been spent lavishly on advertising the product by the advertiser.

A good advertisement should possess the following characteristics or qualities or values:

A good advertisement should possess the following characteristics or qualities or values:

1. Attention value – an advertisement must attract the attention of the potential consumers. If it fails in this mission, the whole money and efforts will go waste though it possesses all other values because everything else follows this. So, it must have display value.

• Use of Pictures: pictures have the immense display and attention value. The old Chinese proverb ‘one seeing is worth thousand selling’ indicated the place of pictures in attention value. A good sketch or photograph, if appropriately used, will not merely attract the attention of the consumer but all will tell everything about the product.
• Use of Display type or Heading: use of appropriate headings enhances the value of an advertisement to a great extent. To invite attention, the heading should be brief and meaningful, made up of three or four words and should be printed in emphatic bold display types. The headline should, generally, be in the form of a ‘slogan’ or a ‘query’ that will compel the attention of the reader
• Boarder Type: attractive boarder can be used to compel the attention of the readers. The boarder must have a distinctive look so as to separate it from the rest of the setting, a full page advertisement with a very small matter in the center and an artistic or novel boarder will have a very great attention value. Underlining of key words or an attractive arrangement of types may also catch the eyes of the reader.
• Price Quotation: prices should not be quoted on the advertisement copy except when they are very low as in clearance sale or special offers. But if an appeal is being made to high class customers who care more for quality that for price, a price quotation should be avoided and emphasis should be laid on quality
• Reply Coupons: reply coupons inserted in an advertisement in an unusual setting are yet another way of attracting attention of the readers to the copy.

1. Suggestion value- having attracted the attention of the reader, the next task would be to offer a suggestion about the use and the utility of the product that may remain inscribed on the mind of the reader even when he forget where he really saw the advertisement.
2. Memorizing value- the advertisement copy should be so drafted and laid out that the product will stick to the mind of the individual reader. Repetition of advertisement with slogan is an effective method of creating a memorizing value. Pictures and photographs confirming to the suggestion will have tremendous memorizing value.
3. Conviction value- an advertisement can prove effective and achieve the desired end when convicting arguments backs the suggestion contained in it. The advertiser must be careful not to include the statements in the advertisement copy, which do not confirm to the product.
4. Sentimental appeal- sentiments play a very important role in advertising, particularly in the case of food articles. Sentiments reflect the personal feelings and attitudes of an individual towards various things. They indicate reactions of a person in favor or against a particular product.
5. Education value- a good advertisement must possess educative value because the object of modern advertising is not merely to satisfy the existing demand but to create future demand. So a good advertisement should educate the general public about the uses of the new product or the new uses of the same product.
6. Instinctive value- human thoughts and actions are guided by instincts and inclination. All that one thinks or does has its roots in one instinct or the other. Instincts are the underlying forces, which compel the men to act in certain ways. The most important function of an advertisement is to induce, persuade and motivate the prospects to think well of a product and to take to its use.

• Self-Preservation Instinct: many of our thoughts and actions are inspired by our anxiety to preserve our people, health, our family and our belongings
• Hoarding Instinct: banking institutions, insurance companies or other government and non-government saving organizations serve to hoarding instinct of the people
• Parental Instinct: parental instinct takes the form of love and affection for the children. Those advertisers who deal in children requirements like garments, toys, baby food, etc may promote this instinct in parents i.e. motherly feelings of women or parental sentiments of men through their advertisements
• Self-Display Instinct: the advertisers of readymade clothing, women’s dresses, jewellery, etc promote instinct of self- display.
• Something for nothing Instinct: everybody has a vague desire to get something without paying anything for it. This desire is, more or less, present in everybody irrespective of the statues or income. Some advertisers use this instinct in the advertisement copy.

On the basis of the above basic instincts, the following themes or central ideas may be laid down for advertisements meant to advertise different types of products:

1. Pride- this theme can be used to popularize luxury articles among riches, the possession of which gives them a distinctive status and a feeling of pride
2. Beauty- this theme is used in advertisement for cosmetics, perfumes, toilet soaps, etc for both men and women
3. Health- in drug and food products advertisements, the use of this theme is used
4. Economy- it is central theme in advertisement of clearance sales or bargain purchases
5. Comfort- the advertisements for fans, electric appliances, refrigerator, etc contain this feeling of comfort
6. Fear- themes stressing the fear of death, accidents, personal loss through burglary, fire, etc and other untoward happenings in life are generally used by insurance companies or banking companies. The traffic police is also using this theme in their notes of caution i.e. ‘life is short, don’t make it shorter’.
7. Parental Affection- all advertisements of products meant for children such as toys, baby food and dresses, use this feeling
8. Patriotism- this theme may be used in advertisements for those who use foreign products
9. Achievements- this theme is used generally by large concerns engaged in the production of goods necessary for the development of country’s economy.
10. Emulation and Imitation- this theme is use where people buy more not to satisfy their genuine requirement, but as their neighbors happen to possess them thus, a good advertisement must possess the above qualities to make it an ideal one.

Display Advertisement

Display advertising includes copy, illustrations or photographs, headlines, coupons, and other visual components. Display ads vary in size and appear in all sections of the newspaper except page one, the editorial page, obituary page, the classified section, and the first page of major sections.

One common variation of the display ad, the reading notice, looks like editorial matter and sometimes costs more than normal display advertising. To prevent readers from mistaking it for editorial matter, the world advertisement appears at the top.

Retailers often run newspaper ads through cooperative programmes sponsored by the manufacturers whose products they sell. The manufacturers pay fully or partially to create and run the ad, which features the manufacturer’s product and logo along with the local retailer’s name and address.

Classified Advertisements

Classified ads provide a community marketplace for goods, services, and opportunities of every type from real estate and new car sales to employment and business opportunities. A newspaper’s profitability usually depends on a healthy classified section. Classified ads usually appear under subheads that describe the class of goods or the need the ads seek to satisfy. Most employment, housing, and car advertising is classified.

Special Advertisements

Some special commodities and products are advertised under specific advertisements columns. Sometimes, a few pages are devoted only to advertisements. They are well planned and are in color to draw the attention of readers. Advertisements are more effective if they are specially intended for certain type so readers i.e. sportsmen, women, professionals, etc.

Advertisements should be planned logically and judiciously to attract all type of readers. The first page is read thoroughly. So advertisements on the first page attract greater attention. The back page is equally good, but it follows the first page. Similarly, the middle two pages are also read thoroughly. The third page is devoted to local news. So, ads for local shops and manufacturers may be placed on the third page, men read sports news, political news and these columns should be made, keeping in mind their attitudes. Advertisements should meet the different requirements of the different segments of the market.

Preprinted Inserts

Like magazines, newspapers carry preprinted inserts and deliver them to the newspaper plant for insertion into a specific edition. Inserts sizes range from a typical newspaper page to a double postcards, formats include catalogue, brochures, mail-back devices, and perforated coupons.

Some large metropolitan dailies allow advertisers to limit their inserts to specific circulation zones. A retail advertiser that wants to reach only those shoppers in its immediate trading area can place an insert in the local-zone editions. Retail stores, auto dealers, large national advertisers, and other find it less costly to distribute their circulars this way than to mail or deliver them door-to-door.

Public Notices

For a normal fee, newspapers carry legal public notices of changes in business and personal relationships, public governmental reports, notices by private citizens and organization, and financial reports. These ads follow a present format.

Advantages of Newspaper Advertising

Local advertising is in fact possible only in newspapers. Barring a few national advertisements, newspapers contain mostly local advertisements. This is the biggest advantage, for newspapers provide advertising in a geographically segmented market. Local and regional newspapers offer news, editorial, entertainment, and personal interest stories for local readers, which create an interest in the local community and the region. The advertising message thus delivered in local or community newspaper is most effective.

Tips for Effective Ad Writing

Make Your Ad Stand Out

Classified ads that use art, layout and/or type in a distinctive way usually attract more eyes than run-of-the-mill ads. Just check the paper – every day there are listings that stand out from the others.

Use a Prominent Benefit Headline

Choose the main benefit of your merchandise and feature it in a compelling headline. Amplify this message in your subheads and copy. Avoid generalized quality claims.

Make Your Copy Complete

This means two things: know what is important to people browsing in your classified category, and make sure you touch on those points; and use complete sentences – they’re easier to read than a series of phrases and random words.

State a Price or A Range

Quote a price, even if it’s high or low. If you’re high, explain why it’s worth it, and if you’re low-balling it, support it with facts that make it believable (for example: moving, quick sale, special purchase).

Specify Brand Names

If you are selling name brand merchandise, be sure to name the brand (and model if pertinent) in the ad – the more specific the better.

Include Related Items

Make two sales instead of one by offering related items along with a featured one. For example, list golf bag with clubs, end tables with couches, frames with mattresses.

Use A Simple Layout

Classified listings should not be crossword puzzles. A good ad layout is planned logically and intuitively – it carries the reader’s eye through headline, art, copy, price, advertiser’s name, and phone number.

Use a Dominant Element

A large visual or headline means your ad will be noticed. Photographs or realistic drawings attract people, but nothing draws the eye like pictures of “real people”.

Let White Space Work for You

This is important layout element in classified advertising because the average classified page is heavy with small type. The more “empty” space in your ad, the more it will naturally be noticed. Boxing an ad (adding a simple border around it) automatically creates white space around it, which in turn automatically draws the eye.

Urge the Reader To Act Now

By ending your ad with a call to action such as “12 hour sale”, “this week only,” or “call now, won’t last long”,” you add extra incentive for the interested buyer to call you first.

Checklist – Every classified should include:

Type of sale.
Sale date or days and hours.
Price.
Make and model.
Size and color.
New, used or reconditioned.
Service or warranty.
Delivery details.
Name, phone number.
Address or directions to location.

 Visual recall is becoming increasingly important and corporate symbols and advertising will need to be stronger and eye-catching to capture consumer attention. Nonverbal communication will not only become a means for drawing attention to a verbal message, but it will also become the message itself in many instances. The use of imagery, visual associations, drawings and paintings, models, visual memory devices, product and corporate symbols, are pervasive in advertising.

Advertising visual and its graphical components has long been the target of studies since marketers began to adopt full -scale marketing activities in the late nineteenth century. The important theme was how the visual appeal could be translated into an effective selling message.

The role of advertising visuals includes obtaining attention, creating impact, and stimulating interest from an indifferent audience through conveying a main selling point of products or brands.

Advertising visuals perform two main functions – literal and symbolic. Literal visuals provide factual information on products or services, and symbolic visuals perform an indirect role to connect the images of products or services with the meanings that are appropriately assigned to them.

Advertising is part of the changing social, economic, and cultural environment, and its visuals might have been created in a way that could reflect those changes that people would want to adjust themselves to.

Another way of linking advertising and its visuals to society and culture is the cultural approach to advertising. Cultural historians argue that advertising is an important window through which different aspects of society and culture can be explained.

But also, the advertising itself can be explained to determine how it might have been shaped by society. This approach recognizes advertising not only as a window to culture but also a mirror that reflects the culture, or the cultures.

Your ad becomes an extended image of your business. It conveys your style and hence attracts customers who appreciate that style. It should reflect the product you have to offer – sophisticated, whimsical, classic, etc. Everything you do should reflect the feel of the product. Develop an ad that’s a stopper! One that gets a reader’s attention, and causes a reaction.

Some guidelines for ad design:

• Make sure the ad reflects your product and image.
• Don’t let the design overshadow the message.
• Have a logo professionally designed and use it. A logo design is the visual equivalent of your name. Your name gives form to your identity, and a recognizable identity is the name of the game in advertising.
• Make sure the ad contains clear information on where you are, when you are open, and how to     reach you.
• Photographs, graphics, illustrations, or typography alone can be equally effective at grabbing the reader’s eye. Use what best gets your well thought-out, clear message out there.
• Establish a look and maintain it. Repetition is important in advertising; it would defeat your purpose to change the look of every ad. Once you’ve established a basic design, you can use creative ways, such as varying the illustration, to change it.Do you often see, as much as you see when you surf through the Web? Its pretty sure that you have entirely different views and reactions upon seeing and actually taking notice to these two different kinds of advertising. The differences may vary in print advertisements outdoors and Web advertisements in the use of color, typefaces, and space. Whatever else the difference is between Print Ads and Web Ads, many would still prefer the traditional print advertisements in order to promote their business, products, or services. Not all people have access to the Web, such that Print Ads are still widely used and appreciated. It is also practical for a short-term marketing plan or strategy.

Here are several useful things to remember if you are launching a Print Ad: 

Take advantage of a small space by not crowding too much information into it. Leave a white space, which can actually lead your reader to the important information. Ads with large photos or illustrations of merchandise get higher readership and appreciation than those with small illustrations or no art. People do not actually read your copy, but take a look at your visuals. Thus, make your photographs or illustrations occupy at least half of your entire Ad You must know how your readers read, so that you could strategically place your content and not be left unread. Typography is an important key to effective communication. In your print ads headlines, avoid all capital letters. Our eyes and brains are conditioned to identify lower case letters and words. Letters and words in lower cases may just be glanced over, but with full comprehension since people are familiar with them. People also tend to read words by the shape of the word and not by reading individual   letters thus; your print ads words must be of a distinctive shape your print ads must be consistent with important information placed where readers would expect to see it. Consistency is an important aspect of your print ad since most readers must be exposed to it seven times before they notice it or take action on it. Your ad must have consistency in:

• Logo.
• Color.
• Typography.
• Margins and Borders.
• Layout.
• Spacing.
• Photographs and Captions.

You must also be consistent in your page layout and other design elements like contrast, balance, etc.

On top of everything else, you have to make sure that your print ad communicates the main point of your advertisement the main attraction and the necessary information for your prospective clients. For your print ads to turn out successfully, you must have at least a single great idea, on top of several good ideas. Remember, there is a world of difference between a great idea and a good idea.

Tips for Successful Print Ad Designing:

• Do not place a period at the end of a headline. Periods tend to indicate to readers that there is no need to read on.
• Begin headlines at top left. Studies have shown that the reader’s eye naturally falls to the upper left corner.
• “Serif” typefaces are regarded as the most legible font; nearly every newspaper in the world uses them due to their high readability. Readers are comfortable with them.
• Avoid color headlines; researchers have noted that readers find colored headlines distracting. Studies have also shown that the darker the color, the greater the comprehension. Keep the text black if possible.
• Black text on a tinted background also increases comprehension. It is easier on the readers’ eyes than the black and white contrast.
• Avoid reverse print (e.g., white text on black background).Keep your layouts clean, including using consistent type styles?

A traditional ad layout is: photo/illustration over headline over body copy.

• This is not etched in stone, but it has been proven effective.

Remember that for every advertising rule, there is an exception that is just as effective.

Visual personality of ads

Identity marks have been around for as many years as civilization the signature marks on primitive handcraft, the guild marks, and heraldry of medieval era, the trademarks of our commercial time.

Some trademarks identify only one product. But now with the increase diversification of corporation, many are meant to identify the whole corporate entity. These emblems, or ‘service marks’ (legal terms), serve as visual reinforcements of the advertiser’s name.

A trademark does not in itself constitute a corporate personality -that is the ‘total impression a company may make on the public through its ‘public relations and advertising efforts. The trademark will grow or suffer in relation to the other factors.

Corporate emblems have become important-as certification identities in the commercial arena. Visual identification has become so important that many companies have extended their programme to include exclusive lettering alphabets, distinctive color scheme, matching architectural considerations, coordinated product design, and consistent formatting for printed material.

These attentions have created strong personalities for big firm with their designed products, controlled trademark use, special lettering style, and carefully planned color mixes.

While our verbal language is the most technical of our message systems, visual language operates as a simple and more easily absorbed form of communication on this recognition language, the better identity programme will reflect the character of company’s product or service. It will provide ‘content clues’ for easier recognition.

Use of Emblems

The best emblems are simple in form, readable in large size on a poster. Recognizable in 1-inch size in an ad, emblem and name style must be individual and suitable for all the places a company identified itself. They are many: letter- heads, envelopes, business cards, utility stationery, company literature, ads, television, products, delivery trucks, packages, wrapping papers, announcements, Diwali or Christmas cards, catalogues, building signs etc.

The graphic designer, artist, and human being, tries to put a story into the emblem- a story of common symbolism or a story with recognition clues will relate the identifying mark to a dignified human value.

Basics of Ad Designs

Ad design is an art unto itself. Creating effective banners ads can be an elusive task.

Colors and Designs - When color is used correctly, it can add impact and clarity to your ad message. Color can emphasize, highlight, and lead your end users to a call-to-action. Color can also be used to trigger emotion.

1.    Be professional: People are going to get their first impressions of your ad, so you need to be certain that it presents you in the best possible manner. This means you should be extra careful that all your spelling and grammar are correct. Also, select font sizes, styles, and colors that maximize your ad’s readability. If your banner ad is of poor quality, people will assume your product is too.

2.    Ask for an action: What do you want people who see your ad to do? Most likely, first and foremost, you want them to simply read further on it, so be sure your ad makes them do so.

3.   Keep it simple: Your ad may only have a few seconds to make its impact on the viewer. As a result, it must be able to convey your message in a small amount of time. By keeping your ad’s concept and wording clear and concise, you increase the likelihood that the viewer will actually get your message. Use the fewest (and most simple) words you can. Just because you can fit more words in your ad doesn’t mean you should.

4.      Use words that raise attention or emotion: Words like “free”“, special offer”, “secrets”, etc. help grab the viewer’s attention and increase his/her curiosity in your offer. Try this technique: pretend you are reading your ad’s text for the first time: would YOU be interested in or excited about what it offers? If not, then most people probably wouldn’t be either.

5.      Emphasize benefits, not features: What is the difference between a “benefit” and a “feature”? In simple terms, a “feature” is a service or an aspect of a service that you offer. A “benefit” is the actual impact it has on your customer.

6.      Test your banners: Run each one for a week or two and collect any data you can. Analyze your data to determine what the more successful ads have in common and then refine your ads and test them again.

Use of Colors

When color is used correctly, it can add impact and clarity to your ad message. Color can emphasize, highlight, and lead your end users to a call-to-action. Color can also be used to trigger emotion.

When color is used incorrectly, it can compromise your message and confuse your target audience. The interpretation of a color depends on culture, physiology of the eye, readability, your target audience’s profession or industry, and personal preference.

When designing an ad, you should be careful about the colors you select if you are targeting a specific country or a global audience. For example, though the color purple is also associated with royalty in European countries, the color orange is associated with royalty in the Netherlands. The color white is associated with death in China whereas white is associated with purity in Western cultures.

Colors and Legibility

How the human eye processes color is also a consideration for selecting ad colors. Purple is one of the hardest colors for the eye to discern, so it might not be a good overall color choice. On the other hand, yellow is the first color the eye processes. So if you were to try and call attention to some text on a dark-colored banner or poster ad, yellow can be an excellent color choice. But if you were to use yellow as a background color of a banner, you might want to alter the color so that it is less stressful on the eye.

In order to make the text on an ad legible, it is very important to use colors that provide a high contrast. Black and white are the two colors that provide the highest color contrast.

Color versus Black And White

Although the basic principles of layout designs and picture composition remain the same for both color and black and white, the decision to use color or colors affect the development of copy and art and complicates the graphic arts process required to produce the finished print advertisement.

As compared the black and white, the periodicals charge a higher rate for the color ads of the same size. Cost of art and mechanical production are much higher in color than in black and white. In this way, adding colors to advertisements increase the cost materially except for simple applications as printing one color on a different color paper for a direct advertising piece. But still, some advertisers are willing to pay ‘higher costs to color ads for a number of reasons:

• Color adds attention value. It catches the eyes of the readers, consumers, and prospects.
• It helps emphasize important elements in an ad due to contrasts in color.
• Color presents the product or situation with a sense of realism or atmosphere impossible in black and white.
• Color provides a clear identification of product, its brand name and trademark

Most of the readers expect colors in ads for food, beverages, and traveling as well as for fabrics and fashions and the advertisers will gain much more. On the other hand, messages designed to promote a particular instance policy or new banking services require no color for effective communication. The advertiser will be benefited in such cases through the use of black and white.

Basics of Ad Designs

Ad design is an art unto itself. Creating effective banners ads can be an elusive task.

Colors and Designs - When color is used correctly, it can add impact and clarity to your ad message. Color can emphasize, highlight, and lead your end users to a call-to-action. Color can also be used to trigger emotion.

1.      Be professional: People are going to get their first impressions of your ad, so you need to be certain that it presents you in the best possible manner. This means you should be extra careful that all your spelling and grammar are correct. Also, select font sizes, styles, and colors that maximize your ad’s readability. If your banner ad is of poor quality, people will assume your product is too.

2.      Ask for an action: What do you want people who see your ad to do? Most likely, first and foremost, you want them to simply read further on it, so be sure your ad makes them do so.

3.      Keep it simple: Your ad may only have a few seconds to make its impact on the viewer. As a result, it must be able to convey your message in a small amount of time. By keeping your ad’s concept and wording clear and concise, you increase the likelihood that the viewer will actually get your message. Use the fewest (and most simple) words you can. Just because you can fit more words in your ad doesn’t mean you should.

4.      Use words that raise attention or emotion: Words like “free”“, special offer”, “secrets”, etc. help grab the viewer’s attention and increase his/her curiosity in your offer. Try this technique: pretend you are reading your ad’s text for the first time: would YOU be interested in or excited about what it offers? If not, then most people probably wouldn’t be either.

Emphasize benefits, not features: What is the difference between a “benefit” and a “feature”? In simple terms, a “feature” is a service or an aspect of a service that you offer. A “benefit” is the actual impact it has on your customer.

The various steps in the layout are the progression from visualization to the final artwork, when it is ready for sending for production. The art director or the visualizer starts with the thumbnail sketches also known as idea-generation miniatures. These are simple drawings that contain an ad’s basic elements. A good layout should have the following basic elements:

Balance

Balance is a fundamental law of nature and life. Odd things stand out. Balance way is defined as a matter of weight distribution. In layout, it is related to the optical center of an advertisement. The optical center is the point, which the eye designates as the center of an area.

Proportion

Proportion is related to balance but is concerned primarily with the division of the space and the emphasis needed to be according to each element. Proportion also involves the tone of the ad, i.e. the amount of light areas in relation to the dark one and the amount of color required and the decision to avoid color.

Movement

Eyes follow a particular movement. This is the result of reading a particular kind of script early from life. Readers of western and Devanagri script are habitual of looking at the reading material from left to right and then from top to bottom. The Arabic script, in which Persian and Urdu are written, goes from right to left.

Unity

Unification of the layout is what is meant by the term unity. All the elements in the ad, must be united to be a composite whole. This is achieved when the element tie into once another by making use of the same basic shapes.

Unity can be achieved by grouping the elements, by encasing the ad in a border, by aligning one element with another or by the overlapping of elements.

Mood

Sizes, textures, colors, illustrations, and the type also contribute to create a mood for the ad. It is always ideal to choose type from one family to create the right harmony and mood. Similarly the white space will also create the appropriate mood. The two basic devices of illustrating an ad are photography and drawing.

• (a) Photography: Pictures in advertisements create a feeling of immediacy, live action, speed, empathy, association, and flexibility. And it is not a matter of coincidence that the majority of ads contain pictures. The pictures encompass a variety of subjects, like, people, animals, flowers, monuments, birds, objects, etc. These are selected on the basis of the aim of the ad. The selection of right characters is very important. Professional photography is a specialized area, and agencies generally have on their panel photographers from various fields of specialization, like fashion, nature, profiles, table top, industry, children, etc.
• (b) Drawings:Illustration is used in an ad, when visualizer feels that its impact will be more than that of a photograph. A number of techniques are used in producing drawings. In line drawing, everything is sharp, precise and in black and white without any gray tones. Cartoons are generally done as line drawings. Wash drawing is defined as an illustration, using tones and shades and can be in one or more colors. It can be both in realist or impressionist style. Fashion and furniture ads at times use this technique, as these look attractive and distinct.Color Psychology

  No reference to advertising can be complete unless one speaks about color, or rather the role of color. Color adds realism, besides beauty and distinctiveness. The right blend of colors adds a dash of magic to the ad. Some scholars feel that people’s reaction to color is based on a person’s national origin and culture. Colors also have a psychology of their own and various colors depict various moods.

  Typography

  Typography is the art of selecting typefaces, of which there are hundreds of designs; blending different typefaces; casting off the number of word to fit spaces’ and marking up copy for typesetting, using different sizes and weights.

  Good typography leads to legibility (readability), and attractiveness, and certain designs of type can create style and character or be characteristics of the advertised subject. Typography is yet another area that needs to be considered carefully, especially in print advertising material. Typesetters and photo composers swear by various types, conveying specific moods and ambience. Type styles are chosen, keeping in view the objectives and strategy of the campaign.

  Stages of Advertising Design Process

  The design process serves as both a creative and an approval process. In the creative phase, the designer uses thumbnails, roughs, dummies, and comprehensives-in other words, non-final art – to establish the ad’s look and feel. The final artwork with the actual type in placed along with all the visuals; the printer will need to reproduce the ad. The approval process takes place throughout the entire design process.

  (i) Thumbnail Sketches – the thumbnail sketch, or thumbnail, is a small, rough, rapidly produced drawing the artist uses to visualize layout approaches without wasting time on details. Thumbnails are very basic. Blocks of straight or squiggly lines indicate text placement, and boxes show placement of visuals. The best sketches are then developed further.

  (ii) Rough Layout – in a rough, the artist draws to the actual size of the ad. Headlines and subheads suggest the final type style, illustrations and photographs are sketched in, and body copy is simulated with lines. The agency may present rough to clients, particularly cost-conscious ones.

  (iii) Comprehensive– the comprehensive layout, or comp, is a highly refined facsimile of the finished ad. A comp is generally quite elaborate; with elaborate, with colored photos, press-on-learning, Photostats of sub visuals, and a glossy spray coat. Today, a copy for the comp is typeset on computer and positioned with the visuals, and the ad is printed as a full-color proof. At this stage, all visuals should be final.(iv) Art work – this is the final stage of layout. Here care is taken to look into each minute detail. The copy is properly composed or lettered. Proper photographs, paintings, sketches, or graphics are used. Other elements like borders etc are properly places. Coloring is done. Finishing artists give the final touches. This stage is now ready to be printed. All these various stages of preparing the layout are beneficial in a many ways. First these stages save time, money and efforts. If you prepare a final layout without taking the approval and it gets rejected, then all the material used, efforts and time spend are wasted. Also working on only one idea curtails the various other possible options.

  A layout starts with a blank piece of paper. What the layout artist does is to place the copy, visuals, and other elements on it. This placing of elements is not just mere decoration. What is required is a good, clear vision and interpretation of the selling concept of the story. A good layout allows all its elements-visuals, headlines, subheadings, body copy, charts, maps, logo, borders, and other elements-to work together to do the job of telling the product story.

  A good layout takes into consideration the principles of balance, proportion, unity, contrast, harmony, rhythm, and direction. And finally a good layout must be attractive, must create an appropriated mood or feeling, and must have individually to stand out from the clutter of advertisements.

  (v) Dummy – a dummy presents the handheld look and feel of brochures, multipage materials, or point-of-purchase displays. The artist assembles the dummy by hand, using color markers and computer proofs, mounting them on sturdy paper, and then cutting and folding them to size. A dummy for a brochure, for example, is put together, page by page, to look exactly like the finished product.

  (vi) Mechanical (paste-up) – the type and visuals must be placed into their exact position for reproduction by printer. Today, most designer does this work on computer, completely bypassing the need for a mechanical. Some agencies, however, still make traditional mechanicals where black type and line art are pasted in place on a piece of white art board- called a paste-up- with overlay sheets indicating the hue and positioning of color. Printers refer to the mechanical or paste-up as camera-ready art because they photograph it using a large production camera before starting the reproduction process creating color keys, prints, and films of the finished ad. At any time during the design process- until the printing press lays ink on paper- changes can be made on the art. However, the expense may grow tenfold with each step from roughs to mechanicals to printing.

  (vii) Approval – the work of copywriter and art director is always subject to approval. The larger the agency and the larger the client, the more formidable this process becomes. The agency’s creative director first approves a new ad concept. Then the account management team reviews it. Next, the client’s product managers and marketing staff review it, often changing a work or two or sometimes rejecting the whole approach. Both the agency’s and client’s legal departments scrutinize the copy and art for potential problems. Finally, the company’s top executives review the final concept and text.

  The biggest challenge in approval is keeping approves from corrupting the style of the ad. The creative team works hard to achieve a cohesive style. Then a group of non-writers and non-artists have the opportunity to change it all. Maintaining artistic purity is extremely difficult.

  Typography

  Typography is the art of selecting and setting type. Because almost every advertisement has some reading matter, type has tremendous importance. Typefaces affect an advertisement’s appearance, design, and readability. Art directors rely on stark, eye -catching typefaces to help break through the clutter of competing advertisements.

  Type Families

  All typefaces (or type fonts) come in families, just as human faces do. Many of them have proud family names, usually inherited from the original designer of the typeface, such as Bodoni, Gothic, Goudy. Certain families offer all kinds of variations. To present his client’s product well, creative executives use various typefaces. Most traditional types have small cross strokes, called ‘Serifs’ that appear on the arms of certain letters. Some of the more modern type designs do not have these tiny extensions on the end of letters. Such typefaces are called ‘Sans Serif’. Each family offers capital letters and small letters referred to by typographers as ‘uppercase and lowercase’ and may usually be italicized.

  Typefaces

  Families of type fall into one of several faces’. These include Rom an (Bookman, New Century, Schoolbook, and Times), Sans Serif (Franklin, Gothic, Futura 2, and Helvetica), Square serif, or Egyptian (Aachen Bold), Script (Calligrapher and Nuptial), and Pi faces (Wood type Ornaments and Zapf Dingbats). Typographic noise is said to occur when type families of the same face are mixed in an advertisement, Sans Serif types are best used for headlines and serifs for body copy as the serif enhances readability. The serif makes reading easier because ‘it cuts down the reflection of light from around the letter into the reader’s eye (halation); it links the letters in a word and provides a horizontal guideline; and it helps distinguish one letter from another. Because of their superior readability, serif types are also preferred for copy that will be faxed as individual letters lose clarity in faxing. Most of the type one sees in a textbook, novel, newspaper stories, and a magazine article is Roman type.

  Points

  Type is measured in points. There are 72 points to 1 inch vertically. Most familiesof type offer sizes from tiny 6 point to giant 72 point and larger. When fairly longtext is being set in type, 10-point, 12 point, or 14-point size makes for goodreading. Beyond 14 point are the displays or headline sizes. The ad layout includedthe amount of actual length and width of the advertisement itself.

  Pica Measurements

  In typography the unit of area measurement is called a pica. There are 12 points in a pica, 6 picas to an inch. A copy block might be termed 16 picas wide by 36 picas deep.

The biggest challenge in approval is keeping approvers from corrupting the style of the ad. The creative team works hard to achieve a cohesive style. Then a group of non-writers and non-artists have the opportunity to change it all. Maintaining artistic purity is extremely difficult.

requires patience, flexibility, maturity, and the ability to articulate an

important point of view.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. What is a ‘Dummy’ in Print Advertising?
Q2. What are the various stages of advertising design process? Q3.
How much white space is required in an advertisement layout? Q4.
What is a ‘Wash drawing’?

1.8 LAYOUTS AND DESIGN

Design is the art side of communication- the visual side of printed pieces,

television, presentations, packages, trade marks, publication- all the things that affect in visual ways as well as verbal ways, all the things we look at in communications. Design comes from a background of art training. The graphic designer brings the understanding of line, colour, texture, mass, and form to his work-all the visual influential things into the field of communication.

Design is art term meaning the arrangement of elements that make up a work

of art. Painters call it composition. In film it is called editing. It is the sense of

visual elements working together to influence the viewers. It may be the visual images working one after another on the pages of an annual report. In may be the sequence of images hitting the viewer in fast cut scenes in a television spot. It may be the sequence of elements arranged in important and dominant style on a single page of making an ad photo, type, and logo.

Layout & Design

Once headlines and body copy have been written, copywriters prepare rough sketches to convey their concept to the art directors. These sketches rough out the desired placement of headlines, subheads, and body copy, the company logo, and visuals. Basic advertising layouts include these types: Copy Heavy (ad space dominated by text),Fram e (graphics or other image frame the copy),Grid (space divided by squares of equal size),Mondrian (space divided into boxes or sections, not necessarily of equal size), Picture Window (space largely occupied by art- a photo, drawing, or other image), and Type Specimen (space dominated by the headline which substitutes for art). Subheads are often used to break up long copy. Italicized copy and reverses (white print on black) should be used sparingly.

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Typography

Typography is the art of selecting and setting type. Because almost every advertisement has some reading matter, type has tremendous importance. Typefaces affect an advertisement’s appearance, design, and readability. Art directors rely on stark, eye -catching typefaces to help break through the clutter of competing advertisements.

Type Families

All typefaces (or type fonts) come in families, just as human faces do. Many of them have proud family names, usually inherited from the original designer of the typeface, such as Bodoni, Gothic, Goudy. Certain families offer all kinds of variations. To present his client’s product well, creative executives use various typefaces. Most traditional types have small cross strokes, called ‘Serifs’ that appear on the arms of certain letters. Some of the more modern type designs do not have these tiny extensions on the end of letters. Such typefaces are called ‘Sans Serif’. Each family offers capital letters and small letters referred to by typographers as ‘uppercase and lowercase’ and may usually be italicized.

Typefaces

Families of type fall into one of several faces’. These include Rom an (Bookman, New Century, Schoolbook, and Times), Sans Serif (Franklin, Gothic, Futura 2, and Helvetica), Square serif, or Egyptian (Aachen Bold), Script (Calligrapher and Nuptial), and Pi faces (Wood type Ornaments and Zapf Dingbats). Typographic noise is said to occur when type families of the same face are mixed in an advertisement, Sans Serif types are best used for headlines and serifs for body copy as the serif enhances readability. The serif makes reading easier because ‘it cuts down the reflection of light from around the letter into the reader’s eye (halation); it links the letters in a word and provides a horizontal guideline; and it helps distinguish one letter from another. Because of their superior readability, serif types are also preferred for copy that will be faxed as individual letters lose clarity in faxing. Most of the type one sees in a textbook, novel, newspaper stories, and a magazine article is Roman type.

Points

Type is measured in points. There are 72 points to 1 inch vertically. Most familiesof type offer sizes from tiny 6 point to giant 72 point and larger. When fairly longtext is being set in type, 10-point, 12 point, or 14-point size makes for goodreading. Beyond 14 point are the displays or headline sizes. The ad layout includedthe amount of actual length and width of the advertisement itself.

The layout serves several purposes. First, it helps both the agency and the client develop and evaluate the ad’s final look and feel. It gives the client (usually not an artist) a tangible item to correct, change, comment on, and approve.

Secondly, the layout helps the creative team develop the ad’s psychological elements- the nonverbal and symbolic components. The ‘look’ of the ad should elicit an image or mood that reflects and enhances the advertiser and the product. Therefore, when designing the initial ad layout, the creative team must be very sensitive to the desired image of the product or business.

Third, once the best design is chosen, the layout serves as a blueprint. It shows the size and placement of each element in the ad. Once the production manager knows the dimensions of the ad, the number of photos, the amount of typesetting, and the use of art elements such as color and illustrations, he or she can determine the cost of producing the ad.

Advertising Layout Strategy

Proportional guideline:

1. Illustration 65 %

2. Headline 10 %

3. Copy 20 %

4. Logo 5 %

100 of space allocation (20%+ white%  space)

Illustration

In most ads, the illustration is used to attract attention. Large, single illustrations attracted the most attention. Though the headline may be the “stopper”, the illustration is the most critical element in the ad’s success. It can also visually communicate product benefits and concept, and lead the reader into the headline and copy.

Headline

The headline is used to attract attention, arouse interest, and make the ad more attractive and readable. However, it should not be over 10 words and more than 15 % of the ad’s total area.

Copy

Style of typeface used in the headline, subhead and copy will impact the mood and readability of the ad. Mixed type should be either very similar or very different. Mixing more than two (or three at most) different typefaces makes an ad busy and confusing.

Logo

Because we read left to right and top to bottom, the logo or company signature can be strategically placed in the lower right hand corner of an ad. With this position, the logo is the last element we see and most likely remember.

Direct the Viewer’s Eye

From the page’s top, down through the center and end at the page’s bottom. The eye sees the illustration first, and then we read down from there. Headlines located below the illustration pull 10% more readers.

Emphasis

The optical center of an ad is in the center and two-thirds up from the bottom. This should be the ad’s focal point.

Proportional Use of Space

The proportional use of space in an ad is dependent upon the product and market target. Product ads that try to communicate an image (perfume, jewelry, etc.) will have a greater proportion of illustration and little copy. Conversely, an ad for a technical product will have more copy.

White Space

At least 20 % of an ad should be blank (white space). Ample white space helps gain attention, create contrast, and unify the ad. White space is probably the most underestimated element in advertisements.

Bleed

A page without a border is called a bleed because the ink bleeds through the surrounding white border into the trim space. An obvious benefit of this technique is that the ad itself becomes larger. Although most publishers charge extra for bleeds, this cost is often justified by the ads extra impact. A bleed carries the implication of action, freedom, and adventure and tends to make the ad more lifelike. In research, it is found that nearly half of all high readership ads used bleeds. Conversely, only 14% of low readership ads used this technique.

Borders

In contrast, borders set up continuity, structure, and formality. Borders can isolate the ad from surrounding copy and other ads -forcing you to focus on the ad. However, they tend to make the ad appear smaller.

Copywriters can correlate the headline, visual, and subhead to the attention step of the creative pyramid. The interest step typically corresponds to the sub- headline and the first paragraph of body copy. Body copy handles credibility and desire, and the action step takes place with to logo, slogan, and signature block.

The Headline

Effective headlines attract attention, engage the audience, explain the visual, lead the audience into the body of the ad, and present the selling message. The headline is the most important thing as advertiser says to the prospect. It explains or gives s greater meaning to the visual and then immediately dictates the advertiser’s position in that person’s mind, whether or not the prospect chooses to read on.

Ideally, headlines present the complete selling idea. Working off the visual, the headline creates the mood and tells the reader to take action (through implication) and triggers a recognition response, which reinforces brand recognition and brand preference. Also, the headline should present product news. Consumers look for new products, new uses for old products, or improvements on old products. If they haven’t been overused in a category,

‘Power’ words that imply newness can increase readership and should be employed whenever honestly applicable. Examples include free, now, amazing, suddenly, announcing, introducing, its here, improved, at last, revolutionary, just arrived, and important development.

Subheads

The subheads, an additional smaller headline, may appear above the headline or below it. A subhead above the headline, called a kicker (or over line) is often underlined. Subheads may also appear in body copy.

Subheads are usually set smaller than the headline but larger than the body copy or text. Subheads generally appear in boldface (heavier) type or a different color. Like a headline, the subhead transmits key sales points fast. But it usually carries less important information than the headline. Subheads are important for two reasons: Most individuals read only the headline and subheads, and subheads usually support the interest step best. Subheads are longer and more like sentences. They serve as stepping-stones from the headline to the body copy, telegraphing what’s to come.

Body Copy

The advertiser tells the complete sales story in the body copy or text. The body copy comprises the interest, credibility, desire, and often even the action steps. It is a logical continuation of the headline and subheads, set in smaller type. Body copy covers the features, benefits, and utility of the product or service.

The body copy is typically read by only one out of ten readers, so the writer must speak to the reader’s self –interest, explaining how the product or service satisfies the customer’s need. The best ads focus on one big idea or one clear benefit. Copywriters often read their copy aloud to hear how it sounds, even if it’s intended for print media. The ear is a powerful copywriting tool.

Slogans

Many slogans (also called theme lines or taglines) begin as successful headlines. Through continuous use, they become standard statements, not just in advertising but also for salespeople and company employees.

Slogans have two basic purposes: to provide continuity to a series of ads in a campaign and to reduce an advertising message strategy to a brief, repeatable, and memorable positioning statement. DeBeers’ ads, for example, still use the famous slogan “Diamonds are forever”.

Seals, Logos, and Signatures

A seal is awarded only when a product meets standards established by a particular organization. Since these organizations are recognized authorities, their seals provide an independent, valued endorsement for the advertiser’s product.

Logotypes and signatures cut (sign cuts) are special designs of the advertiser’s company or product name. They appear in all company ads and, like trademarks, give the product individuality and provide quick recognition at that point of purchase.

At the end of last year, we published a series of outdoor advertisement posts. Even after the series was complete, based on your responses we published a few other outdoor and print advertisements as well, and this is a post just like those ones.