Advertising Tactics that Keeps a Product in the Market
We are a visual people. We learn so much by what we see. This is why advertising works.
Advertising is different game. It applies a lot of tactics and variables whose main objective is to communicate a product and keep it active in the market. It is selling, psychology, philosophy and sociology and other arts and sciences applied together.
Take the example of two people watching a televised commercial of a bowl cleaner. One might find the commercial offensive. The other may find it amusing and entertaining. No two reactions will exactly be alike.
The challenge of advertising is leveling out perceptions so that it gets more result from its audience.
Advertisers use an almost infinite number of communication variables some of the better known are;
• Endorsement. Advertisement capitalizes in this by employing famous personalities that has a good following because they could influence the buying decision of for the brand being endorsed.
A famous golfer can endorse, let us say Ping Golf or Callaway. A Boxing champion Everlast, A basketball superstar Nike. Well known and highly respected personalities are employed as endorsers not only to sell a brand of a product.
Advertising people also aims at reducing doubts after a purchase is made and to insure repeat sales and the products continuous patronage.
• Store Image. Products are placed in stores perceived to be the most reputable. The store image then enhances the brand image.
• Brand Imaging. The firms’ reputation influences the buying decision when it is perceived to be a reliable well known firm. Companies uses slogans to communicate its values not only the product. One of the strategic importance of brand imaging is to capture a particular market income classification say for example class A to enable it to capture over time other income classification brackets.
It works like this. A brand for example will be marketed as a high quality product. Marketing, advertising and over all appeal will be designed to capture the high income earners. When the identification is already fixed in the mind of the public, the consumers in the lower brackets will also have the desire to own one.
Doing it the other way around say income classification D will fail to capture the market in the higher income levels. The brand image could get stuck with D and sales over time will not capture a broader spectrum of the market..
• Free Samples. Induces trial purchases because the customers were given a sample of the product that turned out to the customers liking. This is one of the tactics that can be employed to reduce risks on the part of the customer and encourage product testing.
• Your money back guarantee. This advertising pitch is used to level out risks in purchasing by guaranteeing that your money is returned when not satisfied with your purchase.
• Government testing. Endorsement by the government after testing. This is an effective way to gain the customers trust. It lends credibility for the product and favorable responses.
• Top of the line purchase. This is a very effective sales persuader. Past experiences have dictated that a top of the line product is the companies best. This is also product imaging where the customer equates price for quality.
• Brand loyalty. Once a customer buys a product, many companies ensure that the customer comes back again and again. One of the most fail proof approaches here is to ensure that the benefits that the product of the company promised is done and maintained if not improved. When the product lives up to what it claimed and it proved to be satisfying, it enjoys repeat purchases and a following.
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