Advertising has broken its conservative moulds long ago and keeps doing that every single day. With the advent and flourish of outdoor advertising in the last decade, this has become one of the most appealing ways of wooing the customer. Marketers do not like to tip toe around the idea but take it full on, making the most remarkable statements through a few exemplary takes on outdoor advertising.

Let’s have a look at what it takes to make the mark:

Point of Interaction: For outdoor advertising, the point of interaction makes a lot of importance. There is no set formula, for the advertising may appear on a billboard, a local transport, a building or any unconventional space. However, the message should blend well with the space in question.

Creativity Factor: There is no argument that outdoor advertising allows for more creativity. Given that the space is not confined to an A4 size magazine sheet or a 30 second commercial, this one gives plenty of opportunity to experiment.

Attention All: It definitely gets all the attention. For the sheer reason that outdoor advertising takes on a bigger space and makes a larger than life statement in an open arena, it grabs the eyeball. In fact, it becomes as unavoidable as the online pop up ads. So, one is not going to miss out on these, while driving back home or even inside an elevator.

Cost Play: This one works well for the advertising budget. Considering the exposure time and investment, deciding for an outdoor display of product or service idea is a cost effective deal.

Long Stay: Outdoor advertising makes for a perfect setting for a theme based campaign, run in series. People are more mobile and it is more likely that they come across the advertising while on the move, thus, giving the campaign the much needed exposure while it makes for a longer impact.

Delivering a product message has never been as competitive as in the present-day context. So, how can a brand really stand out? How can it truly create an impact? How much should the brand spend? With a splurge in digital marketing as well, brands have a lot to experiment with, when it comes to creating a unique space for themselves!

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It would be a defying act but it is true. The very fact that niche means something attached to somebody’s specific preference may now be encroached upon by a different space altogether. Marketers and advertisers have realised this phenomenon early on and have clearly taken heed of that. Niche advertising is meant for products or services for a very segregated section of the population and at times it may take into account factors like lifestyle, spending habits, income group etc. Coming to that, what has recently been noticed is that niche advertising is making a bigger appeal to the audience in general.

The Sentiment
It is well known that advertising plays upon the hidden psychology of emotion. This clearly gives niche products a different standing. People more often than not start associating niche products as something special and thus, getting attracted towards it is natural. Ferrero Rocher chocolates would be a humble example here.

The Aspiration
Niche services are already positioned as something desirable in the market, be it exclusive bone china or a SUV. The play is that the ones who can afford it would have to have it and the ones who are still undecided, will be pushed towards it. Sometimes a ‘limited edition’ tag makes it all the more necessary to be acquired.

The Association
It is not so easy to notice but it is there with all individuals. The psychology of association with a group or variety of individuals with similar taste, representing particular lifestyle is quite common. This is another strong reason of how niche advertising gets to a wider network of people because there are a good number of these association seekers who like to buy, wear, use and flaunt products to get attached to the group.

While some of the above arguments are not being discovered on the surface but they are valid and work huge favours for the marketers. Niche advertising has never been as popular as it is now. It is certainly serving out a bigger purpose than is intended or rather moulded so to do that instead.

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The rapid growth of the Advertising Industry has made the aspiring youth to channel their creativity and ideas into a lifestyle unconfined to the daily rut that a typical 9-to-5 job has to offer.

Its most remunerative jobs are:

1. Account Supervisor/Sales: The sales and account supervisor positions are best suited if you are a people’s person and have a sales background. The annual salary is based on your past experiences and the number of new accounts you bring in. The day-to-day responsibilities include client communication, keeping the company competitive, and creating client billings and reports.
2. Copywriter: People with the talent to write and are not willing to settle for meager wages like Journalists can pursue a career in copywriting. By writing print, web or radio ads, the copywriters can earn fast cash.
3. Creative Director: The position of a creative director is to create and manage ad concepts and their execution. A long experience in advertising and a sense of art and design are the right ingredients to make big in the position of a creative director.
4. Online Brand and Marketing Manager: Online Marketing Managers are hired to manage the clients’ presence on the web. Good knowledge in social networking and a marketing background can make this a top-paying position.
5. Chief Communications Officer and Chief Public Relations Officer: To pursue a career as a Communications Officer or Public Relations Officer, you need an excellent written and verbal skill. A good network and being a people person are the traits which are essential. The job encompasses reputation building therefore the job can be expected to pay very well.

The stiff competition and the knack to emerge from the growing completion have certainly made Advertising Industry a one stop solution for various career opportunities.

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Music only exists in digital form in the contemporary realm. The vogue of CDs and other recording formats is also waning as music is mostly bought though online stores. This phenomenon started in the early years of the 21^st century with the opening of iTunes store. Music is now available on the Internet in universal formats such as MP3 which can be easily accessed across all platforms.

Buy One, Not All

Advertising techniques for music has also undergone a major shift.  Unlike before, one has the option to purchase songs individually rather than the whole album. This not only proves to more economically viable but also more efficient. You can also rate the songs which helps other customers with their buying decisions. Most online music stores also feature songs that are most downloaded and top rated. These lists also play a critical role in influencing the decision of the buyers.

Listen Before You Buy

Music stores also offer the option of listening to the preview of the song before actually purchasing it. The preview of the song serves as the advertisement for the song itself. The major advantage of online music stores that they provide access to a humongous collection readily. The music is organised under genres which you can access as per your taste.

Get Recommendations to Get Music

Advertisements are also projected in the form of recommendations. Online stores generally keep a track of your purchases and recommend songs on that basis. Users can also post reviews for songs and share their views about any song, album or artist. Online stores also serve the function of social media as users can interact and share their interests and ideas.

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Social media has given advertisers a powerful tool to connect and influence the younger generation. Owing to the increasing penetration of Internet, social media has emerged as one of the most important elements in the advertising mix. However, conventional media like television still maintain their stronghold on the India subcontinent.

Ubiquity: Though, the pervasion of Internet has been remarkable at the least, it still cannot match the ubiquitousness of television. Television is something that is rudimentary to every household while internet is still somewhat accessorial.

The Reach: Television still continues to be the closest bet to a universal medium. While television connects with almost all demographics, social media can only reach the urban and semi urban population. Social media is still light-years away from reaching rural and backward areas.

Simplicity: Social media certainly cannot compete with the simplicity of the idiot box. Television can be operated and understood by most masses, even the illiterate. Social media requires its user to be internet savvy in order to exploit its potential.

Targeted Approach: Social media extends advertisers, the privilege to acquaint themselves with their audience. With social media, advertisers can adopt on a highly targeted approach and tap on niche markets.

Feedback and Analysis: Advertisers can never garner instant and accurate feedback for television advertisements. The number of views and popularity for a television advertisement can also be only ascertained. The feedback and statistics of any social media campaign is instant and accurate. Due to this unique advantage of social media, it has also emerged as a test platform for television advertising campaigns

The various facets of advertising have undergone many changes in the recent past. While television still continues to be the dominant medium, it is also apparent that social media poses a veritable threat to its dominance. From a long term perspective, advertisers cannot afford to ignore the potential and reach of social media.

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Advertisers and marketers have absolutely no qualms testing with a new idea. Places don’t matter till the time it is sure to reach out to the audience intended. Thus, marketers landed on to the coffee cup. After all, it is a tool which is there in the prospective consumer’s hand while the coffee lasts. This gives the latter enough time to read out the brand message written on the cup and the work of the marketer is almost done. Here’s how the purpose is achieved:

Penetrating the segment: The marketer gets to penetrate a larger segment of the population with coffee cup advertising. Being present on the coffee cups for a fortnight can give enough coverage than it would through any other form of visual marketing.

Covering more venues: A marketer can cover more spots in a city or across a region by collaborating with a chain of coffee outlets. There have been successful media and technology campaigns over such collaborations. This has benefitted both the parties equally.

More visual impact: There is no doubt that the business advertising on the coffee cup would result in a deeper impact. The coffee cup is carried by individuals to workplaces, meeting halls, conferences, which are all business hubs and turn potential consumers.

Saving on cost: A company saves a lot on taking the move for advertising on coffee cups. Playing on a strip around the coffee cup costs less while done in bulk. However, it would not fail in putting out a strong message.

In totality, taking on the move to be present on the coffee cup may sound like a frugal idea. But at the same time it also pushes the brand into more exposure and that is all that they need.

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A business plan with a dream to take on the world by storm sounds mighty but it is totally accomplishable, if we have to say so. All we need to do is to get the basics right. The practice and success will always lie with the initiator.

Can’t do without it: There are some bare minimums of everything in this world. So, it is with a brand. The brand offering a product or service must connect with the consumer on the very bottom-line of ‘need’. If the consumer cannot do without this product, it is launched right.

The cherry on the cake: Everyone loves the cake but it is always nicer with a dressing. The consumer likes to see the added ‘value’ with the product. If the brand has to survive, it needs to keep exploring on the benefits apart from the offerings of the product.

Engage and shoot: Not literally. But don’t lose the sight. The consumer is a tricky being. If the business would not engage and talk, the former tends to move. So, keep them kicking with campaigns offline and online.

Change is the only constant: It is better to adapt than be late and forgotten. In the age where people are rushing in with their labels, it is good to keep the brand updated every once in a while. This can be done by product innovation, advance strategy of advertising and promotions.

Miles to go: The consumer–brand relationship should be fostered keeping in mind that a satisfied consumer always talks in favor of the brand and help build more. Social networking sites are turning out to be the best platform for consumer interaction spot. It is also working as the grievance redress cell.

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The Indian landscape is certainly one of the most diverse and abundant in the whole world. Here, the old intermingles with the new with an innate harmony. While India has underwent rapid urbanization, a majority of population still lives in rural and semi urban areas. In accord with these changes, advertising has also evolved to cater to the unique India demographic.

The Feel Good Factor: Ads that simply purported to the various the benefits of the product are fairly outdated. Now, people enjoy advertisements and seek for an entertainment value out of them. The advertisements are not focussed around the features of the product but how that product adds value to your life. The shift of emphasis has been from people’s mind to their heart.

Brand Value: Advertisers are not satisfied with the consumers making a single purchase; they are more interested in getting them to buy again and again. The centre-stage attraction of advertising is not the product now but the brand. Brand building has emerged as the foremost aspect of advertising.

The New Media: Internet is well on its way of becoming fairly ubiquitous throughout India. The sheer popularity of social media among the Indian youth has given advertisers a platform to effectively connect with a segment possessing a formidable purchasing power. Naturally, the share of online advertising in the overall advertising budget has augmented significantly. Social networking websites and video sharing websites have also emerged as test platforms for large advertising campaigns.

Targeted Approach: Advertisers now can’t afford to the stick to the “one for all” approach.  Ads are now specifically aimed at a key demographic rather than at the whole masses. Ad campaigns now consistently tap on niche markets to better establish the brand and more dedicated brand following.

Advertising has become more challenging than ever as the Indian consumer is now inundated with multifarious brands and products. As India moves towards becoming a more consumerist society, advertising also adopts to the change with innovation and creativity.

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Social media is probably one of the most aggressively used marketing tools of our times. The magnitude of the effectiveness of the various networking websites can be judged by the fact that many bigger firms today are spending more on their getting their social networking right rather than on their advertising campaigns. Here are some tips for effective social media marketing for small businesses-

• Join Facebook Groups- Joining specific Facebook groups will help you meet other businesses and do you can conduct your research in a better way.
• Focus on the Target Audience- If you have just created your Facebook page or a twitter account for your business, focus on your specific audiences rather than all users. If you are selling a product for the teenagers, spread the word on the youth groups and forums, not on a page created for the single moms.
• Videos- Videos can be an extremely powerful tool in getting your business its own share of word of mouth publicity. Target the trending topics and make use of the popular culture. People love and share what they can associate with and giving them something to talk about will always do you good.
• Set up a Blog- Blogging will get your business an instant identity. Blog about topics that are related to your business and make full use of SEO. Use tags and categories to increase traffic.
• Unique Content- If you have just set up your Facebook or Twitter pages, provide your fan community with some uniqueness. Go online, find out the latest trends that rule your industry and keep posting your pages with interesting and unconventional content to keep them booked.

For startups and small businesses, building up a fan community, tapping the right audiences and the right communication can be a real test. So, while the above tips are good to follow, it is also advisable to test the waters, survey the competition and understand the market well before embarking.

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Advertising has come a long way. Since the inception of the whole concept of persuading the general population to buy a product, it has seen many ups and downs. A number of techniques have been employed to sell products of a specific brand. The creative minds at work employed the use of Radio, Television, and Internet through common people, Singers, actors, athletes, cartoon characters  to almost anything that has the potential to plant the idea of action into the minds of target audiences.

All during this evolution, it’s interesting to note that what has remained unchanged is the effect of popular culture on advertising. Be it any country of the world, what remains popular amongst the population also gets into spotlight with the brand image revolving around as a guard. For instance, Amul butter ads. None of the Aml ads have ever asked any audience to buy their butter and still no brand has even come closer to selling as much as Amul does. But why is that so? Advertising that reflects popular culture attracts attention and people relate to it much better.  Once that idea seeps into the common man’s mind, the product gets picked up first in a super market.

So, when the most popular actress of India got married to actor, Abhishek Bachchan, Amul came up with this popular Print ad. And, this is a trend.

Another aspect is the affect of celebrity endorsement. Celebrities are always in fashion and are admired. So, if a brand combines a great product, a celebrity and a bit of creativity, it’s a win-win for all.

Many a times, advertising tends to have an effect on popular culture too. The products we see on our idiot boxes or the brand pages we like on Facebook automatically register a presence in our subconscious minds. And, once a person gets to a market for shopping, the product with the greatest impact on our minds wins the race.

In a way, it is totally appropriate to say that popular culture and advertising are helping each other. Advertising is taking the advantage of popular trends that sell and popular culture in return, is strengthening its roots.