Unit15.Functions

ofAdvertisingFunctionsofAdvertisingToday,weallhavestrongconceptsofwhatadvertisingis,andwealsotenttohaveverystrongopinionsandprejudicesaboutit.Thedefinitionsofadvertisingaremanyandvaried.Itmaybedefinedasacommunicationprocess,amarketingprocess,aneconomicandsocialprocess,apublicrelationsprocess,andeconomicandsocialprocess,orandinformationandpersuasionprocess,dependingonthepointoftheview.3WhatisAdvertising?

（Workingdefinitionofadvertising）

Advertisingisthenon-personalcommunicationofinformationusuallypaidforandusuallypersuasiveinnatureaboutproducts,services,orideasbyidentifiedsponsorsthroughthevariousmedia.Inthistextweshallusethefollowingworkingdefinitionofadvertising:Advertisingisthenonpersonalcommunicationofinformationusuallypaidforandusuallypersuasiveinnatureaboutproducts,services,orideasbyidentifiedsponsorsthroughthevariousmedia.Let’stakethisdefinitionapartandanalyzeitscomponents.Advertisingisdirectedtogroupsofpeopleandisthereforenonpersonalinnature.Thegroupmightbeteenagerswhoenjoyrockmusicormenandwomenwhowatchsoapoperasorsportingevents.Butitisnotpersonalorface-to-facecommunication.Mostadvertisingispaidforbysponsors.GeneralMotors,Wal-MartorPanasonicpayfortheadvertisementweread,hearandsee.Butsomeadvertisementsarenotpaidforbytheirsponsors.TheAmericanRedCross,UnitedWayandAmericanCanerSocietyareonlythreeofhundredsoforganizationswhosemessagesarecustomarilypresentedatnochargeasapublicservice.Mostadvertisingreachesusthroughthemassmedia-----thatis,billboards,newspapers,magazines,radio,andtelevision.Butmuchadvertisingalsoreachedusthroughdirectmail.Someadvertisingevenreachesusthroughflyershungonourdoorknobsorplacedunderourwindshieldwiperattheshoppingcenter.Itseemstousthatwearenowlivinginaworldofadvertising,butwhatarethemajorfunctionsofadvertising?AssoonasDr.Pembertonhaddevelopedhisnewdrink,heandhispartner,FrankM.Robinson,cameupwithanameforit.Theyalsodecidedtowritethenameinauniqueway,usingtheflowingSpenserianscriptoftheday.LaterthenameandscriptweretrademarkedwiththeU.S.PatentOfficetoensuretheirsoleusagebytheCoca-ColaCompanyinitsadvertisingandpackaging.Thisdemonstratesperhapsthemostbasicfunctionofadvertising----toidentifyproductsanddifferentiatethemfromothers.Nosoonerhadtheynamedtheproductthantheyrananadtotellpeopleaboutitandwheretheycouldgetit.Withinayear,asmoresodafountainsbegantoselltheproduct,handpaintedoilclothsignswith“Coca-Cola”begantoappear,attachedtostoreawnings.Thentheword“Drink”wasaddedtoinformpassersbythattheproductwassodafountainbeverage.Hereweseeanotherfunctionofadvertising-----tocommunicateinformationabouttheproduct,itsfeatures,anditslocationofsale.Readthestoryhere:

AHistoryof

Coca-Cola

AdvertisingSlogans/stories/coke-lore9AHistoryof

Coca-Cola

Company&AdvertisingIn1888,therightstoCoca-Colawereboughtfor$2,300byAsaG.Gandler.PerbertonwasinillhealthanddiedinAugustofthatyear.Unfortunately,hewasdestinednottoseethesuccesshisproductwouldachieve.In1888,therightstoCoca-Colawereboughtfor$2,300byAsaG.Gandler.PerbertonwasinillhealthanddiedinAugustofthatyear.Unfortunately,hewasdestinednottoseethesuccesshisproductwouldachieve.Candlerwasafirmbelieverinadvertising.HeprintedanddistributedthousandsofcouponsofferingacomplimentaryglassofCoca-Cola.Asmoreandmorepeoplesawtheadvertisementsandreceivedfreecoupons,theytriedtheproductandthentrieditagain.Anotherfunctionofadvertisingistoinduceconsumerstotrynewproductsandtosuggestreuse.Aftermorepeopletriedthesoftdrink,likedit,andrequestedit,morepharmaciesboughttheproducttoselltotheircustomers.Stimulatingthedistributionofproductisyetanotherfunctionofadvertising.UntilthenCoca-Colahadbeensoldonlyatsodafountains.Oneofthemanyfunctionsofadvertising,though,istoincreaseproductusage.In1899,thefirstbottlingplantopenedinChattanooga,Tennessee.ThesecondopenedthefollowingyearinAtlanta.In30yearsthesefirsttwobottlingplantsincreasedto1,000with95percentofthemlocallyownedandoperated.Aswithanythingpopular,however,thereweremanyimitators,andthebattleagainstthesecompetitorshasbeencontinuous.Anotherfunctionsofadvertisingistobuildpreferenceandloyalty,andCandler’suseofaconstantandconsistentpromotionalcampaignhelpedtodothis.In1916,thefamousCoca-Colabottlewithitsdistinctivecontourdesignwasintroduced.ThishelpedidentifyCokeanddifferentiateitfromcompetitorstosuchanextendthatthebottlewasregisteredasatrademarkbytheU.S.PatentOffice.Inthemeantimethebottlehelpedmerchandisethecompany’sotherpromotionaleffortsandalsoassuredthepublicofthestandardizedqualityofCokewitheverypurchase.WeseefromthisbriefhistoryofthebeginningsoftheCoca-ColaCompanythatadvertisinghadmanyfunctions.Generallythesefunctionscouldbegroupedandcategorizedasmarketing,communication,andeducationfunctions,aswellaseconomicandsocialfunctions.Weshalldiscusseachofthesebriefly.14CommunicationFunction

SocialFunctionEducationFunctionEconomicFunctionMarketingFunctionTheMajorFunctionsofAdvertising

MarketingFunction

Tomakemoney,companiesmanufactureandsellproductsthatcompeteinthemarketplace.Toincreasetheirsalesorprofit,companiesdevelopmarketingstrategyisdeterminedbytheparticularwaycompaniescombineandusevariousmarketingelements.ThismarketingmixincludesavarietyofoptionsknownasthefourPsandgenerallycategorizedundertheheadingsofproduct,price,placeandpromotion.Advertisingfallsinthepromotioncategoryanditspartofthepromotionalmixalongwithpersonnelselling,salespromotion,andpublicrelations----allofwhichareusedorwinacceptanceofthecompany’sproducts,services,orideas.Advertisinginvolvespresentingthemessage,usuallythroughthemassmedia,toalargegroupofpeopleknowasthetargetaudience.Throughadvertising,thecostofreachingathousandpeopleinyourtargetaudienceisusuallyfarlessthanthecostreachingoneprospectthroughpersonalselling.Forexample,tomakeapersonalsalescalloneveryfootballfanwhowatchedtheSuperBowlgamesinordertoselleachabottleofCokewouldbeunbelievablyexpensive.TheMcGraw-HillLaboratoryreportsthattheaverageface-to-facesalescallnowcostsacompanywellover$170.Ifwemultiplythatbythe100+millionpeoplewhowatchtheSupperBowl,thecostismind-boggling.However,youcouldbuya30-seceondtelevisioncommercialduringtheSuperBowlandtellthosesame100millionpeopleaboutCoca-Colaforonly$525,000.That’slotless.Infact,throughadvertising,youwouldbeabletotalktoathousandofthoseprospectsforonly$5.25-----about3percentofwhatitcoststotalktooneprospectthroughpersonalselling.CommunicationFunctionAllformsofadvertisingcommunicatesomemessagetoagroupofpeople.Asacommunicationfunction,advertisinghaditsbeginningsinancientcivilizations.Mosthistoriansbelievetheoutdoorsignscarvedinclay,wood,orstoneandusedbyancientGreekandRomanmerchantsarethefirstformofadvertising.Sincethepopulationwasunabletoread,thesignsweresymbolsofthegoodsforsales,suchasabootforashoemaker’sshop.Becauseearlyartisanstookprideintheirwork,theyplacedtheirownmarksongoodssuchasthecutlery,cloth,andpotterytheyproduced.Thesetrademarksenablebuyerstoidentifytheworkofaparticularartisan,justastrademarksdotoday,thusassuringconsumersthattheyweregettingthefoodstheywanted.Todaythecommunicationofinformationisstilloneofthebasicfunctionsandobjectivesofadvertising.Examplesofadvertisingusedprimarilyforcommunicationareadsintelephonedirectories,newspaperclassifiedads,andlegalnoticespublishedbyvariousorganizationsandgovernmentbodies.EducationFunctionPeoplelearnfromadvertising.Theylearnabouttheproductsthatareavailabletothem,andtheylearnhowtheycanbettertheirlives:Advertising,asaneducator,speedstheadoptionofthenewanduntriedand,insodoing,acceleratestechnologicaladvancesinindustryandhastenstherealizationofafullerlifeforall.Ithelpsreduceaccidentsandwasteofnaturalresources.Butadvertisingmustbemorethaneducationaltobesuccessful.Itmustalsobepersuasivetomovepeopletoaction,whetherthatactionisthepurchaseofadifferentbrandofbreakfastcerealorregularattendanceatchurch.Thispersuasivenessusuallyhadlittleincommonwithimpartialityofeducation.WhateducationalfunctiondoyouthinkCoca-Colaadvertisingperformsorhasperformed.EconomicFunctionBymakingpeopleawareofproducts,services,andideas,advertisingpromotessalesandtherebycommerceaswell.Asabuyer’sguide,itprovidesconsumerswithnewsofnewproductsorprices,anditgivesindustrialbuyersimportantinformationaboutnewequipmentandtechnology.Byinformingmanypeopleatonceaboutavailableproductsandservices,advertisinggreatlyreducesthecostofdistributionandeasesthetaskofpersonalselling.Thisleadstolowercostsandhigherprofits,whichcanbeinvestedinmorecapitalequipmentandjobs.Thefreedomtoadvertiseenablescompetitorstoenterthemarketplace.Thisencouragestheimprovementofexistingproductsandthedevelopmentofnew,improvedmodels.Theseactionstranslateintoincreasedproductivity,higherquality,andthedisappearanceofproductsthatdon’tmeasureup.Thus,asadvertisinginvitespeopletotrynewproducts,itacceleratesthesuccessofgoodproductsandthefailureofunacceptableproducts.SocialFunction

Advertisingisoneofmajorforcesthathashelpedimprovethestandardoflivinginacountry.Bypublicizingthematerial,social,andculturalopportunitiesofafreeenterpriseconsumersociety,advertisinghadencouragedincreasedproductivitybybothmanagementandlabor.Bygivingconsumersanattractivepictureoftheproductsavailabletothem,advertisingmotivatesthemtobuy.Forexample,advertisinghascreatedapersonalityforeachautomobilemakeandmodelonthemarket.You,asafreeindividual,havetheopportunitytoselecttheproductthatbestmatchesyourfunctionalorsocialneeds.Advertisingservessocialneedsotherthanthestimulationofsales.Newspapers,magazines,radio,andtelevisionallreceivetheirprimaryincomefromadvertising.Thisfacilitatesfreedomofthepress.Publicservicesbyadvertisingorganizationalsofostergrowthandunderstandingofimportantsocialcauses.TheRedCross,CommunityChest,UnitedWay,andothernon-commercialorganizationsreceivecontinuousfinancialsupportandvolunteerassistancebecauseofthepowerofadvertising.Finally,advertising’seffectonsocietyhasledtoimportantsocialandlegalchanges.But,advertisingitselfhasbeengreatlyaffectedbytheverylawithasbroughtabout.ReviewofKeyTermsandConceptspromotioncampaign：Apromotioncampaignisanintegratedmarketingcommunicationactivity,usuallyinvolvesvarioustypesofpromotiontools.促銷活動targetaudience：Atargetaudienceisagroupofviewersofdifferenttypeofmedia.Theyarechosenbycompaniestoreachwiththeircommercialmessages.目標受眾brandloyalty：supportthatconsumersalwaysgivetoacertainbrandbecauseoftheirfeelingsofloveandpreferencetowardsthebrand品牌忠誠Explainhowcompaniesusepublicrelationstocommunicatewiththeirpublics.

promotionmix：Thepromotionmixreferstoagroupofpromotiontoolsknownasadvertising,salespromotion,personalsellingandpublicrelationthatcompaniesusetowinacceptanceofthecompany’sproducts,services,orideas.促銷組合

DiscussionandReviewQuestions1.Whatarethemajorrolesplayedbyadvertisinginaeconomyaccordingtothetext?2.Howdoyouunderstandthedefinitiongiveninthistextthatadvertisingis“salesmanshipinprint”?3.Whatismosttheimportantandessentialfunctionofadvertisement?Whyisitsoimportant?4.Whatismassmediabydefinitioninthistext?Giveanexampletoillustrateit.5.WhataretheessentialelementsofthemarketingsuccessofCoca-Cola?6.Talkingaboutsocialfunctionsofadvertisement,whatsocialresponsibilitiesdoyouthinkthatabusinessshouldbearwhenundertakingmarketingactivitiesinmarketplace?7.Howdocompaniessponsoraneventforadvertisingpurpose?Giveanexampletoillustrate.8.Trytodefine“advertisement”withyourownword