Over the years the number of advertising media has grown dramatically.
The ancient Egyptians created wall posters and sales messages on papyrus, and commercial messages were found in the ruins of Pompeii. Town criers in the Middle Ages would announce the availability of goods and the locations of merchants – for a fee.
In the 19th century, paid advertising allowed newspapers to reduce their prices, expand their readership and improve their profitability.
The advancements in technology allowed the evolvement of new advertising media – radio, cinema and television advertising in the early 20th century to Internet and mobile phone advertising in the present.
Marketers are now faced with a bewildering array of advertising media. Billboards, signage and other forms of outdoor media; Mass media like television, radio and newspapers; Print media like magazines, flyers and posters; Online social marketing strategies; email marketing and Internet advertising – all these now vie for the attention of marketers and consumers alike.
Choosing the right medium for your message is more difficult than ever. Balancing costs and your projected return on investment is vital, as is the tracking and measuring of your advertising to ensure that the results meet your expectations.
Internet and mobile phone advertising are growing in popularity as the number of visitors and click-throughs can be fairly accurately measured and compared directly to the number of resulting sales.
We may not be far from the technology shown in the science fiction movie, “Minority Report”, where pedestrians are identified as they walk past video displays and advertising messages are tailored and personalised just for them.
Right now, marketers need to be seriously focused and professionally advised. With the plethora of advertising media now available, it really is a question of where to start advertising, and where to stop advertising! A good ad agency is positioned to advise you.
Very informative post