WHAT IS ADVERTISEMENT?

Advertisement is the promotion of a product to help appeal to various target audiences, this may be done through the formats of TV programmes, magazines, newspapers etc. and many others. The company of the product constructs a visual image for their product for audiences to want to buy or experience the feeling of it – they do this through advertisement. However if the advertisement is not promoting a product it can also be used by media organisations to reveal information about an upcoming TV show or an artist’s music album to help persuade an audience. The purpose of doing so - allows the advertisement to create a connection to the audience about the existing product and tries to lure the audience into focusing their attention on the product and towards the company's business in which is leading the advertisement. Many companies feel the need to advertise their product as it is a way to market their business in order to lead their sale prices up and to increase the amount of audience which is aware of the service or product. The benefits of advertisement are simple, despite the common areas in which we are aware of such as increased sales etc. There are other benefits such as creating and developing a specific, distinctive brand for the business and this helps generate an awareness and positions the company within the market whether with a niche or macho popularity or audience. 

Through each different area of advertisement, the narrative of the adverts that we see can help us acknowledge the type of audience we are targeting - whether or not it is local or regional. Local being within the area or place that the advert takes place- this is usually participated by a smaller company or Regional being targeting specific areas such as London or Manchester through the use of codes and conventions by larger companies. As well as this advertising also is sourced by what age groups or position in the social spectrum that the audience sits within.  (Students, Teenagers, White collar, Blue collar) There are many ways in which adverts can be locally distributed such as: Leaflets in the local area of the company, posters within shop windows or entrances to the local shopping market, Boards that appear within train stations etc. As well as these ways, some companies may be able to advertise online - however this can be largely cost effective and smaller companies who locally advertise may not be able to afford this. Unlike local, Regional advertising may however be able to afford the coverage that advertising online allows, as this can come in different formats of media whether on their own online website or popups in which they pay to have on other company websites or on formats like YouTube which allow advertisements before or during videos in which different users have uploaded. This can be more linked towards the younger audience as they are more knowledgeable of YouTube and the ways it performs. 

Other ways in which advertisement can be distributed:

Radio - Many target audiences listen to the radio for entertainment reasons or reliance on the news stations. If a company advertises their product or service on this type of medium it is likely to be repeated and a company can either sponsor a certain music station or news report or be sponsored this would help their viewings and ratings of their advert.

Cinema - Before many of the movies that are shown in the cinema, there are usually various types of adverts shown. If a company chooses to approach advertisement in this way it will be relayed repetitively to a captive audience in each movie theatre and can help reach a wide audience.

Example of Advertisement:

This is an example of Advertisement on Television, broadly shared internationally as it is an US based advert but can be seen on British television. It clearly demonstrates usage of the product, shows different ways in which the product is different from other products - in which the differences are advantages. My intake on this advert is that, it illuminates its target audience as females who enjoy makeup and the boldness of colour as it empathises on it being a "bold" lipstick. The advert also creates a personal connection as it includes an anecdote about when the actor was younger. Instead of using a model like in their other advertisement approaches they included a artist instead which appeals to both the younger and older generation of females. However it may also appeal to male audiences as it includes women, and may be considered a sexual approach as the camera work focuses solely on the woman's lips and the mise en scene of her outfit is quite provocative. The demographic of this advert may be directed towards C and below as Rimmel London products are quite popular however is not a high street brand and therefore may not be used by A-B demographics and will not appeal to those within these categories. Psychographic segmentation divides the market into groups based on social class, lifestyle and personality characteristics. It is based on this assumption that the types of products and brands that someone purchases will show what they are like as a person. The psychographics of this product may vary as this product can make both women and men feel more confident within themselves and allow them as an individual to seek status as the colour will allow their self esteem to increase. Groups such as explorers, succeeders and aspirers may use this product. As they are usually young people, have strong goals and confidence and revel in their energy and individualism. However, the disadvantage of this advert may be that the male audience that does wear Rimmel London makeup may feel stigmatised as they do not use a male face to also appeal to different types of makeup wearers. As well as this - women may also feel that because they are not like a popular artist who wears revealing outfits and confident heels they may feel they are not right for the product and this may decrease the ratings and usage of the product.