by Vicky Kenrick

Created on: May 22, 2008   Last Updated: May 29, 2008

How advertising could be used to grow Businesses

Advertising was initially used to stimulate demand when mass production resulted in a surplus of products. Advertising continues to be used to stimulate demand for a product but the methods of doing so have become so much more advanced. Advertising is used to ultimately increase the sales of a product or service. Although this may be an aim of the marketing activities of a firm, advertising should only be used to fulfill certain marketing objectives.

Advertising is very often used to strengthen or alter a brands image, in fact Channel once launched an advertising campaign to discourage sales from a lower social group as their long term profit relied on sustaining it's up market image. Advertising is one of the key marketing tools to build a brand image through creating an appealing brand personality. In order to develop a distinctive and enduring brand image that consumers will remember and associate positive values with, advertising should be the choice for any company.

Advertising is the ideal marketing tool if you are aiming to create, strengthen or alter a brand image as it can position your brand, visually and aurally, adjacent to personalities that would fit with your product offerings and appeal to your target audience; such as sensitivity, bravery or humour.

Obtaining long term profits through strengthening a brand image is an achievable objective for advertising campaigns whilst direct sales proves one of the least effective aspects of advertising.

Apart from strengthening or altering the brand image, another key objective of advertising is to improve a firm's corporate image by persuading the target audience that the company is trustworthy and reputable. Firms such as BP have often tried to use advertising for this purpose by projecting an image that deflects from the main purpose of their activities, they do this by building the company as a brand through creative and powerful advertising. Image advertising can be used by firms to either change the attitudes towards their company, which may effect buying decisions, or to reposition the company to a different audience. In 2006 Walkers launched an advertising campaign to improve their company image, they used advertising imagery to associate their company with being health conscious with the aim to keep the custom of their now waistline aware' customers.

A third reason for the use of advertising, that is more associated with governmental campaigns is to

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