What is an advertisement?

An advertisement (often shortened to advert or ad) is the promotion of a product, brand or service to a
viewership in order to attract interest, engagement and sales. Advertisements come in many forms, from copy
to interactive video, and have evolved to become a crucial feature of the app marketplace.
An advertisement is different from other types of marketing because it is paid for, and because the creator of
an advert has total control over the content and message.

Why are advertisements important?

Advertisements are a guaranteed method of reaching an audience. By creating an engaging ad, and spending
enough to reach many users, advertisements can have an immediate impact on business. This effect could be
seen in improved trade or boosted brand recognition, among many different metrics.

What do in-app ads look like?

In-app ads take many forms, including text, banners, push notifications and pre or post-roll video ads. Such
video adverts are usually around 10-15 seconds long (though they can vary) and normally showcasing the
product within that time. Increasingly, ads are becoming interactive, providing more engagement for users.
One such example is the use of deep linking, a feature which allows advertisers to send users directly to an
install page in a single click.

Which ad format should I use?

Choosing the right format can be a make-or-break decision in advertising. Let’s take a look at some of the
most common ad formats in mobile advertising and when they can be particularly effective.

Classification of Advertising

 1. Print Advertising:  Here,

products and services are
promoted in the form of texts.
Companies from various
industries across the globe have
been using newspapers and
magazines for over years now.
With print media, companies
can endorse their brand or
products through fliers and
brochures through newspapers
and magazines. They can buy
advertising space in any
popular newspaper or magazine
and the cost depends on various
factors including the quantity of
space, type of paper, and the page of the publication.

 2. Broadcast Advertising:  Broadcasting includes radio, television, and Internet advertising. With
this form of advertising, companies can cover up large number of audiences, even in real-time.
Advertisements on the television are very popular. The length and time of the ad determines the cost
of a particular advertisement.
For instance, advertisements that are telecasted at the prime time would be more costly than the
regular ones. While, radio advertising has been a popular form of broadcasting, after the advent of
television and internet, its popularity has reduced greatly. However, it is still an important
advertisement form in rural areas. The radio campaigns are quite popular in some sections of society
helping to sell the products/services. 

3. Outdoor Advertising: This type of advertising makes use of various tools to get customer’s
attention like the billboards, kiosks, and tradeshows and events which are an effective way to
convey the message of any organization. While billboards are there all around, the content displayed
should be capable enough to attract potential customers. This means it should be very attractive.
Organizing events, on the other hand, such as exhibitions and trade fairs for promoting the product
or service helps in effective endorsement of the product. Hence, outdoor advertising is also an
effective advertising tool.

 4. Public Service Advertising: This type of advertisement is done for public causes to make people
aware about such public issues. Social, national and environmental matters such as political
integrity, AIDS, Cancer, energy conservation, population, illiteracy, poverty and many more which
need more awareness are spread through these advertising. Public service advertising has achieved
widespread importance in recent times and is an effective tool to communicate the message.

 5. Covert Advertising: This is an entirely different way of advertisement. In this form, the product
is subtly included in a serial or movie. There’s no actual advertisement. It includes just mentioning
the product in the movie or TV serial.

 6. Celebrity Advertising: In this type of advertising, business owners bank upon celebrities for
advertising their products or services. Advertisers sign up popular celebrities for various advertising
campaigns and use their popularity to reach and attract customers. Celebrity advertising comprises
all kinds of advertising including, television ads, social media or even print advertisements.

 7. Surrogate Advertising: This type of advertising is used when a particular product or services is

banned by the law. For instance, advertising products like alcohol and cigarettes which are harmful
for the health of consumers are prohibited by law in many nations. In order to continue their sale,
such companies have to come up with other products with the same name. This technique helps
them remind their consumers of cigarettes and hard drinks of the same brand. Kingfisher is a great
example of this type of advertising.

8. Response Advertising: Personalized messages are sent to the consumers in the form of offers
based on their personal interests. The main objective is to develop a ‘relationship’ with the
customer. This form of advertising encourages a response from the customer based on which brands
build commercial relation with them.

 9. Interactive Advertising: It involves promotions through interactive mediums like internet, TV,
SMS, and Mobiles. Advertisers, through these interactive mediums influence the buying decisions
of the customers. With this type, advertisers can interact with their consumers directly or in a
personal way. This can affect the buying decision of a potential customer, especially in an e-
commerce space.

 10. Advocacy Advertising: Such advertising is used in an attempt to change public opinion in

areas of controversies. For example, ads run by the coal industry to encourage the use of coal by
power plants. However, this advertising type is not very prevalent.