INTRODUCTION

In advertising the term media refers to communication vehicles such as newspapers, magazines, radio, television, billboards, direct mail, and internet. Advertisers use media to convey commercial message to their target audience, and the media depends to the different degrees on advertising revenues to cover their cost of their operations. The media usually classified into either mass or niche media. Newspapers, television, radio, and magazines consider mass media because they deliver messages to a widespread, anonymous audience. There were 1,483 daily U.S newspapers in 2000, with total circulation of 47.2 million on weekdays and 59.9 million on Sundays. In September 2001, the five largest newspapers were USA Today. Advertising media such as cable television and direct mail are often viewed as “niche” media because they reach a narrowly defined audience with unique demographic characteristics or special interests. The internet has emerged as medium for marketing and advertising since 1994. the internet is different from conventional advertising media in several respects. First it can serves as not only a communication channel but also a transaction and distribution channel. Consumer can get information and make purchases.

Media of Advertising

An advertising medium is the means to deliver the advertising message. The advertiser is to go in for right message carrier or a set of carriers keeping in mind the cost, efficacy and specialties of the media. There are number of media open to the advertiser to select and get benefited. Broadly, these media can be grouped into four categories, as under.

A. INDOOR ADVERTISING MEDIA

1. Press Media 2. Radio Media3. Television Media4. Film Media5. Video Media

B. OUTDOOR ADVERTISING MEDIA

1. Posters2. Painted Displays3. Traveling Displays4. Electric Signs5. Sky-Writing

C. DIRECTIVE ADVERTISING MEDIA

1. Envelop Enclosures2. Book-Lets and Catalogues3. Broad Sides4. Sales Letters5. Gift-novelties6. Store-publications7. Package inserts

D. DISPLAY ADVERTISING MEDIA

1. Displays2. Showrooms and Show-cases3. Exhibitions

INDOOR MEDIA

Indoor advertising means the use of those vehicles by the advertisers that carry the message right in the houses or indoors of the audiences. These vehicles are newspapers, magazines, radio, tele-vision, and video film. Here, the message reaches the audience indoors when it is in cosy and receptive atmosphere because house is the resting place and relaxation.

1. PRESS MEDIA (i). NEWSPAPER

It is really hard to imagine life without newspaper. It is as a good cup of tea in the morning or even more important than tea to start the day. Newspaper is the one that gives news-views ideas-interpretations-opinions-comments and explanations regarding the social, economic, political, educational, moral, cultural, ecological developments and the like. It entertains and enlightens, of all the media, newspaper is considered as the backbone of advertising programme as it has continued to remain the most powerful massage carrier. Of the total space, 45 percent goes to advertisements in form or the other and rest for texture matter. The newspapers are classified on the bases of coverage, frequency, and language. Here coverage means geographical and subject coverage. On the basis of area – a newspaper can be national, regional and local. In India, national newspapers are : Times of India, Hindu, Indian Express, Economic Times, Financial Express, the Statesman, The Indian Post to illustrate a few. Regional papers are: in Maharashtra, these are Bombay Samachar, Hitwadi, Loksatta, Nagpur Times, and Janmabhoomi. In Karnataka, these are- Prjvani, Udya-vani, and Samyukta Karnataka. The papers covering economic subjects

are: Economic Times, Financial Express, Employment Bulletin, Profit, and Money. Non economic papers are: Screen, all other papers. On the basis of frequency, these newspapers are – Dailies and bi-weeklies. Some leading papers have two editions on every day –morning and evening. This is normally seen in cosmopolies of India and other advanced nations.

(ii). MAGAZINES

Like newspapers, magazines are one of the oldest media of advertising. Magazines are the periodicals published weekly, fort-nightly, monthly, quarterly and annually. These are with the editorial approach appealing to specific classes of consumers of the readers. They cover a wide variety of topics providing light leisure reading in easy chairs. These magazines may be classified into two broad categories as special and general. The examples of special magazines are – Film-fare, Star and Style, Femina, Eve’s Weekly,Health care,Architect, Dentist, Executive, Banker, Industrial Times, Business India, Promotion which cater to the needs of a selected group. At the present, there are 6,550 weeklies, 450 fortnightlies, 8,040 monthlies, 560 quarterlies and 12,230 annuals totaling to a staggering figure of 27,830. among the weeklies “Kumudam” has the highest circulation of 8,76,000 of copies: in case of fortnightlies “India- Today” has a circulation of 3,96,000copies; in case of monthlies reader’s digest has the highest circulation of 3,86,000 copies.

2. RADIO MEDIA Radio advertising can be aptly called as “word of mouth” advertising on a whole-sale scale which was welcomed in 1920. it is a different mass medium as it appeals to ears than eyes through sound. As a new-comer then has a colorful history of 75 years. At the prime of its youth –that is – during and after World War II, it reached its climax. In spite of its very strong competitor namely, television, still it is a vital medium of advertiser considers the use radio as an advertising medium and he is keenly interested in the facilities provided for broad-casting and receiving his advertising message. Though radio was the medium for cultural programmes and news, with the rapid industrialization, it went commercial and today when we are the “broad –casting” we man “commercial broad-casting”. In India, Radio broadcasting started in 1927 with two privately owned transmitted at Bombay and Calcutta. The government took them over in 1930 and started operating under the name, Indian Broadcasting Service. Air’s network, consisted of six radio station in 1947. Commercial broadcasting started only from 1st November 1967 from Bombay, Nagpur, and Pune on pilot schemes basis. The radio broadcasting is of two types namely “F.M.” and “A.M.”. That is “Frequency Modulation” and “Amplitude Modulation” “F.M.” broadcasting has an edge over “A.M.” Broadcasting in that it is static free and its signals are received with greater fidelity, as a result the sound is too clear, in case of “A.M.”, the wave length varies in size and frequency remains constant. On the other hand, in case of “F.M.”, the size of wave remains constant while frequency varies. In India, it was tried in the year 1986 with 4 stations all over the country. The following tables give the details up-to-date.

3. TELEVISION MEDIA

Radio regined as a powerful medium over a period of 50 years from 1920s to 1970s. Its supremacy was slashed by the arrival of the greatest and latest rival namely; television by 1950s in America and its impact was so deep that with a decade it was spread over to European countries, Canada, Australia and Japan. It is the gift of the current century. In India television was first commissioned in 1959 and commercially telecasting started only in 1976. it is 29 years old. It is the youngest, glamorous and highly specialized as it provides scientific synchronization of sound, light, motion, colour and immediancy that no other medium does except film. Colour transmission started in 1982 on the eve of ASIAD-82. it is state owned and controlled and is known as ‘Doordarshan’. The telecasting systems based on coverage are of two types namely, V.H.F., and U.H.F. V.H.F. means Very High Frequency band spectrum. U.H.F. implies Ultra High Frequency band spectrum. The latest one is C.A.T.V. which means Community antenna Television system. Now it is better known as Cable Television. In order to face and contain the challenges of satellite TV companies of multinational like CNNN,ATN, STAR and national companies like ZEE, ‘M’, ‘V’,’U’, The Doordarshan has started regional programmes of variety and versatility through INSAT I D and INSAT II A.

4. FILM MEDIA

Film advertising is yet another medium of publicity characterized by sound, motion, colour, vision and timeliness. It is like a television run on the enlarged screen for a large audience. This audio-visual medium has a wide range starting from an ordinary slide presentation to the ad films screening. Screen publicity is liked by people of all ages, sexes, professions, political affiliation, cultural heritage and income groups because of its magic of life-size presentation of theme. ‘Slide’ is the protected glass piece covering advertising message. It is the outcome of photographic engraving. Once the slides are ready – may be black and white or colour- are distributed to the theaters for exhibition. Slides have limited use to the advertiser. It is still that presents a very limited message. It is best suited to retail- local advertising. That is why, launcherers, tailors drycleaners, coaching classes, grocers, florists, Hair dressers, beauty parlours do use these. Another variation is films. ‘In theatre films are of three types namely, a ‘film-let’, a ‘solus’ and a‘mgazine’. A ‘film-let’, is a flash, short in length, running approximately over 15 seconds. It is silent and is in colour. ‘solus’ film is one that lasts for 120 to 300 seconds having sound track and may be black and white or colour. A ‘magazine’ type of film is a short one reeler lasting up to 300 seconds combining advertisement entertainment. In India, there are about 6000 cinema town with 15,000 cinema houses with an average capacity of 1000 seats. In addition to these permanent theatres, there about 3,000 touring theatres with an average capacity of 450 seats.

5. VIDEO MEDIA

Of late, video advertising has captured the sizeable part of increasing budget of small and medium sized companies on a very large scale and some large companies to a limited extent. If we take video –visual advertising as a medium, 80% of small and medium firms and only 20% of large sized firms have accepted it as the most economical and effective vehicle. In India video-medium intruded in 1970s and each set was costing around Rs. 45,000 and the castes were to be imported. Today, the scene has changed. A video is available at half the original price and cassettes are available in plenty as Indian companies took lead particularly under the programmes of foreign collaboration with world knowned producers. To start with a video cassette of 180 C contained 5 minutes of ad time but now it has gone upto 15 minutes. Major ads of full screen are continuously imposed adds covering 1/8 of the screen to 1/4th of the screen at the bottom continuously. In some cases 30% of the screen from bottom is preoccupied with ads thus film coverage and causing irritation and intrusion. It is liked by the advertisers as it is the most cost efficient medium. Thus a 10 second’s spot on network program a slot costs Rs. 70,000, to Rs. 1, 25,000 while on video it works as low as Rs. 6,000 to 7,000. The per 1,000 viewers cost of 30 seconds spot works out Rs.5.50 to Rs.6.50 as compared to Rs. 12 to Rs. 14 on cinema and Rs. 16 to 20 on television. That is per head cost is paise 0.60 to 0.65 as against paise 1.10 to 1.25 in case of cinema and paise 1.50 to 1.190 in case of television.

OUTDOOR ADVERTISING MEDIA

Outdoor advertising is the only one of its kind that has been carried for ages. It was the earliest media from the time immemorial to- date that has not lost its originality. This ‘position’ or ‘Moral’ or ‘Indirect’ advertising is one which is clothed with people who move out of doors. It is the media to reach the people when they are out of door or traveling than when they are in the homes or offices.

POSTERS

A poster is a sheet of paper pasted on a wooden or card or metal board depicting the advertising message. Poster is the Single Largest form of outdoor media accounting for 75 per cent of this media. A poster can be standardized non-standardized as to size. The most commonly accepted wooden or card or metal board is of12 feet to 3 inches high by 24 feet 6 inches long. On these standardized specially erected boards, poster of different sizes are pasted of different sizes are pasted. These sizes are: 1. ’24 feet poster’ (8’-8”x19’ -7”). The remaining area of the board is a margin of blank Paper. 2, ’30 sheet poster’ (9’ -7” x 21’ -7”). The rest of board is a margin of blank paper.

PRINTED DISPLAYS

Painted displays are painted bulletins and wall paintings. A painted bulletin is nothing but a metal sheet of rectangular shape of standard size, errrected at heights to command the visibility from a distance. It is larger and elaborate form of outdoor advertising these structures have a pre –fabricated steel facing with a standardized border trim. The most common size of bulletin board is 14 feet; though the actual sizes vary depending on the space availablility painted bulletins are illuminated for the night traffic. These bulletins board have enlarged cut –outs such as package or a trade – mark displayed in brilliant lights, extending beyond the board itself. These dimensional structures made of Styrofoam are getting common to keep the message moving with the moving population.

To make these bulletins really attractive to serve the purpose, the same care is to be taken as in case of posters. The rentals are based on a period of one year than on the basis of monthly. The strength of painted displays lies in attractive display of sales message, durability, and flexibility. The weaknesses are –high cost and dead investment.

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ELECTRICAL SIGNS

Electrical signs are more popularly known as spectacular signs. Spectaculars are non-standardized and large permanent signs that make use of elaborate lights and action effects. Spectaculars are the most conspicuous vehicle of the outdoor media designed and placed to attract the largest number of passers-by particularly during night time. They are built of steel beams metal sheets, plastic using bright and flash lights, animation movies, neon signs and colour. Latest techniques of painting and lighting are combined to provide special kind of illuminative effects. The rentals are for a period of 5 to 10 years at a stretch.The strength of these spectaculars is evident in their dynamic and lively presentation of the message providing an atmosphere of wonderland and permanence. The limitations are- high cost involving dead investment and of operation. It needs a commanding height where sky-scrapers are most suited.

TRAVELLING DISPLAYS

Travelling displays refer to the transit advertising. It stands for all types of advertising signs or displays used in trains, busses, cars, trams, autos and other such transportations vehicles and the terminals or the stations from which they operate. There are three basic types of transit advertising namely:

1. Car-cards2. Outside displays3. station posters

‘Car-cards’ are the advertisements placed inside the vehicles may be a bus, train, car, taxi, tram or an auto. The most standard sizes are : 11” *14” or 21”* 28” or 42”*56” or 63”*84”, depending on the nature of the vehicle and the requirements of the advertiser, ‘Outside Displays’ are the signs posted or painted on the outside of the vehicles-may be a bus, tram, car, taxi or an auto. These may be sides – backs and fronts of the vehicles. The ‘station posters’ are the posters and printed bulletins of different sizes placed inside and outside the bus-train and airport terminals.

SKY- WRITING

Advertising industry has not spared even the sky from its away. Air advertising has caught fancy of advertisers. Sky- writing is the kind of publicity where message is spread in the sky in one form or the other. Smoke writing is one where the pilot takes his plane to a height of 12,000 to 14,000 feet to write the message by smoke. For him the sky becomes the slate for crayon writing as in case of a child. The message visible from a distance of 50 to 60 kilometers. During night time, same procedure may be followed to illuminate the message, instead of the thick smoke. The other forms of sky-writing are–sky balloons, giant kites and search-lights. These being novel, unusual and distinct, attract the attention of prospects easily. A medium that is novel costs a lot. Further, the message spread is of very short duration. It involves good deal of investment.

DIRECTIVE ADVERTISING MEDIA

Direct advertising is one of the oldest methods of reaching the consumer or a prospect. There is lot of confusion with the phrases. Direct advertising is very comprehensive phrase covering all forms of printed advertising delivered directly to the prospective customers, instead of indirect distribution like newspapers or the magazines. The printed matter is the automobiles, struck under the wind screen of an automobile, handed over at the retail counters or may be sent through post. It is direct mail advertising if it reaches by mail alone. Mail order advertising is face to face selling method.

ENVELOP ENCLOSURES

The phrase ‘envelops enclosure’ is quite likely to mislead us. By ‘enclosure’ normally we mean a paper enclosed or attached or tagged to the main letter. Here, it stands for the bunch of papers itself which is posted separately. It may be circular, or a stuffer or a folder. A ‘circular’ is a sheet of paper or sheets of paper, printed on one or both the sides, featuring the products in colour or black and white with illustrations. They give detailed information amplifying the buyers’ needs. They list products specifications, emphasize product features. They are versatile inexpensive and handy. They are most popular form of enclosures because, they are very effective in producing immediate sales as are most popular form of enclosure because they are very effective in producing immediate sales as they cut sufficiently in large size to enable the advertiser to tell the facts of one or more products.

BOOK LETS

Book let is a very small book consisting of not more than 8-10 pages fastened with staples or glue to allow it to open as a book. A book let is usually mailed in an envelop. It is designed for a thorough reading and study with the intension of keeping it for the future reference. It contains use full information answering the questions of intending buyers about product features and product stories. The advertiser has no limit on length, colour illustrations and hence cost. The point worth remembering here is that it gives details about limited number of products.

CATALOGUES

Catalogue is quite similar to the book-let in physical make-up, except that it is much larger and presents wider range of products of the business house. It is more substantial in cobering sales literature and can be kept much longer as refrence book. In addition to the details of product information catalogues are known as giving prices and other conditions of purchase. The differences between presented. It is costlier than book-let and is normally used as a reference material than mere browsing through.

BROAD –SIDES

Broad- side is a large size advertising folder. The striking features are its superior or jumbo size typographical and illustrative display. The usual size are: 17”*22” or 19* 25” or even 25” * 28”. These are called as ‘spectaculars in print’ because they are excellent attention getters. They make possible huge illustration, bold headlines and maximum of copy, to narrate a pictorial story of the product or the product range. These are normally mailed to wholesalers and retailers than the customers.

SALES LETTERS

Letters or the sales letter is the silent ambassador of the firm speaking about the company products and consumer satisfaction.a sales letter sells first the name of the company then the product or the services. The siccess of a sales letter is banking heavily on its convincing, appealing and impelling capacity. Tone of the stationery, the style of writing and theme of the letter are quite important. These sales letters are structured on skelton of A-I-D-A principle. That is series of letterare written to complete the the process of arresting the attention, generating interest, developing desires and actuating the action on the part of the recipient.

GIFT NOVELTIES

Gift advertising or specially adverting is the medium that employs useful articles known as advertising specialties or the gift novelties that are printed with the name and address and the sales message of the advertiser. These are presented to selected audience free of cost or obligation. These act as good will or reminders gifts. The advertiser hopes strongly that the receipt is likely to be influent favorably to buy in future as he is reminder of the company every time he or she looks at the gifts there are countless such items that can be presented.

STORE PUBLICATIONS

A store publication is house organ or bulletin is the magazine or a miscellany published by the company mainly for the purpose of promoting good will and moulding the public opinion, though it has the tinge of sales expansion these house organs are freely distributed to the dealers, customers and the employees. The success of any house organ depends on the factors like – format; get up, internal layout, color combination, language, stuff and the style. House organ to very victorious must be separately design for the customers on one hand and dealer, agents, employee, on the other as interests differ widely.

DISPLAY ADVERTISING

Displaying merchandise is not a new idea. It has been there from the time immemorial. What has changes over the passage of time is its style, the made of displaying. The heart of display is its selling idea design to generate purchase. The dictionary meaning of the word display is arranging something for a view in this context, it is the systematic arrangements of sample of saleable products to catch the imagination and notices of the people. Displays demonstrate directly about the product or project by them rather than telling and selling points in directly.

DISPLAYS

Displays can be of several types like window-counter- wall-shelf-overhead-corner-floor-jumble. Here, only two types which are prominent are discussed namely, ‘window’ and ‘counter’.

1. WINDOW DISPLAY

The term window or exterior display implies the showing of goods in the windows of the shop it is a window showmanship. The usual function of a window of a house is to allow the inmates to see what is happening outside not that the outsider are to peep in house of others. Window of a shop or a store is the front part of the shop or the sides of the shop which are used to display the merchandise. Conversely, here the out sider are to peep in deliberately window are the dimensions of the shop and constitute the first impression that the retail establishment can make on the prospector the passersby.

2. COUNTER DISPLAY In the goods old past, advertisers thought that window display was sufficient to attract the prospectus and once the prospectus get in. the actual sale could be affected by the counter salesman. However it is now realized that counter or interior display is important as or even more important than the window display cretes interest after interacting the prospectus. it is the term of the counter display to convert interest into desire into action counter display to all the arrangement that is made in the sale hall of the shop.

SHOWROOMS AND SHOWCASES

In cases of consumer durable and industrial goods it almost inevitable pre purchase demonstration is also expected to accommodate these consumer needs, showrooms and show cases are used on grand scale bye the advertisers.

1. SHOW-ROOM

A show-room is specially designed room or room-cum-office, rented or owned, located in the prominent place of the sales territory used mainly for display, demonstration and after-sale services. Practically all the industrial and consumer durable manufacturing houses have their show-rooms in all the important cities of the country. A show-room becomes the hub of activities of explaining the product features and the merits, demonstrating and after sale services particularly repairs and maintenance.

2. SHOW-CASES A ‘Show-Case is a glass box’ glazed case, cabinet with glass doors or panes or a glass cup-board used to display the products in an artistic way. These are normally kept in prominent places of railway stations, airports, bus terminals, and cinema houses specially rented fronts of buildings, city squares, parks, post offices and market places. Show-cases are essential adjuncts of retail business. These show-cases are lavishly designed, brightly and colorfully illuminated and the products are dressed in a novel way to attract the attention of passersby.

EXHIBITIONS

Though the people do use these two terms namely,’ exhibition’ and ‘trade fair’ inter- changeably, there is difference between the two. ‘Exhibition’ is in effect, a congregation of show –rooms of different manufacturers under a single roof. It is a huge gathering of manufacturers for the purpose of displaying, demonstrating and booking orders for their latest products. Exhibitions are normally organized by trade association and chambers of commerce. Of late government is taking keen interested in these. The theme of exhibition is to attract dealers and consumers towards the latest products in the line by providing detailed information and demonstration. These can be inter state, or inter- national. The examples of this kind are: Motor trade Exhibition of U.S.A of 1968, All India Machine Tools Exhibition of 1986.