Media Vehicle in Advertising (A&BM 26 Nov 2020)

What Is "Media Vehicle" Advertising?

"Media vehicle" refers to specific methods of media used by companies to deliver advertising messages to targeted customers. Selecting the right mix of media vehicles is critical to reaching your audience and getting them to respond well to your ads.

 

Class Versus Vehicle

To understand a media vehicle, you need to compare it with the concept media class. A media class is a general category of media, such as television, radio, newspapers, magazines and the Internet. The vehicle is the specific TV or radio station, newspaper or print publication, or online website. Picking the right class based on benefits and drawbacks is an important first step. Then you need to select the right vehicle to reach your prospects.

 

Broadcast Vehicles

Television vehicles include networks such as Republic TV, Aaj Tak, Zee News, Network18, Star India, NDTV, Sony TV, ETV etc. Typically, small businesses can't advertise on the national network, but they often advertise on local network affiliate stations. You can also choose from hundreds of more niche cable networks, such as ETV (Bihar & Jharkhand), Sahara TV (Bihar & Jharkhand) etc. Radio is often more practical for small businesses. You normally have an array of vehicles in a local market that have various formats, such as pop music, country music and talk shows.

 

Print Vehicles

Newspapers are another prominent small-business class because of relatively low ad costs. Community newspapers can reach a local audience. Many small businesses also have access to state or regional publications. Magazines aren't quite as accessible for local companies. However, some regions have local magazines that offer entertainment, community events and themed topics. Even a local magazine ad can cost a few thousand Rupees, but magazine vehicles normally reach a very niche audience.

 

Digital Vehicles and Others

The other major traditional media class is online, or digital/interactive. This class includes thousands of online vehicles, along with mobile communication opportunities. Other supportive media options include billboards, directories, buses and benches. Many metro communities offer vehicle options within each of these categories. These supportive media are usually used to reinforce messages that are delivered through broader mass media. Billboards are relatively expensive, but they allow small companies to reach wide local marketplaces.

 

Types of Advertising Media

The types are: 1. Newspaper Advertising 2. Television Advertising 3. Radio Advertising 4. Magazine Advertising 5. Direct Mail Advertising 6. Transportation Advertising 7. Outdoor Advertising 8. Speciality Advertising 9. Personal Selling 10. Sales Promotion.

 

Type # 1. Newspaper Advertising:

The major advantage in advertising in Newspapers is that it covers a wide selected geographical market and broad coverage can sell a product in that spe­cific area. Newspaper advertisement is also flexible and timely, which can be changed as and when desired. Now-a-days Newspapers are the chief means of advertising.

 

Type # 2. Television Advertising:

The chief advantage of this is that the advertising message can be delivered and the product can be demonstrated to all at the same time.

Television advertising may be classed as a network, spot or local advertisement. Network advertising is directed toward large audiences covering a wide territory. Message can go to nationwide market at one time via network advertising and the cost of each message per listener is low since television reaches such a large potential audience.

 

Type # 3. Radio Advertising:

Advertising by means of radio gives the advantage of selecting the territory and audience to which the message is to be directed. It is also cheaper than TV advertising.

 

Type # 4. Magazine Advertising:

Today the large number of magazines is published which represents an important advertising medium. These are published weekly or fortnightly or monthly. A magazine advertisement has larger life than a Newspaper which is read and de­scribed daily.

A magazine is retained for a longer period and is usually read in a more leisurely manner. However, a disadvantage is that since the printing of a magazine is much more com­plex than that of a Newspaper, most advertisements have to be placed well in advance of the time they finally reach the reader.

 

Type # 5. Direct Mail Advertising:

Direct mail advertising is advantageous, if an advertiser desires to get a wide coverage for his products. The circulars announcing a grocer’s specials, the catalogue announcing a summer or winter sale of goods or a letter offering a special purchase are examples of Direct-mail Advertising.

There are two major advantages of this method:

(a) The message can be directed to specific customers and thus it is selective.

(b) It can be spread over a wide territory.

Since this method is cheaper and quicker, a larger number of small and medium size con­cerns also use it.

 

Type # 6. Transportation Advertising:

A variety of advertising messages are displayed on the different forms of public transports such as city buses, taxi cabs, tampoos, trucks, 3-wheelers etc. These types of advertising message are best suited to the big cities and towns where many people can notice the advertisement while going to and from work.

 

Type # 7. Outdoor Advertising:

Since a reader usually sees the message for only a matter of seconds, hence outdoor advertisements should be simple and to the point. These are used for products that are used frequently, are well known and whose message can be flashed quickly to the individual.

These messages are printed on bill-boards, painted signs or displayed on elec­tric poles etc. Since the message should be short, the advertiser’s trade mark, a slogan or a visualization of the package is usually presented.

 

Type # 8. Specialist Advertising:

Every year some advertisers have their names and mes­sages printed on wide variety of useful goods, specially at the time of “Deepawali festival” and “New Year” beginning. These goods are then distributed to the specific market segment chosen by the advertiser.

Such advertising is called “Specially Advertising”. Some examples of spe­cially advertising are; Hand bags, Pens, Ashtrays, Bottle caps, Key rings, Phone book covers, T- shirts, calendars, Bill folds etc.

 

Type # 9. Personal Selling:

Personal selling is an important part of marketing strategy. Per­sonal selling is the means by which customers are reached on a face to face basis. To be effec­tive, sales persons must have good knowledge of the products they sell and of the policies of their company. They should also gather information about actual customers.

 

Type # 10. Sales Promotion:

In addition to advertising and personal selling, sales promotion rep­resents another important means of creating an awareness of products “Sales Promotion” refers to those marketing activities, other than personal selling, advertising and publicity that stimu­lates consumers purchasing and dealer effectiveness such as displays, shows and exhibitions, premiums, contest, trading, coupons etc.