Back to the Basics "Small Business and Advertising"

Lee Myung

Director of Business Services

Akutagawa International

What is advertising?

    Advertising is a form of communication for marketing.  It is used to encourage, persuade, draw attention towards or manipulate an audience, ex: (viewers, readers, or listeners even a specific group) to continue or take some new action.  

Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering.  Although politicaly and ideological advertising is also common.  In Latin "ad vertere" means ( to turn the mind toward).  

The purpose of advertising may also be to reassure employees or shareholders that a company is viable or successful.  Advertising messages are usually paid for by sponsors and viewed over various ways via traditional media including mass media, such as newspapers, magazines, television commercials, radio advertising, out door advertising or even direct mail.  Even by new media such as blogs, websites, or text messages.

Advertisers often seek to generate increased consumption of their products or services through "branding" which involves associating a product name or image with certain qualities in the minds of the consumers.  Non-commercial advertisers who spend money to advertise items other than a consumer product or service.  These include political parties, interest groups, religious organizations and governmental agencies.  Non-profit organizations may rely on free modes of persuation such as public service announcement (PSA).