An important reason for setting objectives is that they provide a benchmark against which the success or failure of the promotional campaign can be measured.
One characteristic of good objectives is that they are measurable: they specify a method and criteria for determining how well the promotional program is working.
Advertising objectives
Def: A specific communication task to be accomplished with a specific target audience during a specific period of time. “With realistic goals for advertising, you can satisfy both those who are investing in the advertising and those who are creating it.”
Marketing versus Advertising
Failure sometimes occurs even before the process starts because companies are confused by the apparent similarity between the purpose of advertising and marketing. Both are meant to encourage consumers to purchase products and services, however, there is a fundamental difference between the two.
Advertising is only one part of the marketing process, and its job is to deliver messages that have a psychological effect on the consumer. While marketing, which also includes functions such as public relations, promotion, sales, packaging, and pricing, has the more inclusive job of moving products and services from the seller to the buyer.
Companies when asked about advertising objectives almost always reply with marketing objectives. If they have a formal marketing plan, the advertising objectives are typically statements like: to increase sales, or to expand market share. These are too broad and general, making it almost impossible to measure success.
More specific objectives such as increase sales by 15%, or expand market share by 5% aren’t much better because they are marketing goals, not advertising goals. Advertising cannot achieve marketing goals all by itself. If a company wants to measure the results of its advertising, it has to be more specific in the definition of what it expects to accomplish through the use of advertising.
The Job of Advertising
What part of the total marketing goal can we expect advertising to achieve? Since advertising is a communications tool, we must assign it a communications task. Its job is to deliver a message that is designed to stimulate specific consumer behavior.
The message you want advertising to deliver must be specific. Keep in mind that at this stage you are defining what needs to be said, not how to say it—you’re not trying to write a headline. With a specific communications task that can be performed by advertising, independent of other marketing efforts, you can measure your advertising’s success.
One characteristic of good objectives is that they are measurable: they specify a method and criteria for determining how well the promotional program is working.
Advertising objectives
Def: A specific communication task to be accomplished with a specific target audience during a specific period of time. “With realistic goals for advertising, you can satisfy both those who are investing in the advertising and those who are creating it.”
Marketing versus Advertising
Failure sometimes occurs even before the process starts because companies are confused by the apparent similarity between the purpose of advertising and marketing. Both are meant to encourage consumers to purchase products and services, however, there is a fundamental difference between the two.
Advertising is only one part of the marketing process, and its job is to deliver messages that have a psychological effect on the consumer. While marketing, which also includes functions such as public relations, promotion, sales, packaging, and pricing, has the more inclusive job of moving products and services from the seller to the buyer.
Companies when asked about advertising objectives almost always reply with marketing objectives. If they have a formal marketing plan, the advertising objectives are typically statements like: to increase sales, or to expand market share. These are too broad and general, making it almost impossible to measure success.
More specific objectives such as increase sales by 15%, or expand market share by 5% aren’t much better because they are marketing goals, not advertising goals. Advertising cannot achieve marketing goals all by itself. If a company wants to measure the results of its advertising, it has to be more specific in the definition of what it expects to accomplish through the use of advertising.
The Job of Advertising
What part of the total marketing goal can we expect advertising to achieve? Since advertising is a communications tool, we must assign it a communications task. Its job is to deliver a message that is designed to stimulate specific consumer behavior.
The message you want advertising to deliver must be specific. Keep in mind that at this stage you are defining what needs to be said, not how to say it—you’re not trying to write a headline. With a specific communications task that can be performed by advertising, independent of other marketing efforts, you can measure your advertising’s success.