Advertising is designed to make an impression on its audience. Usually, you only have a matter of seconds to engage the audience's attention before they turn the page, switch the channel, drive past the sign or click to a new screen!

Many advertisements are also designed to generate increased consumption of those products and services through the creation and reinforcement of a company's image and customer loyalty. For these purposes advertisements often contain both factual information and persuasive messages.

Every major medium is used to deliver these messages, including: television, radio, movies, magazines, newspapers, video games, the Internet, and billboards. Advertising is often placed by an advertising agency on behalf of a company.

Advertisements can also be seen on the seats of grocery carts, on the walls of an airport walkway, on the sides of buses, heard in telephone hold messages and in-store public address systems. Advertisements are usually placed anywhere an audience can easily and/or frequently access visuals and/or audio and print.

Some of the most successful advertising campaigns will use catchphrases, slogans or jingles (short musical pieces that are usually remembered and catchy). They often use very persuasive language, which is positive and evokes very positive reactions from their target audience.

There is a whole psychology of colour devoted to the belief that it will generate a thought, feeling or emotion around the product or service that is being promoted. For example, red symbolises action, confidence, courage and vitality, where as brown symbolises earth and order.

Advertising can be a very expensive practice if you do not have a very systemised approach to it and test and measure everything that you do. We recommend researching where your competitors are and seeing if you can establish what works for them and doesn't get results. We also recommend trying niche advertising to specific target markets - rather than broad, general publications. For example, you may think your business is gaining great exposure advertising in a large national newspaper, when in fact it may gain far greater traction advertising in a smaller (and less expensive trade-related magazine).

The key is to research, test and measure.

If you think you need a hand with advertising your brand or business, then please contact us and we can have an obligation-free chat.