III.

Media

Advertising messages are disseminated through numerous and varied channels or media. The major media in developed countries are newspapers and consumer magazines, television, direct mail, radio, the Internet, business publications, and outdoor and transport advertising. In addition, a significant amount of advertising is invested in miscellaneous media, such as window displays, free local newspapers and shopping-news publications, calendars, and even sandwich-boards.

A wide range of advertising media has been developed from sources whose potential importance was formerly ignored. Delivery trucks, once plainly painted, now often carry institutional or product messages, as do many shipping cartons. Some packages, for example, takeaway food cartons, carry advertising for products other than those contained in them, as do telephone credit cards. Wrapping paper and shopping bags bearing advertisements are used widely by retail stores to advertise their own products and services.

In recent years, the use of ambient media has become more widespread. The term “ambient media” refers to advertising media that exploits the use of common objects or materials that the audience will encounter within their everyday environment. To a varying degree, these objects or materials become part of the advertisement themselves. Some of the very earliest examples of ambient media were found in petrol stations where advertisements were placed on the nozzles of petrol pumps. More elaborate examples have involved the use, manipulation, or utilization of buildings, architectural fixtures, furniture, animals, and even people in order to convey the advertising message. Ambient media can be particularly effective as it tends to take the audience by surprise.

The proliferation of electronic and various digital media has also had a profound impact on the channels of communication being used by organizations to promote their brands or services. Digital television and the Internet have permitted a greater level of interaction with audiences, and as more households embrace the new technology, both of these media are beginning to converge. WebTV is perhaps the ultimate manifestation of this as it combines the key functions of both the Internet and television, enabling viewers to access Web sites and order products online through their television sets. Online advertising tools include company Web sites, Web communities (Websites that provide a channel for people with similar interests to exchange information), online stores, banner ads, pop-up ads, e-mail newsletters, and unsolicited e-mails (sometimes referred to as spamming). Not all online advertising is welcomed by its recipients, and pop-up ads together with e-mail “spam” has the capacity to be intrusive and annoying. While the full potential of digital television and the Internet has yet to be reached, they are both certain to expand the scope of interactive advertising in the future.