File C5-139

October 2009
www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm

Evaluating Alternative Types of Advertising

• Disadvantages – long lead time, lack of flex-

A
dvertising, when properly understood, is a
powerful tool for marketing. It can be most ibility in gaining attention, often limited control
effective with products that can be differen- over location of advertisement.
tiated from similar products based on consumer-ac- 4) Outdoor advertising
cepted quality differences. However, regardless of • Advantages – inexpensive relative to other
the quality of a product’s advertising, it is important media, quick communication of simple ideas,
to remember that a product has to compete on its repetition of exposure to customers, ability to
own. For example, brand preference cannot be promote products available for sale nearby.
established if the product fails to meet consumer • Disadvantages — brevity of the message, short
expectations. exposure time, cannot target customer, public
concern over esthetics.
Below are forms of advertising you may want to
5) Television
consider.
• Advantages — impact mass coverage, repeti-
1) Newspapers tion, flexibility in getting attention of consumer,
• Advantages – short lead time, flexible, reach prestige, visual and audio capabilities, short lead
large audience, community prestige, intense cov- time.
erage, reader control of exposure, coordination • Disadvantages — temporary nature of message,
with national advertising, merchandising service, high cost relative to other media, high mortality
segment consumer by geography. rate for commercials, evidence of public dis-
• Disadvantages — short life span, may be ex- trust, lack of selectivity, hard to target customer,
pensive relative to other media, reading, poor requires production specialists.
reproduction, lack of creativity.
6) Direct mail
2) Radio • Advantages – flexibility in reaching target audi-
• Advantages – audio capacity, short lead time, ence, short lead time, intense coverage, flex-
low cost relative to other media, reach demo- ibility of format, complete information, easy to
graphic and geographic segmented audience, personalize.
reach large audience. • Disadvantages — high cost per person, de-
• Disadvantages – don’t have visual capacity, pendency on quality of mailing list, consumer
fragmented and inflexible, temporary nature of resistance, may be considered as junk mail, may
message. be difficult and expensive to access mailing lists.
3) Magazines and journals
References
• Advantage — selectivity for demographic and Bygrave, William D., The Portable MBA in Entrepreneur-
geographic segments, high in quality reproduc- ship. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 1994 p 108.
tion, lasts as long as magazine is kept, presti-
gious advertisement if credibility of magazine is Marketing Concepts, Department of Agricultural Eco-
high, extra services, issue may be read by more nomics, Kansas State University.
than one person.
. . . and justice for all a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Build-
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and ing, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964.
activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political
beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in coop-
programs.) Many materials can be made available in alternative formats for ADA clients. To file eration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Jack M. Payne, director, Cooperative Extension
Service, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa.

Don Hofstrand
co-director, Ag Marketing Resource Center
extension value-added agriculture specialist
641-423-0844, dhof@iastate.edu