Whether online or not, the main goal of advertising is usually to increase sales. As well as this, advertising aims to increase brand awareness and share of voice in the marketplace. Advertising is based on the simple economics of demand and supply. Advertisers aim to stimulate a consumer need (demand) and then satisfy that need (supply).
Online advertising has a number of objectives. Those align with the goal hierarchy. Here are some of the most common goals or nesting objectives and how online advertising helps implement the strategic approach:
Making people aware of a brand or product is an important long-term goal for any marketer. Once customers know about the brand, the marketer has taken the first step towards gaining the customer’s trust and patronage.
Online, creative advertising or banner advertising is largely visual, making it an ideal channel for promoting brand collateral. The visual strengths can be communicated well through this medium.
Creating consumer demand is a three-step process: inform, persuade and remind. Consumers can’t want what they don’t know about. Advertising needs to convince consumers about what they should want and why they should want it.
Modern online advertising provides a great way to communicate the unique selling points (USPs).
Once the consumer is aware of and wants a product, they need to find out how to satisfy that desire. If brand building has been effective, they will know that a particular brand exists.
At this point, it is essential for the marketer to show the consumer how their particular brand or product will best meet that need.
The immediacy of online advertising also drives traffic and sales in the short and medium terms. Unlike traditional media advertising, online advertising can immediately turn the potential customer into an actual customer.
What’s more, measuring accurately how effective the online advertising campaign has been is possible.
Online advertising can drive instant sales and conversions.
Unlike other advertising mediums, the consumer can go from advert to merchant in one easy click. Because of the connected nature of the Internet, online activities are highly trackable and measurable, which makes it possible to target adverts and to accurately track and gauge the efficacy of the advertising.
Online is just another channel to help implement our strategy and assist consumers through the buying behaviour process.
Campaign planning and marketing strategy are closely intertwined, with campaign planning serving as a tactical implementation of the broader marketing strategy.
