Image advertising is used when the primary advertising goal is to create company, brand, or product awareness among a group of consumers so that they may be predisposed to making a purchase from you when they are in the market for the type of products or services you sell.
• Television is probably the best medium for image advertising. The visual action and audio allow viewers to feel involved with television. The per person cost to reach viewers through television, which is typically national in its reach, is very expensive. If you are targeting a small, local marketplace, check out the advertising programs offered by your local cable station.
• Magazines are not as effective as television as a medium through which to wage an image advertising campaign. They are a strong contender, though. The quality of magazine printing offers a nice venue for conveying exciting imagery. The use of color photography is especially effective in magazine print advertising.
• Outdoor and transit displays also rely on powerful photographs for message conveyance. They can be effective for simple image advertising messages.
• Radio is less effective than magazines and television when used for image advertising. Radio can't effect the strong photographic impact of print advertising or the drama of television.
• Newspapers are not always an effective medium for carrying an image ad. The graphic reproduction is poor and the consumer has been conditioned to look at newspaper ads for price announcements, not image messages. If you do use newspapers as vehicles for running image advertising, make sure your ad space is large, perhaps as much as an entire page.
• Direct mail is a tricky medium to use for image advertising. A “junk mail” label is the trap you risk here but it can be effective if it carries an original message and it looks appealing enough to make people interested in reading it.
