Advertising communications: challenges and media

Advertising communication is an information dissemination strategy designed to encourage a target audience to consume a brand's product or service . To achieve this, it must capture attention, hold it and convey a simple, intelligible message in a very short space of time. Find out what advertising communication is, why it's important and how it can be used.

What is advertising communication?

European Council Directive 84/450/EEC of September 10, 1984 defines advertising communication as "any form of communication made in the course of a trade, business, craft or profession with the aim of promoting the supply of goods or services, including immovable property, rights and obligations".

In this definition, advertising communication is understood as the process of buying space used to promote and increase awareness of a brand, object or service. Brands wishing to use advertising communications use collective communication media (posters, press, television, radio, etc.) to reach an audience with non-personalized content.

Regardless of scale - local, national or international - or medium - media or non-media - advertising is designed to anchor a brand's image and its offering over time. It differs from marketing in that it is aimed at everyone, and does not expect immediate benefits or action.

The benefits of advertising communication

The purpose of advertising communication is to promote the identity and image of a brand for commercial purposes. It aims to take advantage of consumers' attitudes and feelings to encourage them to take action, thanks to three types of objectives, also known as levels of affectivity. To successfully convert your target, these must be considered as levers to be reached one after the other:

• Cognitive objectives: related to brand awareness, they inform and inform the target audience about the brand, its offer and its specific features. At this stage, the target audience is made aware of the object of the advertising, as well as its characteristics and attributes. Brands try to convince by highlighting the product's advantages;
• Affective objectives: relating to feelings, they move, enhance the brand image and arouse interest in and desire for the product, service or brand. Here, brands must succeed in conveying the most positive image possible, to encourage people to try the product;
• Conative objectives: relating to the move to action, they must influence the behavior of the target audience to change their desire to buy and translate it into buying action. Here, brands play on the target's deepest motivations by removing the disincentives to purchase, to transform the prospect into a customer.
  
  

The different advertising media

Advertising communication media are many and varied, but can nevertheless be classified into two categories: media and non-media. As a general rule, a retailer or brand will choose to mix the two types of media to build a multi-channel media plan that is relevant to its objectives and campaign budget. The aim is for the media to support each other and act in synergy, to target a wider audience and benefit from greater impact.

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Media supports

Media advertising includes all "traditional" paid media, enabling mass distribution of a message.

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Television

Television remains a support mass communication medium, now available on multiple screens (TV, desktop, smartphone, etc.). It is accessible live or on replay, and reaches millions of people with communications in the form of program sponsorship or TV spots.

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The radio

Radio broadcasts spots and slogans from the target audience's home, but also in the car or anywhere via smartphone. Radio offers precise targeting: there are numerous thematic radio stations with ultra-defined targets, and editorial grids with assertive colors. Local radio stations and local offshoots of national radio stations also offer geographic targeting.

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The cinema

Cinemas broadcast advertisements preceding the film, or offer product placement within the film itself. Like radio, cinema is a support medium that enables precise segmentation by age, geography and socio-cultural background.

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Print media

Print media correspond to support paper and digital, offering the opportunity to achieve clear fragmentation and get as close as possible to its target audience. Thanks to news notifications sent to smartphones, the impact and visibility of print media content has increased tenfold.

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Non-media supports

In the final analysis, non-media advertising communication supports include all those that exist to the exclusion of traditional media spaces. These are marketing channels or techniques that address a much more precise and targeted audience.

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Print advertising

Printed advertising is a support communication tool that encompasses all printed documents such as leaflets, brochures, catalogs and flyers. This type of communication is appreciated for its effective local targeting and its ability to act as close as possible to the target.

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Object-based communication

Object-based communication consists in promoting a brand's image by affixing the name or logo of a company or brand to personalized objects. These include business gifts, promotional items, sponsorship, loyalty and incentive gifts, merchandising products and point-of-sale advertising.

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Digital-Out-Of-Home

Digital Out-Of-Home, also known as DOOH, refers to indoor or outdoor digital advertising, broadcast via digital display screens present in urban spaces - on public thoroughfares, in metro stations, shopping malls, business premises or at points of sale. It consists in broadcasting advertisements with dynamic content (images, videos, real-time content or RSS feeds) on different types of screens, such as LED screens. Thanks to a platform adapted to advertising agencies, DOOH broadcasts communications in real time on screens.

The Cenareo solution, dedicated tooutdoor digital signage, takes the form of a SaaS interface that enables screens to be managed remotely, automating message delivery and targeting audiences to increase their impact tenfold. Thanks to these solutions, screens become transmission channels that can reach an ultra-targeted, qualified audience with dynamic, contextualized content, while keeping programmatic purchasing budgets under control.

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In-store digital signage

Digital signage in stores and points of sale is an innovative tool for digitalizing advertising communications. Connected digital screens enable retailers to enrich the customer experience with a unique interactive universe: digital signage creates attractive digital window displays that generate more traffic and engagement.

With the Cenareo digital signage solution, you can connect your entire fleet of screens to adapt message distribution in real time. The Cenareo solution enables companies to promote effective cross-channel communication campaigns, at the most opportune time and place, with great flexibility.

With its digital signage solution, Cenareo enables you to diversify your media mix and maximize the performance of your advertising communications strategy. By integrating digital signage into their media plan, companies can raise their profile tenfold and strengthen their brand image. Digital signage is an innovative support at service to help companies grow and disseminate an infinite range of attractive, relevant content.