Promoting a brand is more important than opening a store. It is essential to create brand awareness for the customers to know about the brand’s existence. The retailer must strive hard to communicate the USPs (Unique selling Proposition) of the brand to influence the buying behaviour of the customers. In simpler words, advertisements help the end-users to know to which brand a particular product belongs.

Advertisements play a crucial role in promoting a brand and creating its awareness amongst the masses.

They help in creating an image of a particular product or brand in the minds of the potential customers. Such a mechanism is also called Brand Positioning.

What is Advertising ?

Advertising is a medium through which an individual or organization highlights the USPs and benefits of a product or service to influence the buying behaviour of the individuals.

It helps to create a positive image of a particular brand in the minds of the customers and prompts them to buy the same.

Role of Advertising in Retail

• The retailer through various ways of advertising strives hard to promote his brand amongst the masses for them to visit the store more often.
• Advertisements attract the customers into the store. They act as a catalyst in bringing the customers to the stores.

The advertisement must effectively communicate the right message and click on the customers. It should be a visual treat and appeal the end-users.

Advertisements have taglines to create awareness of a product or service in the most effective way.

• The tagline has to be crisp and impressive to create the desired impact.
• The tagline should not be lengthy else the effect gets nullified.
• It has to be catchy.
• It should be simple to memorize.

The moment an individual hears “Just Do it”, he knows he has to visit a “Nike Store”. That’s the importance of a tagline.

Modes of Advertising

1. Nothing works better than promoting a brand through signboards, billboards, hoardings and banners intelligently placed at strategic locations like railway stations, crowded areas, heavy traffic crossings, bus stands, near cinema halls, residential areas and so on. Such advertising is also called as out of home advertising.

   Out of home advertising is a way to influence the individuals when they are out of their homes. The hoarding must be installed at a height visible to all even from a distance.

   Make sure it catches the attention of the passing individuals and influences them to visit the store.

   Keep it simple and make sure it doesn’t confuse the customers; instead it should convey the information in its desired form.

2. Print media is also one of the most effective ways to promote a brand. Newspapers, magazines, catalogues, journals make the brand popular amongst the individuals. Retailers can buy a small space in any of the leading newspapers or magazines; give their ads for the individuals to read and get influenced.

3. Television also helps the brand reach a wider audience. Now a days retailers also use celebrities to endorse their products for that extra zing. Celebrities are shown using the particular brand and thus making it a hit amongst the masses.

   Sachin Tendulkar - the famous Indian cricketer endorses Castrol India, MRF tyres, Adidas, Boost etc. A child gets influenced to drink Boost because his favourite cricketer drinks the same.

4. Radio Advertisements also help in creating brand awareness.

5. Social networking sites have also emerged as one of the easiest and economical ways to promote a product or brand.