88) Bumpers- short (usually 5-second) branded sponsorship credits appearing either side of a commercial break during a sponsored programme

89) Commercial Break- a break in television programme transmission, during which advertisements are shown

90) Commercial Minutage- the number of minutes (per day, per week etc) on television, during which commercials are transmitted

91) FIB-First In Break – the first commercial to appear in a commercial break.

Articles

Modern Advertising Methods There are different types of advertising and advertising techniques that are available for promoting products and services. However, here are some of the latest and hottest trends in advertising that are gaining popularity. People are now looking for new types of advertising appeals. Many of the new-age advertising methods are a result of the advent of the Internet, while some of the trends are just novel ideas that have transformed mundane advertising media into brilliant and witty advertising methods! Internet advertising is a vast concept and it entails several sub-types, many of which are only recently introduced. Email advertising is one of the earlier trends, while the new ones include banner advertising, pixel advertising, blog advertising, keyword advertising and contextual advertising. Bathroom Advertising Bathroom advertising is nothing, but placement of advertisements in public restrooms! A research was carried out, in which a test group of people visiting a restroom were questioned whether they noticed the advertisements in there, and surprisingly a major percentage of the group were seen to have a high retention of the advertisements. This led to the conclusion that people visiting the restroom are a good target audience. Bathroom advertising is soon catching up as an effective advertising tool.

Promotional Advertising Promotional advertising involves the use of promotional give-away items or promotional media events, which help to garner public attention and are an effective way of advertising. Handing out promotional freebies is a modern advertising technique that is innovative and very effective as well. Testimonials and Endorsements An endorsement from a celebrity or a public figure is reason enough for certain customers to try a particular product. Such testimonials or endorsements are a great way to advertise particular products and services. Another evolved version of this being a new type called covert advertising, which involves the use of brand names or actual products in movies or television shows which leads to an indirect form of advertising. Mobile Advertising Yes, as annoying as it might be for you to receive advertisements on your cell phone, it is now a fact that mobile advertising or cell phone advertising is one of the most effective ways of advertising. Most of the times, advertisers have a data of mobile numbers of their existing customer base as well as a list of phone numbers of people who might be potential customers. A message on the mobile phone rarely goes unnoticed and hence, qualifies as an effective marketing or advertising tool!

Blog Advertising Owing to the tremendous popularity of blogs, advertisers have wisely used the blogs as effective advertising and marketing tools. The corporate blogs are excellent ways for companies to reach out to their customer base on the Internet. The advertising blogs often make use of Search Engine Marketing techniques, which ensure better results on the web.

In-store advertising:

In-store advertising is any advertisement placed in a retail store. It includes placement of a product in visible locations in a store, such as at eye level, at the ends of aisles and near checkout counters, eye-catching displays promoting a specific product, and advertisements in such places as shopping carts and in-store video displays.

Coffee cup advertising

Coffee cup advertising is any advertisement placed upon a coffee cup that is distributed out of an office, café, or drive-through coffee shop. This form of advertising was first popularized in Australia, and has begun growing in popularity in the United States, India, and parts of the Middle East.

Celebrity branding

This type of advertising focuses upon using celebrity power, fame, money, popularity to gain recognition for their products and promote specific stores or products. Advertisers often advertise their products, for example, when celebrities share their favorite products or wear clothes by specific brands or designers. Celebrities are often involved in advertising campaigns such as television or print adverts to advertise specific or general products. The use of celebrities to endorse a brand can have its downsides, however. One mistake by a celebrity can be detrimental to the public relations of a brand. For example, following his performance of eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, swimmer Michael Phelps' contract with Kellogg's was terminated, as Kellogg's did not want to associate with him after he was photographed smoking marijuana.

A recent advertising innovation is "guerrilla marketing", which involve unusual approaches such as staged encounters in public places, giveaways of products such as cars that are covered with brand messages, and interactive advertising where the viewer can respond to become part of the advertising message. Guerrilla advertising is becoming increasing more popular with a lot of companies. This type of advertising is unpredictable and innovative, which causes consumers to buy the product or idea.

Lions International Advertising Festival

The Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival (IAF) is a global festival for those working in advertising and related fields. The seven-day festival, incorporating the awarding of the Lions awards, is held yearly at the Palais de Festivals in Cannes, France. In 2009, it ran from 21–27 June. The 2010 event is scheduled for 20–26 June.

Thousands of delegates from around the world attend the festival to view shortlisted work and attend seminars, workshops and master classes. The week's activities include four award ceremonies - culminating with the Film, Titanium and Integrated Lions awards - as well as an opening and closing gala.

At present, the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival is the largest gathering of worldwide advertising professionals and advertisers. In 2008, more than 10,000 registered delegates from 94 countries and roughly 12,000 visitors from the advertising and allied industries attended this event to celebrate the best of creativity across all media, discuss industry issues and network with one another.

Thousands of ads from all over the world are showcased and judged. In 2009, more than 22,000 entries were received. Winning companies receive a Lion trophy, honouring the most creative TV/cinema, print, outdoor, interactive, radio, design, PR, sales promotion or integrated advertising campaigns, as well as the best media and direct marketing solutions. Seminars, workshops and keynote addresses are presented by some of the biggest names in the realms of advertising, technology and business.

Since 2005, the Titanium Lions category has evolved into the Titanium and Integrated Lions, allowing the jury to award Integrated Lions to the best integrated campaigns using three or more types of media. Titanium Lions are now awarded to breakthrough ideas.

Other awards include Network of the Year, Direct Agency of the Year, Media Agency of the Year, Interactive Agency of the Year, Agency of the Year, Media Person of the Year, Advertiser of the Year and the Palme d'Or to the best production company.

Advertising and the Internet

What about advertising and the Internet? There is no question that many people, and many people in advertising, are keen on how the Internet can be used in advertising, and for marketing communication generally. So far we have talked briefly about advertising and promotion, and where they fit within the marketing plan. We have introduced the foundation of this book, the basics of how advertising works. This quite literally outlines what this book is all about.

So where does the Internet fit in this discussion? Unlike many people today, we do not see the Internet as something radically new and different, destined to change the face of marketing communication. As we begin the twenty-first century, the Internet is basically another medium, another way of delivering a message. There is an incredible potential for business and communication via the Internet, but is it really different in the sense that it will require new and different ways of thinking about delivering marketing communication? Much as advocates of the Internet would like us to think this is the case, we doubt it very much.

In fact, the principal difference between advertising on the Internet and general advert is in garises from the initial exposure to the advert. This is not in terms of content, but as a result of the hyper text structure of Internet adverts. Because of the structural difference, we encounter a potential change in the way an Internet advert is processed. While the initial processing of a banner advert is basically the same as that of any print advert, especially posters, further processing will require what Rossiter and Bellman have called a Web ad schema.¹³ This Webschema takes over when someone clicks on the banner advert, and this is where the difference lies. We shall explore this idea in more depth when we talk about processing adverts in Chapter10.

We do not wish to minimize the potential of the Internet as a means of delivering advertising messages. But at the same time it is critical that you do not think of Internet advertising as something so new and different that it requires a new way of thinking. With every evolution, or even revolution, in the means of communicating, from the printing press to radio to television, and now the Internet, the impulse has been to treat it as something totally new. But, as we hope to have shown, while the Internet does provide a new and even exciting potential for reaching people, the execution of the message must still follow the basic principles of communication. And it is these basic principles of communication that we are dealing with in this book. They can and should be applied to advertising on the Internet, just as they must be applied to all forms of marketing communication.

Examples

BMW advertising

The first BMW roadster with a hardtop. Its sophisticated design means the characteristic low-slung appearance remains unaltered even with the top down. This is possible thanks to the optimal folding of the two aluminium roof shells in approximately 20 seconds. With the top closed, the roof line of the roadster adopts a coupé-style silhouette, and the generous side and rear windows ensure captivating panorama views. Whether you choose to drive with the roof open or closed, it’s never a question of style but always of the moment. A perfect fit that leaves plenty of room for exploration. Like a well-tailored suit, the BMW Z4 Roadster is expertly customised to meet the needs of the driver. From the asymmetrical centre console to the optimally positioned instruments and round control elements that echo the legendary BMW Z8, a journey inside this vehicle offers a new discovery in elegance every time. Even with the roof closed, the overwhelming feeling of freedom remains and the bond between the driver, the vehicle and the road is as close as ever. A roadster designed the way only BMW can: the classic proportions of the stretched bonnet and short overhangs are complimented by the low seats near to the rear axle to grant the driver a perfect feel for the road. The modern shape, an interplay of striking contours and soft mergers, fully captures the character of this vehicle from its characteristic kidney grille to the powerful wheel arches at the rear. However, it’s the way this roadster effortlessly negotiates straights and bends that makes it truly like no other. Two milligrams of petrol – that’s how precise the High Precision Injection (HPI) controls the fuel-air mix. The dosage of the fuel injected is precisely ensured by the piezo injectors with only part of the combustion chamber being filled under lower partial loads. Thanks to the Twin Turbo, it is now possible for the straight six-cylinder engine to provide a supreme standard of power and performance previously only conceivable with far larger engines. Engine weight is also much lower, inter alia on account of the all-aluminium crankcase, which naturally benefits the car and offers more power on less fuel.

Dialogue:

A: Oh man, I just don’t know how I’ll cope with it.

B: What’s up? Can I help you somehow?

A: My company struggles to attract more and more ad revenue. So now I need to produce a new catchy video ad.

B: Yeah… there is a tendency to invest in various products to chase a new target audience. What product are you supposed to make mouthwatering?

A: My product is a coconut cake. The challenging task is to sell this cake to young urban professionals.

B: You mean to yuppies with calculators?

A: Bingo! They are associated with an extreme materialism! My task is to present a coconut cake as a symbol of their material success.

B: Are you serious?

A: Yes! How should I sell it to these white collars who spent their free time in the pubs drinking bloody beer?

B: Taking about bloody beer. My boss gave me not an easy job to do. His immediate task oversteps the limits of logic. Now I’m at my wit’s end but I still don’t have a lucky thought how to sell beer. But let’s now try to solve your problem. Probably I have an idea for you. The coconut cake should be tasty, top-notch quality…like something exotic. Do you like the catchy line: “Take a rest from exotic financial instruments and get the taste of real exotic with our coconut cake”?

A: You are a genius!

B: Now, I suppose you will share a bounty?

A: Maybe, I will. But now I’ll better try to help you with your ad.

B: Well, believe me or not but very soon a special beer for women will enter the market. The boss told me that the target audience is only women. But tell me what in the world will persuade women to drink beer in quantities?

A: You know actually many women like beer.

B: Sorry, but I disagree with you. The only way to make women buy beer is to use subliminal advertising, but unfortunately it’s illegal.

A: I suppose that the holding power of such an ad should be focused on the glamorous look of the bottle and the specific taste of the beer. You can try to present it as something that is similar to the champagne. I think it’ll be the next hit!

B: Probably it will. Thank you for your advice.