Six Extremely Influential Ways of Promoting Your Brand

Powerful ways to promote your brand

Advertising dates back to ancient civilizations. Back in the day, papyrus was used to pass on all kinds of messages related to sales. Fast forward to the 19th century; ads have not only changed drastically but increased too.

There are some traditional advertising methods while some are coming of age, and some are outright bizarre. A good advertising campaign works great for your company’s long-term goals, especially branding. How many times have you talked about a perfect ad?

People remember the ad, the context, and even the company. If you look at the ad by Eskom mentioned above. See how minimal it is, but it is totally making the point it was looking for 3 words (Use Electricity Wisely), one light, and the brand name.

Eskom - Use Electricity Wisely - Creative Billboard
Eskom – Use Electricity Wisely – Creative Billboard – Image Source: Creative Criminals

1. Print Advertising

Billboards

Billboards are one of the traditional methods of advertising and one of the most effective ones as well.

McDonalds - Billboard - Advertising
Billboards From McDonald’s – Image source: StrategyOnline.ca
Wear A Seat Belt - Billboard
Wear A Seat Belt – Billboard – Source: F.A Daniels

Whether it is outright branding or branding via social message, billboards are something that tends to grab eyeballs everywhere.

Since we are talking about print advertising, let’s talk about other types of print advertising. -?

Newspapers and Magazines

A European survey showed that newspapers and magazines have 63% popularity among consumers while the Internet has just 25%. Sometimes age-old methods really are the real deal if we are talking about newspapers.

The ad’s effectiveness can vary based on various factors, such as the area occupied by the ad in print. The placement of the Ad adds to its effectiveness too. In the case of newspapers, it is usually which page it is on and the fold too. One can also estimate the reach of the ad by the readership of the said publication.

Your Ad might fare better on Publication A with a higher reach, though you could place a larger Ad on Publication B. So choose your publication, placement, and message wisely, based on the target of your campaign.

Left TWIX Crunchy Biscuit Lavished Caramel Covered Chocolate
Left TWIX – Crunchy Biscuit, Lavished With Caramel and Covered In Chocolate – Source: Tinobusiness

2. Radio Advertising

It can be easily considered as one of the oldest forms of advertising. Radios have proved to have a good reach. Bored people stuck in traffic often end up listening to the radio and whatever they air. So a lot of brands encash upon this opportunity.

What brands usually do when advertising on the radio is to buy airtime to advertise their brand or a new product or service they are launching. The time of the day and the program during which the advertisement airs are essential, both of which largely affect your audience’s size.

Especially with targeted advertising, which is also very economical. You get to really narrow down to your target audience and ensure your advertising reaches just the right people.

Impact of Radio Advertising
Impact of Radio Advertising – Image Source: Commercial Radio Malaysia

3. Television and YouTube Advertising

No matter how annoying we find the ads between our shows, we almost always watch them. Because suspiciously enough, all the channels we browse have the commercials going on pretty much simultaneously, or it could be plain and simple bad luck.

Either way, we end up watching the ads, which is exactly what the advertisers and brands are rooting for. TV ads are one of the most popular ads. Besides television, you can see these ads on YouTube, right before the videos and sometimes during.

If you have observed, some of the ads can be skipped while others are can’t. Know why? Effective advertising, that’s why! The ad’s timing, the placement of the ad during the video, and the ad’s popularity all play a key role in the ads bearing fruits.

4. Covert Advertising

This advertising has another name too. Guerrilla Advertising. This advertising type isn’t the out-there kind. The ads in Covert Advertising are very strategically placed, usually hidden in other media, or are promoted through the entertainment industry, including but not just shows movies, and songs.

It usually isn’t the first thing you notice when you see something or when something catches your attention. It creates an awareness of a product or a service in a less obvious way, but it will find a place at the back of your mind urging you to look it up or find out more information about it.

One of the best examples is the products you see lying around in shows; they aren’t just placed like that for the sake of it. They are a sleek way of advertising that brands encash upon. Their basic idea is to put the product or the service out there in the most unconventional way possible.

Here are some examples of Covert Advertising:-

Lenovo - New World New Thinking
Lenovo – New World New Thinking – Image Source: Kitaro10
Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez
Hollywood Actors – Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez – Image Source: Vanity Fair
The Movie - The Truman Show
The Movie – The Truman Show – Image Source: Pinterest

See what I mean? It won’t probably be the first thing you notice, but it’s out there, and it’s there to stay.

And if you are wondering how people figure out where and how to place such ads, there is an entire book on positioning, Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind. Get this on Amazon using these coupons and learn everything you need to know about branding, marketing, and product management.

5. Surrogate Advertising

Well, Surrogate Advertising is using substitutes to promote banned products. Since promoting alcohol, cigarettes, or the law bans condoms in many countries, these brands usually opt for this means of advertising. Normally they use products close to what they are selling to promote their product. For instance, you see a majority of alcohol brands promote their products with soda.

Special Quality - Tuborg Brewery - Club Soda - Tonic Water
Special Quality – Tuborg Brewery – Club Soda – Tonic Water – Image Source: ViralTalks

And in other cases, it is usually promoted by a completely different product altogether, still getting your brand out there.

Carlsberg - Club Glasses - Probably the best in the World
Carlsberg – Club Glasses – Probably the best in the World – Image source: YouTube

It kind of makes sense.

Imperial Blue - Men Will Be Men
Imperial Blue – Men Will Be Men – Image Source: Marketing91

Alcohol and Music. What even?

6. Celebrity Advertising

If you see, this is one of the most effective ways of advertising, but it can also be incredibly pricey. The celebrities who are a part of the ads or even promote it on their social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) take a huge amount for a single post. But, it is true it reaches the masses. So now, it is up to you; if you are up for it, then, by all means, you can go for it. It has an amazing reach.

BooTea Shake - Amy Willerton
BooTea Shake – Amy Willerton – Instagram Post – Online Marketing Institute
SmartWater - Pure Temptation Glacéau - Jennifer Aniston
SmartWater – Pure Temptation Glacéau – Jennifer Aniston – Image Source: Mike Hong

This is just the tip of the iceberg in the world of advertising. There are so many other types of advertising. If you have ever gone shopping and have noticed the products placed at the checkout counter, that is no coincidence, or by chance, every product placed there is very strategically placed. It promotes impulse purchases and increases the sales of the product.

Many advertisement methods may not seem entirely ethical to you, but they aren’t hurting anyone, promoting the product, and increasing sales while staying within the lines of the law. So what would you opt for – age-old methods or something coming of age?

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