ADVERTISING MESSAGE: CHARACTERISTICS, EXAMPLES, FUNCTIONS, TYPES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

An advertising message is a phrase, image, video or set of them whose main objective is to catch the attention of an audience so that they acquire awareness, want to inform themselves or buy a specific product or service.

In popular language advertising messages are known as propaganda, publicity or advertisements. They can appear on the Internet, magazines, newspapers, television, radio, or street panels. An example is "uncover the happiness" of the carbonated drink brand Coca Cola. It is a message in which text and image are combined, with which the company wants to associate its drink with feelings related to happiness and well-being.

Advertising message example

As can be seen in the example, the advertising messages are expressed encoded, which means that they use images and sounds to transmit the information. They also use catchy phrases that help people remember the product or service; These phrases are called a slogan.

Characteristics of advertising messages

On the left, many advertising messages in visual format. On the right one of the United States government

Advertising messages have the following aspects:

- They transmit information

The advertising messages are characterized by being informative, since the idea is to make people aware of the benefits of a product or service.

For example, the Special K cereal conveys to shoppers the importance of healthy eating. This is achieved by pointing out the health benefits of consuming Special K in the morning, along with a daily dose of physical activity.

In conclusion, Special K informs the user about the positive consequences of eating this cereal and exercising.

- They are eye-catching and generate interest

Advertising messages are usually eye-catching and colorful, because the goal is to arouse the interest of the audience. For this reason, it is claimed that these messages stimulate public perception.

An example of this is found in the packaging of Doritos, some tortilla chips whose message is made with strong colors (black and red) to catch the viewer's attention.

Advertising messages use bold colors.

- They are easy to understand

An advertising message should be easy for the public to understand because this ensures that it catches the attention of a large audience. That is why advertisements avoid using complicated language and are expressed in short and direct sentences. For example:

1. Apple: think differently.
2. Rexona does not abandon you.
3. McDonald's: I love it.
4. Nike: just do it.

- They are persuasive

These messages have a high persuasiveness; that is, they manage to convince people to think or act in a certain way.

For example: the famous Apple brand manages to persuade people to buy new products through eye-catching and pleasant advertising. Generally, this company convinces the public that their electronic gadgets are the best on the market.

- They are creative and original

Any advertising message that has been successful is characterized by being creative and original. These elements make the information you want to convey catch the public quickly and effectively.

Typically, companies hire advertising specialists to create new designs that bring a different idea to the world of sales.

For example, a few years ago a product called I can't believe it's not butter! This food was a success because it introduced something new that had never been used before; it was a spread that tasted the same as butter, but had different ingredients.

- Repetition

In order to be efficient, the advertising messages become repetitive. Repetition causes the message to enter the minds of consumers unconsciously. Also, repetition increases the chances that a message will reach more consumers.

Advertising message functions

An advertising message consists of a set of images, texts, symbols and sounds that seek to convey an idea. Source: pixabay.com

The functions of the advertising message are the following:

- Promote an action in the audience, whether the public acts in a certain way or acquires the product or service.

- Create a certain level of aesthetics that gives viewers viewing pleasure. Aesthetics refers to the art or beauty that is behind the advertising message and that draws the user's attention.

- Establish and maintain a relationship between consumers and the product or service offered.

- Inform a certain audience about the advantages and benefits that are obtained by acting in a certain way or by purchasing a product. For example, Coca Cola claims that through its drink users achieve happiness.

Types of advertising messages

Advertising messages can be classified in many ways. One of the most used classifications is according to its diffusion medium. That is to say: through the radio, the Internet, television, among others.

Online advertising messages

They are one of the most used today, since today many people have access to the Internet and use it to work, study or entertain themselves. These messages can be found on social media or on web pages of any kind.

Thanks to social networks, companies currently have countless resources and platforms to transmit their advertising messages. Source: pixabay.com

Printed advertising messages

This type of message is the oldest and has been in use for many years. Although the digital age has affected the circulation of these messages, they are still being printed in newspapers, flyers and magazines.

They are also usually delivered on the street by vendors. For example, when an ad for a new perfume is delivered to a person while walking through the malls.

Audiovisual advertising messages

Within this category are the messages that are published on the radio and in the videos of certain platforms such as YouTube. Generally, they use sounds or songs that are pleasant and attractive to those who hear or visualize the message.

Currently, advertising messages have managed to increase thanks to the emergence of podcasts, which consist of an audio or video that can be downloaded by users to be played on a portable device (mobile phone, laptop…)

In podcasts, companies offer money to whoever makes the broadcast so that this person can place the advertising message during the video or audio.

Advertising messages placed on billboards

These messages are always located on the streets or on roads frequently traveled by people. They are often widely used, for example, during presidential elections, since they allow people to inform people about the benefits of a certain candidate quickly and easily.

Likewise, this type of message is frequently used to publicize concerts or any other presentation whose objective is to entertain people.

Advertising impact

The advertising impact refers to the way in which the public has interpreted the message embodied in the advertisement. That is, it consists of the level of reach and the type of reception that the advertising has had in the audience.

For example: it can be said that Apple has a very large and influential advertising impact, since its sales strategy attracts millions of buyers and users around the world.

How to get it?

Obtaining a good advertising impact will depend on the strategies used by designers and sellers. In general, attractive and creative messages tend to generate empathy in the audience; therefore, creativity and originality are key aspects for the success of the advertising impact.

Therefore - to obtain a positive reception and achieve a greater reach - it is necessary to analyze what aspects are striking and interesting for most people. This can be achieved through the advice of experts in the area such as sales managers, graphic designers or publicists.

Importance

The advertising impact is important because it guarantees the success of the service or product that is offered. That is, it determines the number of people who will view the message, as well as the number of users who will access what the message advertises (that is, how many users will purchase the product, request a service or vote for a certain candidate).

As measured?

The advertising impact can be measured from the answer to a series of questions such as:

- What does the audience think after having received the advertising message? How was the reception?

- How was the product or service positioned after the ad was placed? Did you rank high on the sales charts?

- How did the audience interact with the message? What emotions did the advertising message generate in the public?

The answers to these questions will allow you to calculate the level of impact that the message generated. To carry out this survey, you can enlist the help of a manager or publicist.

Examples of advertising messages

Below are some examples of the most popular and well-known advertising messages in the world:

1. Rexona, does not abandon you (it won't let you dowm)

Rexona does not abandon you.

The message of this product is simple but powerful. His slogan "does not abandon you" is personal and close to consumers. It refers to the effectiveness and protection of the deodorant in those who use it.

2. Macdonalds: great taste, small prices

McDonald's advertisement

For this ad, McDonald's used an advertising message that directly appeals to the public's emotion, because it ensures that the price of the product will be very low, but it will have a lot of flavor. That is to say: it seeks to excite the user with the idea that they will save money and at the same time eat well.

It should be noted that the message uses bright colors such as red and white. In addition, the image of a hamburger is placed that is irresistible for those who view the ad.

3. Head & Shoulders: hydration from the roots and up to 100% dandruff free

Head & shoulders ad.

It is an advertising message that informs the public of the benefits of the product. The ad assures that if the recipient acquires it, the health of their hair will improve.

4. Nescafé: your happiness awakens with Nescafé

Nescafé ad.

Like Coca-Cola, Nescafé tries to reach consumer emotion through the feeling of happiness. This ad - brightly colored and flashy, but simple - ensures that a person's day will improve if they consume this drink.

References

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