Advertising functions - what are they? Why is it important to know them?
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18 July 2025
Various advertising messages have been with us for a long time, and their creators have outdone themselves with creative ideas. But why do even world-famous brands still advertise their products? The answer lies in the principles of promotion. Learn about the functions and objectives of advertising and why it is important to know them when designing marketing messages.
Functions of advertising and objectives of the advertising message
The objectives of advertising and its functions are actually two inseparable elements that should complement each other. And actually, a well-designed promotion with its most important functions in mind should fulfil its objectives. However, to avoid sounding too complicated, let's start by explaining the three most important objectives that a marketing message must fulfil:
- Increasing sales results - without satisfactory sales results, no company can stay in business for very long. Through advertising, products/services can be encouraged and new customers acquired.
- Building brand awareness - it is important to create a positive and credible image of the retailer. This is particularly important in today's highly competitive context.
- Maintaining an ongoing relationship with customers - in addition to building the reputation of the product, advertisement often interacts with its audience and, for example, convinces them of the rightness of their purchase.
Well-known brands that have enjoyed a position of market leadership for years continue to invest their resources in marketing. This is because such communication is not only a form of acquiring new customers, but also a way to maintain relationships, inform about new products/services and build engagement through RTM (Real Time Marketing).
Which advertising functions do we distinguish?
There is no one specific inventory of the functions of adverts, and those written about on many websites are often intertwined with each other. Nevertheless, it is possible to identify their three key activities. These include:
- Information function - advertisements are primarily intended to inform consumers of the existence of a particular product or service. They also enable customers to find out what a particular service is about or simply to learn about the most important parameters of the items being sold. This function is most often used during the introduction of new products to the market, although not exclusively.
- Inducement (persuasive) function - here the most important persuasion techniques are those by which the brand convinces the audience that its product is better than that of a competitor. This involves presenting the key advantages and benefits that will result from the acquisition. A distinguishing feature could be innovation, a unique composition or an attractive price.
- Fixing (reminder) function - its function is to remind consumers of the existence of the brand, to consolidate the relationship and to maintain the loyalty of existing customers. What could be examples of reminder advertising? These include, for example, short messages about current promotions.
There is also a somewhat side but still important educational function of advertising. Its main function is to present and perpetuate certain cultural values and to impart knowledge on a particular subject.
Why is it important to know the functions of advertising?
Knowing the function of advertising will allow you to better and more interestingly design your message and the entire communication strategy. However, even the most creative promotion may fail to meet its objectives if it does not reach its target audience. Therefore, in addition to the functions, it is also necessary to determine who the brand's customers are - how old they are, where they live, how they spend their free time, what their needs are, etc.
Once you have determined what function you want your advertising to serve, it will be much easier to match the destination of such a message - press, television, billboards, social media, or maybe just veneers in public spaces such as on Paczkomat® machines.
How to advertise consciously?
As an entrepreneur, you can choose to work with companies that will help you fulfil the various functions of advertising - an example is, for example, our offer. We make it possible for you to reach a wide audience in several ways, taking into account the most important functions of advertising. What can you opt for at InPost?
- Outdoor display advertising - this is the graphic content that will be displayed on the screens of Parcel Machines®.
- Product sampling - will work particularly well during promotional sales campaigns, as it involves providing free product samples. The potential consumer will find them in the box when picking up the package from the vending machine.
- Advertising on a Parcel Machine® - if you want your message to be conspicuous, opt for wrapping the whole (or just part) of the Parcel Machine. In this way you will be able to reach a really wide audience.
- Advertising banners - this is an offer for those targeting online promotion. They can choose to place messages in strategic locations within the inpost.pl website and the InPost Mobile application.
- Newsletter entry - there will be space for your advertisement in the space of the newsletter sent to subscribers!
Many people know what advertising is and how to recognise it in media messages. However, those who are involved in marketing professionally or who run their own companies should also know what the functions of marketing messages are and how to use them in practice. It is worth remembering to cooperate with trustworthy companies, and InPost is definitely one of these.
Advertising your company with InPost? Always a good idea!
Take a minute to leave your contact details and we’ll prepare a tailored offer for you.
There are plenty of possibilities:
- Branding on Parcel Locker machines
- Ads displayed on Parcel Locker screens
- Sampling of promotional products
- Banner ads on the InPost website
- Advertising in the InPost newsletter
- Push notifications in the InPost Mobile app
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