Advertising - its basic functions, objectives and benefits for companies

Advertisements are now ubiquitous in both real and virtual spaces. It is impossible to meet a person for whom at least one has not been memorable. What does this mean? That it has fulfilled a certain purpose. What are the functions of advertising and why are some of them long remembered?

What are the basic functions of advertising?

Core function advertsy is informing potential customers about a particular good, service or event . Examples include street billboards and posters, TV and radio spots or banners appearing on websites that present the product and its key features.

However, marketing cannot be limited to informing. Equally important is persuasive function of advertising . It is intended to give the consumer the conviction that the item being promoted really is useful to him or her. To this end, the advantages of the product are highlighted, how it will make an onerous everyday task easier, the opinions and experiences of people who have already used the product are quoted, and so on.

In order to influence the customer's attitude even more strongly, well-known people are often hired for the marketing campaign. Salespeople use their fame and authority to build up the consumer's belief that taking up a particular offer is the best option.

The persuasive, or in other words educational, function of advertising is sometimes complemented by a competitive one. Its function is presentation of your product in comparison with others of the same type . The recipient is persuaded by showing that our offer will be better.

Due to legal restrictions, other companies' proposals are not mentioned by name. Instead, a procedure is used which involves confronting one's own offer with an unspecified set of similar items. If the advertisement fulfils its function, it remains to remind the buyer of itself from time to time and encourage another purchase. In this way, the support function is realised.

The function of advertising versus its purpose - what is worth knowing?

In contrast to the function the objectives of advertising are not primarily focused on the consumer, but on the company who want to sell their product. In this case, easy-to-measure results are important, such as the profit target in relation to the campaign budget. The amount depends on the next objective, i.e. to build a message that reaches the target audience. This is very important because advertising to people who are not interested in a particular thing leads to financial losses. This risk also exists in the case of reaching the right customer group, but with a promotion that is of little interest to them, too controversial, etc.

Another objective of advertising is building brand awareness . This makes both it and the products it offers recognisable. In addition, customers should associate them with certain characteristics. These, in turn, depend on how the company wants to present itself and the expectations of customers.

A manufacturer of cosmetic products, for example, may want to present itself as a brand that puts ecology first. A renovation company, on the other hand, will want to present itself as a trustworthy service provider that carries out its tasks quickly and professionally.

Advertising purposes also include creating needs and fostering consumer loyalty . The marketing message should induce purchase decisions even from those who do not need or do not yet know that the item is useful to them.

Then, with the help of, for example, discount codes for regular customers, you can convince your audience that they have made the right choice and that it is worthwhile to take advantage of further goods offered by the brand.

Types of advertising - how do you recognise them?

Advertising and its functions - informational, supportive, persuasive and competitive - is only one of three ways of dividing marketing. The second is where it is placed. So there are indoor advertisements such as billboards, posters and multimedia screens. They have their outdoor counterparts.

Nature of advertising displayed outside a shop, business premises or trade fair enables you to reach a wider range of potential customers with your message . Promotional campaigns divided according to the third criterion, i.e. by media, work similarly. This applies to messages appearing on television, in the paper press and on the radio. In terms of its ability to reach the target group, however, internet advertising is ideal.

Types of advertising at InPost

Advertising and promotion are essential elements for reaching new customers when running your own business. Our InPost's advertising offer is tailored to the needs of the company and its consumers .

Among the types of advertising proposed are:

• product sampling - we will include samples of your items in the boxes in our Paczkomat® machines. This option is particularly recommended for companies that offer their customers, for example, cosmetics, perfumes or food products with a long shelf life;
• online advertising campaign - As InPost, we offer online platforms (including our homepage) on which your adverts can be displayed in the form of banners;
• PUSH notifications - Our InPost Mobile app is a great place to advertise with notifications sent to users' phones. Give us the content you want to communicate and we'll take care of the rest;
• newsletter - Our database of millions of potential recipients is the ideal place to send personalised messages about the latest promotions and offers, which can yield excellent results.
• advertising on parcel machines - The much-loved vending machines are the perfect place to promote your products or services. You can use these machines as large-format advertising media or place your offer on the service panels.

What must a good advertisement contain?

The various advertisements may differ significantly from each other, as a result, for example, of their different purposes and types. However, they all share the same basic functions.

In the first instance, the advertisement should attract the attention of the viewer. This allows you to move on to the next step, which is the presentation of the product. Then the message should show what the item offers, how it makes life easier or what problem it solves.

The persuasive function of internet, TV, radio or other advertising can be observed from the following features. One of these is confirmation of the veracity of the message, such as testimonials from other satisfied customers.

Sometimes there is also a call to action. This can include the message: "Order today!". Sometimes the CTA is combined with a promise of gratification (e.g. a discount) for an early purchase.

Why advertise with InPost?

Advertising with InPost is an effective way to reach a wide audience. Thanks to the various tools we offer, traders can promote their products and services in an unusual way that attracts consumers' attention .

We provide not only traditional forms of advertising, but also modern and interactive solutions that increase audience engagement and campaign effectiveness.

InPost's customers have the opportunity to reap numerous benefits from advertising through our platforms and services. Above all, it gives them the opportunity to reach the millions of Parcel Machine users who use these devices every day.

The machines' interactive screens allow for dynamic promotion. What's more, the sheer size of the machine allows it to be used as a medium for large-format advertising banners, increasing the effectiveness of the campaign.

Advertising with InPost is a comprehensive and modern solution. Through a variety of tools and platforms, entrepreneurs can reach a wide audience, increasing their visibility and achieving better marketing results.

We offer innovative approach to advertising which allows stand out from the competition and effectively attract consumer attention . Don't delay and join the ranks of companies that promote their products with us!