Image advertising: increasing brand awareness

Image type of advertising is used to form the consumer’s need to buy goods of a particular brand. For these purposes, a combination of PR tools and marketing elements are used; Image advertising emphasizes similarity to the product.

Varieties of advertising

Advertising comes in several forms:

• Image type;
• Commodity Type;
• Service Advertising.

The second and third types work to draw attention to the merits of a product or service. These types are measurable and aimed at increasing sales. Image does not describe a particular product, but works to enhance the reputation of a company or an individual brand. This kind of advertising is long term and aims to add value to the organization.

Image is a set of a person’s personal perceptions of the world around them, their ideas and attitudes towards something, such as a brand, a company, a politician. The object of influence of such advertising is the feelings of the audience. Customers are emotionally impressed that by buying a tea or a phone of a particular brand they will become successful and happy. Advertising of products or services encourages customers to opt for a particular product. The image option gradually convinces them of the superiority of a particular company.

Advantages and disadvantages of image advertising

The pros of image advertising are driven by its objectives. There has been an increase in the following indicators:

• traffic on branded queries;
• increase in audience;
• increasing customer loyalty;
• growth in the number of sales.

The ideal scenario of this type of action is to form customers’ attachment to a certain brand, which allows to support the company during crisis situations and entails the emergence of new partners.

Disadvantages:

• high cost;
• time costs;
• Lack of specific measurable results.

For quick results, image advertising is not the best option. Working on the reputation of a company or brand is only effective in the long run.

Image advertising performs the following functions:

1. Demonstrating the company’s market leadership by selecting the best sites for advertisements. Posting messages on downtown buildings will attract additional audiences and impact partners, investors and competitors.
2. Formation of the image of the product, thanks to which customers know in which cases the products of which brand to buy. For example, it is advisable to buy a certain brand of candy for a good date.
3. Work on company recognition.

Buyers tend to choose familiar products, regardless of their qualities.Business areas in which it is necessary to use image advertising:

• companies operating in highly competitive niches;
• companies seeking to capture a portion of their competitors’ audience;
• firms that work with online audiences;
• natural product manufacturers;
• companies with a network of divisions;
• companies with large budgets or representatives of businesses with high profits;
• sellers of new products unknown to the consumer;
• Companies that want to regain the trust of their customers.

Examples of use

The Nike company laconically reminds the audience about itself using the slogan “Just do it”.The Coca-Cola company managed to build associations with Christmas.The choice of a famous person to advertise a brand is a very important moment, because each act of a person affects the attitude of the audience to the brand.

Reasons for using image advertising

1. An established market with a high level of competition. With a large number of product options, the company’s prominence will influence the buyer’s decision. In the absence of competition, the role of image is secondary and the customer will be guided by the quality characteristics of the goods.
2. A monopolized market where companies build communication with audiences by describing the added value of products.
3. Market for expensive products – affluent customers are attracted not by the quality characteristics of the product, but by unusual offers.
4. Expansion of geography or renewal of assortment.
5. Rebranding – advertising has an informational function to prepare customers for changes in the company’s image.

Varieties of brand image advertising

Raising the profile – Creating an image of a successful firm capable of helping others. The firm organizes charity nights, develops student school programs, and helps those in need. Example: sponsoring events and activities that create an enjoyable atmosphere and do not cost a lot of money. If in-house manufactured goods are used as assistance, future customers will have the opportunity to test them.

Demonstrating mercy – Formation of an opportunity for consumers to do a good deed by purchasing a product. Relevant for the following areas: ecology, health, education, research activities, assistance to socially disadvantaged groups, assistance to municipal services.

Targeting financiers – providing information on planned projects, financial achievements, quality of interaction with shareholders, favorable differences from competitors.

Created for employees – formation of a positive image of the company in the eyes of subordinates, which will favorably affect the performance of their work.

Informative – Reminding the audience about the company, its values and products.Toolkit of image advertising activities.

Branding

The effectiveness of consumer familiarity with the company depends on a bright company name and unusual brand style. Creating a logo – the initial stage of quality image advertising, after which begins the direct work to increase recognition.Sometimes the development of the logo is accompanied by the creation of a character with whom customers will be associated with the company. Logo performs an identification function. External carriers of the style of the company, which are used to maintain the interest of the audience: brochures, business cards, flyers, calendars, notepads, uniforms of employees, price lists, etc.

Internal and external carriers of advertising messages

City-format, posters, light panels, signs, banners, car branding – these are varieties of external media that remind the mass audience about the organization and its goods or services. The scale of coverage is the main advantage of this format of advertising. With its help, it influences the audience subconsciously and fixes the image in the memory of a number of possible buyers.Internal media can include stands and other types.

Internet and media

Internet space is filled with thematic articles of selling format, banners and videos on various websites and thematic resources. Reviews written by copywriters and posted on forums and social groups help potential customers to express their opinions. Pop-ups also have a good effect on the audience.The use of printed types of media helps more conscious perception of information. The advantage of unusual thematic images. Moderate prices for this type of advertising has a positive effect on its popularity.Television advertising, due to the impact on visual and auditory channels of perception, was and remains the most effective and expensive type of advertising. It requires careful preparation and analysis of the target audience.

Brand ambassadors

Regular fans of the company’s products recommend it to their acquaintances, but the key effectiveness is characterized by the attraction of ambassadors, in the role of opinion leaders.

Storytelling

The use of product or company stories piques the interest of customers, creates the appearance of shared values and interests, and emotionally engages consumers.

Product placement

Sometimes products from certain brands appear in feature films that are tried, worn or used by popular characters. Thanks to this, the subconscious of the audience forms a relationship between the characters of the work and the goods or services of the company. Specialists do not recommend planning significant financial contributions to advertising right away.

Successful image advertising is based on the high quality of the product and the good work of the employees. Such advertising is focused on maintaining the interest of customers who are already familiar with the products. It is the quality base of regular customers that contributes to the development of the company through the possibility of planning further activities.