How the World is in a Relationship with Advertising

When we think of what advertising is, we may think of commercials, internet pop-ups or billboards; but this is the traditional way of thinking. Advertising is so much more than that today. It has taken a prominent role in our lives, permanently changing how we operate and how we function.

Take for example, the brand name Nike. From the swoosh logo to the tagline heard around the world “just do it”, it has easily become one of the most recognizable brands there is. Their advertising team hit the jackpot with this killer concept and they are probably still patting themselves on the back for it, while the general public may not have noticed that it had such a profound or significant impact. A tagline serves two purposes; the first being that it reflects the brand positively, and the second being that it appeals to the target. Obviously for Nike, they did a just job. They successfully communicated their brand to not only their target market, but to the general public as well. It would be hard to find someone who was not familiar with Nike’s logo or tagline. Nike’s success is one of the best examples of what to do right in advertising.

An advertiser’s goal is to have a successful campaign, which entails promoting a good or a service. When a product or service is promoted successfully, sales increase. When sales increase, companies become stabilized, which results in people being able to keep their jobs. This is all assuming that the product or service is a desirable commodity. For example, no one (hopefully) would buy silverware for pets. The point is, advertising, and even marketing, are the backbone of a good company. If a company is not able to articulate their product or service to the public and bring in revenue, chances are that company will go under. And for whatever odd reason, the communications department is the first department to see lay-offs when the company is making cuts. What is a company without a skillful team of communicators? Well, there’s not much of one. Companies that do this will most likely find themselves going under too. Just recently, the Borders’s book chain fell victim to loss of revenue. Back in February 2011, the company filed for bankruptcy. It can’t be said for certain if the lack of activity in the advertising and marketing department resulted in loss of sales, but we can assume that a flourishing and full-staffed advertising department does not result in closures.

Advertising quite literally changes peoples lives. It can either provide the public with what they need, or they can die trying (figuratively speaking of course). Job stability is a major factor concerning efforts made by an advertiser, but it certainly isn’t the only one. Believe it or not, advertisers actually want to make high quality ads and campaigns: not for just their employment status, but for creativity’s sake too. A handful of advertisers are eager to implement new ideas and think outside of the box. This bunch thinks on the right side of their brain (pun intended). Every advertiser has an inventive and artistic itch that needs to be scratched. They may not itch everyday, but a good majority of the time, they’re pretty itchy. Advertisers sometimes refer to themselves as an “addy”. An addy is someone who is married to the art of advertising. They want to change the misconception that advertising is an annoying scheme to get peoples money. Rather, they want to revolutionize the idea that advertising is a unique interactive style of art.

An addy who is committed to the success of campaign, will spend days at the drawing board thinking of what works and what doesn’t. They’ll rip out pages in their notebooks brainstorming the perfect concept. True addys will only present fully baked ideas as the path to their objective. This is not saying advertisers are right every time when it comes to campaigns, but they need to feel like they are right. If the concept wasn’t a client’s cup of tea, an advertiser will build off that criticism and hone their skills to achieve a winning concept. Lacking confidence in a concept does not lead to the road to success, only believing does.

Advertising is not a shallow or simple field. The advertisements seen in magazines, heard on radios or seen on TV all started with a need. That need turned into an idea, the idea turned into an advertisement, that advertisement turned into revenue and that revenue either created a successful or unsuccessful venture. Whether advertising is appreciated or not, it can firmly be said that it helps the world go ‘round.