Interactive advertising
Interactive advertising uses online or offline interactive media to communicate with consumers and to promote products, brands, services, public service announcements, and corporate or political groups.
In the inaugural issue of the Journal of Interactive Advertising, editors Li and Leckenby defined interactive advertising as the "paid and unpaid presentation and promotion of products, services and ideas by an identified sponsor through mediated means involving mutual action between consumers and producers". This is most commonly performed through the internet; often through the use of an ad server that can deliver a variety of interactive advertising units.
Objectives
The goals of interactive advertising are usually akin to the traditional objectives of advertising, i.e. to sell a product. This in turn means that many of the traditional elements of advertising impact and effectiveness remain relevant, even within the scope of interactive media. However, according to the Journal of Interactive Advertising 2001, interactive advertising also has some properties that expand the range of potential objectives and that improve advertising effectiveness. Interactive advertising also has the potential to decrease the losses associated with poorly coordinated advertising, to reduce the difficulties commonly encountered in clearly communicating an advertising message and to help overcome new product hurdles.Advantages
- Interactive advertising allows consumers to interpret advertisements in unique ways and understandings, and sheds light on the increasing significance of the consumer's role in determining the value of marketing campaigns in modern society.
- Interactive advertising encourages consumers to actively engage in the marketing communications themselves to input feedback, neglect irrelevant elements, and absorb content that appeals to them.
- As consumerism becomes more prominent within the global economy and social interactions become more significant in establishing healthy long-term relationships with consumers, interactive advertising also grows in importance because it triggers greater motivation for social interaction between potential consumers and suppliers.
Disadvantages
- Whilst interactive advertising may be highly appealing to a prepared audience, it is difficult, costly and time-consuming to prepare, especially for target markets that have yet to be properly identified and analyzed.
- Interactive advertising has greater benefits in industries where creativity helps to capture the attention of buyers. In some markets however, there is little room for this, and excessive use of creativity can become a form of noise that disrupts the conveying of intended messages to consumers.