(a) Explain five roles of advertising. (b) Give three advantages and two disadvantages of television as a medium of advertising.

Answer Details

(a) Five roles of advertising

1. Informing: advertising tells consumers about the existence, features, uses and prices of goods and services.
2. Persuading: it convinces and encourages potential buyers to prefer and purchase a particular product.
3. Increasing sales: by widening awareness and demand, advertising boosts the volume of sales and turnover.
4. Creating and maintaining goodwill: it builds a favourable image and brand loyalty for the firm and its products, and keeps the product in the minds of customers (reminder role).
5. Introducing new products and opening new markets: it launches new goods and helps the firm reach new customers and areas.

(b) Television as an advertising medium

Three advantages:

1. It combines sight, sound and motion, giving a vivid and realistic demonstration of the product.
2. It reaches a very large and wide audience, including the literate and illiterate.
3. It has a strong and lasting impact on viewers, making the message more convincing and memorable.

Two disadvantages:

1. It is very expensive to produce and to buy air time, so small firms may not afford it.
2. The message is short-lived and passes quickly; a viewer who misses it cannot refer back to it as with print media, and it reaches only those who own and are watching a set.