The major objective of advertising inherent in the presentation and promotion of ideas, goods or services is to achieve predetermined objectives through persuasive communication, precipitating the change or reinforcement of desired attitude or behavior.
“It is not neutral; it is not unbiased”: Yes, advertising is not neutral or unbiased. All ads that appear are controlled by the advertiser and are intended to serve the advertiser’s interest in some way.
Advertising has gained much attention because it is the best known and most widely discussed form of promotion and a very important promotional tool. There are several reasons for this. It can be a very cost-effective method to reach a large audience. It can also be used to create images and build symbolic meanings for a company or brands. It is an important feature for companies dealing in products or services that are difficult to differentiate on functional attributes.
Advertising alone, almost, never “sells” products, services or ideas. It “helps” to sell through persuasion. For any reason, if a product is not available in the distribution outlets, the “greatest advertisement” cannot sell this product. If the consumers perceive that the product is over priced, or does not meet their requirements, then advertising won’t be able to sell such a product. No amount of advertising will persuade consumers to buy a bad product a second time. Advertising cannot sell anything that is not perceived by the audience as needed, wanted, or desired.