The Internet and interactive media have become an integral part of each person’s life. This is why there is no wonder that they have infiltrated into every single sphere of human activity. Since at present advertising is one of the most active spheres of human activities, the use of the Internet and interactive media in it is ever-increasing. As stated by Brown (2006, p. 68), the internet “gives every individual a place where they can present their own media online”. Unlike newspapers, radio, and television, this ‘place’ is practically unlimited. Internet and interactive media started to be used as an advertising tool due to their ability to create brand awareness, improve customer interaction and communication, and, what is the most important, due to their cost-effectiveness compared with other advertising tools.
First of all, the Internet and interactive media create brand awareness. Brand awareness is extremely important because it results in brand familiarity and, as a consequence, brand loyalty provided that the quality of the products is high. Internet and interactive media are perfect tools for advertising. Their greatest benefit within creating brand awareness is that the brand can be marketed in collaboration with an already familiar Web brand. This strategy is used by a number of companies: “For instance, Weight Watchers, Tire Rack, wine.com, Office Depot […] all rely on partnerships with Internet retail giant Amazon to increase their sales” (Pride, Hughes & Kapoor 2009, p. 376). Thus, brand awareness creation is one of the reasons why the Internet and interactive media are used as advertising tools.
Secondly, they increase customer communication and interaction. Not only the Internet and interactive media are used to create brand awareness, but they are also used to get back to the customer to offer him/her discounts or new types of products. Such communication is also beneficial for the customers. They can visit the Website of the seller and order products directly from this Website, which saves them time. The advertising of the product takes place even if the customer does not order anything from the company. Simple clicking on the ad means that it is working, and this is what the Web publishers base their advertising on. So, the use of the Internet and interactive media as advertising tools allows for improving customer interaction and advertisement effectiveness.
Finally, using the Internet and interactive media as an advertising tool allows not only effectively promoting products but saving costs as well. First of all, banners are much cheaper to create than radio or television advertisements. Secondly, e-mailing the customers is also less expensive than mailing them by means of post. And thirdly, updating such advertisements is also easier and cheaper. Therefore, the Internet and interactive media are cost-effective advertising tools.
Thus, the use of the Internet and interactive media as new advertising tools is ever-increasing for a reason. Internet and interactive media advertisements allow creating brand awareness faster, improve communication between the customers and the sellers, and are less expensive because they take fewer costs to create and maintain.
References
Brown, BC 2006, How to use the Internet to advertise, promote and market your business or Web site, Ocala, Florida.
Pride, WM, Hughes, RJ & Kapoor, JR 2009, Business, Cengage Learning, Mason, Ohio.