Advertising is a powerful tool for influencing consumer behavior and creating brand loyalty. However, to be effective, advertising must also be controlled, both by the advertisers and by the consumers. In this post, we will explore the concept of control as an element of advertising, and how it affects the advertising process and outcomes.

What is Control in Advertising?

In advertising refers to the ability to manage and regulate the various aspects of advertising, such as the target audience, message, medium, budget, and evaluation. Control can be exercised by both the advertisers and the consumers, depending on their goals and preferences.

Control by Advertisers

Advertisers use control to plan and execute their advertising campaigns, with the aim of achieving their desired objectives. For example, advertisers can control:

• The target audience: Advertisers can identify and segment their potential customers based on various criteria, such as demographics, psychographics, behavior, and needs. By doing so, they can tailor their message and medium to suit the specific characteristics and preferences of each segment.
• The message: Advertisers can craft their message to communicate their unique selling proposition (USP), which is the distinctive benefit or value that their product or service offers to the customers. The message should be clear, concise, and compelling, and should appeal to the customers’ emotions and rationality.
• The medium: Advertisers can choose the most appropriate channel or platform to deliver their message to their target audience. The medium can be traditional (such as TV, radio, print, etc.) or digital (such as social media, search engines, mobile apps, etc.). The choice of medium depends on factors such as reach, frequency, cost, impact, and compatibility with the message.
• The budget: Advertisers can allocate their financial resources to their advertising campaigns based on their objectives and expected returns. There are various methods for setting advertising budgets, such as percentage-of-sales method, objective and task method, competitive parity method, etc.
• The evaluation: Advertisers can measure the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns by using various metrics and tools. For example, they can use pre-testing methods (such as copy testing, projective techniques, physiological measures, etc.) to assess the potential impact of their ads before launching them. They can also use post-testing methods (such as starch scores, day-after-recall tests, tracking studies, etc.) to evaluate the actual performance of their ads after they are aired.

Control by Consumers

Consumers also use control to filter and process the information they receive from advertising. Consumers have different levels of involvement and motivation when it comes to advertising exposure and consumption. For example, consumers can control:

• The attention: Consumers can decide whether to pay attention to an ad or not based on their interest and relevance. Attention is influenced by factors such as personal characteristics (such as needs, attitudes, values, etc.), situational factors (such as mood, time pressure, distraction, etc.), and stimulus factors (such as size, color, sound, novelty, etc.).
• The interpretation: Consumers can interpret the meaning and message of an ad based on their prior knowledge and expectations. Interpretation is influenced by factors such as personal characteristics (such as cognitive style, learning orientation, etc.), situational factors (such as context clues), and stimulus factors (such as ambiguity, symbolism, etc.).
• The memory: Consumers can store and retrieve the information they get from an ad based on their level of involvement and repetition. Memory is influenced by factors such as personal characteristics (such as motivation, ability, etc.), situational factors (such as interference, decay, etc.), and stimulus factors (such as salience, distinctiveness, etc.).
• The attitude: Consumers can form positive or negative evaluations of an ad based on their affective and cognitive responses. Attitude is influenced by factors such as personal characteristics (such as personality, values, etc.), situational factors (such as mood, involvement, etc.), and stimulus factors (such as credibility, likability, etc.).
• The behavior: Consumers can act on their attitude towards an ad by either accepting or rejecting its message. Behavior is influenced by factors such as personal characteristics (such as intention, self-efficacy, etc.), situational factors (such as social norms, peer pressure, etc.), and stimulus factors (such as call-to-action, incentives, etc.).

Why is Control Important in Advertising?

Control is important in advertising because it helps both the advertisers and the consumers achieve their desired outcomes. For advertisers,

• Control helps them plan and execute effective advertising campaigns that reach their target audience and communicate their USP.
• Control helps them optimize their budget allocation and maximize their return on investment (ROI).
• Control helps them monitor and evaluate their advertising performance and make necessary adjustments.

For consumers,

• Control helps them filter and process the information they receive from advertising and avoid information overload.
• Control helps them interpret and remember the information that is relevant and useful to them and avoid misinformation and deception.
• Control helps them form and act on their attitudes towards advertising and make informed and satisfying purchase decisions.

How to Improve Control in Advertising?

To improve control in advertising, both the advertisers and the consumers need to be aware of the factors that influence their control and take appropriate actions. For advertisers,

• They need to conduct thorough market research and understand their target audience’s needs, preferences, and behavior.
• They need to develop a clear and consistent message and convey their USP in a creative and persuasive way.
• They need to select the best medium and deliver their message in a timely and efficient manner.
• They need to set realistic and measurable objectives and allocate their budget accordingly.
• They need to use reliable and valid methods and measure their advertising effectiveness and ROI.

For consumers,

• They need to be selective and attentive and focus on the ads that are relevant and interesting to them.
• They need to be critical and analytical and interpret the ads based on their own knowledge and experience.
• They need to be active and engaged and remember the ads that are salient and distinctive to them.
• They need to be rational and emotional and evaluate the ads based on their own values and feelings.
• They need to be confident and decisive and act on the ads that are credible and appealing to them.

Conclusion

Control is an essential element of advertising, as it enables both the advertisers and the consumers to manage and regulate the various aspects of advertising. By exercising control, advertisers can create effective advertising campaigns that achieve their objectives, while consumers can process the information they receive from advertising in a meaningful way. To improve control in advertising, both parties need to be aware of the factors that influence their control and take appropriate actions.