Depending on its purpose and message, advertising may be classified into three groups. Institutional advertising is advertising designed to enhance a firm's image or reputation. Primary-demand advertising is advertising aimed at increasing the demand for all brands of a product within a specific industry. The advertising media are the various forms of communication through which advertising reaches its audience. Figure 15.4 shows how organizations allocate their advertising expenditures among various media.
Newspaper advertising accounts for almost one-fourth of all advertising expenditures.
The advertising revenues of magazines have been climbing dramatically since 1976. Direct-mail advertising is promotional material mailed directly to individuals. The effectiveness of direct-mail advertising can be measured easily because recipients either buy or don't buy the product. Outdoor advertising consists of short promotional messages on billboards, posters, and signs. Television ranks second only to newspapers in total revenue.