Advertising is a modern world terminology for an ancient concept. Advertising existed before the advent of smartphones, the Internet, billboards and other digital gadgets. The first instance of Advertising in colonial India was maybe the street hawkers calling out their wares when cities and towns were still developing. Modern Advertising in the 21st century has become competitive and consumer-centric. Companies apportion a large chunk of their budget on marketing and advertising. Mass media is used extensively for online advertising management & public relations.
Newspapers
India’s first newspaper ‘Bengal Gazette’ displayed Ads for the first time starting with classified advertising. Advertisements in the 18th century were meant to inform the public. Periodicals announced deaths, births, sale of household furniture and arrival of ships from England for trade purposes. Pre-Independence journals printed information with the intent to persuade the public to buy, trade and inform about government activities and propaganda.
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The Advent of the Industrial Revolution
The industrial revolution resulted in a massive export of goods to colonial India. Consequentially, British business houses drastically increased the number of advertisements through print media. Prominent newspapers like ‘The Statement’ and ‘The Times of India’ used their advertising departments to offer facilities to ‘agents’ who functioned as space contractors, getting advertisements on a commission basis.
Advertising at the beginning of the 20th century
Swadeshi Movement (1907-11) and the installation of the printing machine in Calcutta(1907) were the two main events that were responsible for the ascendancy of the Indian advertising agencies. In the next few years, all newspapers installed the new machines that produced cost-effective newspapers with a large national circulation.
Post-Independence Advertising
After 1957, the British owned agencies were acquired by Indian businesses. This period saw a massive boom in the expansion and growth of the advertisements in newspapers and other public dissemination forms. Ad business took a giant leap with the introduction of multi-colour printing, efficient and fast printing machines and the development of commercial art.
Advertising in the Technological Era
With the importance of Advertising playing a prominent role in consumerist behaviour, it is shaping societal attitudes and influencing consumer behaviour. Corporate organizations whose sole motive is profit are investing enormously in marketing, research in consumer buying trends are prioritizing the training of their employees in AMPR certification (Advertising Management and Public Relations). Online advertising management & public relations programs are being fostered by big business conglomerates with the aim to create goodwill and faith in the consumers to ensure customer retention and brand loyalty.
Final Thoughts
The remarkable growth of the television and cable media has elevated the Indian advertising trajectory. Now with the advent of digital media, Television Rating points (TRPs) supply advertisers with concrete statistical data about consumer preferences and these are regarded as the currency of the future. Business organizations are prioritizing the skill development of their advertising and marketing professionals through Advertising online certification courses and enabling them to acquire knowledge on cutting edge concepts like personalized Ad targeting in search engines and enabling product visibility through content marketing.
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