TECHNOLOGY
How many times have you come across an idea that you’d never even imagined? How often were you able to find a product that was an exact replica of your imagination? And how did you bump into these ideas or get your hands on these products?
A simple piece of advertisement has done it for you more often than you think!
We come across ads every single day more times than we even notice! They’re everywhere – that logo on your soda can, the tissue with its brand imprinted at the corner that you just picked up to wipe your hands, that handbag you carried to the airport last week, or even the one that you eyed on Facebook just a minute ago.
But when did this all start? Does it ever pique your interest? Let’s dive into the story of the most fascinating evolution of all time – The evolution of advertising!
Traditional Advertising
Early advertising traces back to ancient civilizations. Surprising, right? The Egyptians used Papyrus to send out messages and wall posters. The Greeks and the Romans typically used wall paintings to announce events. Fast forward to the 15th Century, the first advertisement appeared in a 1477 book which was printed to promote a prayer book in England.
The Dawn of Modern Advertising
Modern advertising can be considered to have begun back in the 15th Century itself when Johannes Gutenberg first invented a printing press to print out the 1477 ad. Then how did everything we see today come into the picture? Although the evolution of advertising took centuries to happen, it was definitely worth the wait! All that we see today – be it a standee, a billboard, or an ad on your Google Discover, the advertising industry has come a long way.
How Branding & Advertising Are Changing in the Modern Era
Have you ever looked up the first digital ad ever published? It was a banner ad published in the year 1994, on HotWired.com. Its goal was to promote AT&T’s brands and services.
The copy looked like –
“Have you ever clicked your mouse right here? You will.”
It was as simple as that!
The response to this ad was quite positive considering the context of the time. It managed to get a click-through rate of around 44%.
The evolution of advertising in the digital age took a turn with the rise of the internet. Gone are the days of generic slogans. Today’s consumer craves authenticity and connection. They want to see themselves reflected in the brands they support. This power shift has birthed the era of hyper-personalization where every Advertising agency in Hyderabad leads the charge, imagining ads that anticipate needs before consumers even realize they have them.
Take for example, that pay-day shopping spree to your favorite mall from last month. Do you remember having visited your regular apparel brand leaving your device location on?
Great! Now do you remember how immediately ads from similar brands started popping up on your Instagram while you were sipping your coffee? Without even having known about it, you were already on their website with a cart full of items you didn’t think of buying to begin with. That’s how branding and advertising are changing in the modern era; that’s how modern advertising works! Well, that’s at least one of the many ways!
You might also have wondered how you start seeing ads from different ed-tech platforms once you’ve casually searched one up on Google. That’s definitely not a coincidence! All these brands have the option to set up their audiences while they are publishing their ads.
Here’s why you might be seeing the ads that you do
- Demographic targeting – This could mean that the ads that you’re seeing from a brand are because you fall under the primary category of its audience by age, gender, occupation, qualification, marital status, and much more.
- Behavioural targeting – This means that you are being targeted based on your online behaviour including the websites you visit, your search history, and your previous interactions with any ads you’ve come across.
- Lookalike targeting – This means that you might be similar to the set of audiences this particular brand has been trying to target. If your online behavioural traits closely resemble their audience, then you might be a perfect fit as their potential customer.
- Location-based targeting – You’re targeted by the location you live in or your vicinity from a particular business. If you fall under the radius they are targeting, you will see the ad.
- Remarketing – You usually see remarketing ads when you’ve previously in some way or the other interacted with the brand’s website, app, or ads. This helps the brand regain your attention in case you’ve previously shown interest in their products or services.
Wrapping Up
Marketing strategy used to be everything in the beginning. It is of essence even now, however, as the times have changed, all the leading industries have gotten the hang of the most crucial aspect of advertising, and that is – the target audience.
In the earlier days, this communication was as simple as urging people to try out one’s services whether they were the intended audience or not. Now, the trajectory has significantly changed as people have figured out who their audience is, what their pain points are, and the solutions they are looking for. Once all of this is in place, the strategy comes into the picture. And that’s how it’s done! That’s how the branding and advertising landscape is changing in the modern era, also led by the expertise of the best creative ad agencies in Hyderabad, mastering the art of audience engagement.
If you’re looking to get more insights on advertising and personalization for your brand, you can checkout the best branding agency in Hyderabad.