There are various medium of advertising. The term medium applied to advertising refers to a channel of communication or a ‘vehicle’ for carrying the advertiser’s message to his target audience. The most brilliant and original advertising ideas will be wasted if they are not presented in the ,. right place, at the right time to the right people at the lowest possible cost. The success of an advertisement depends as much on the medium as on the message.

Advertising media can be categorized into five broad types. However, No single medium of advertising is ideal in all respect. These are given as follows:

1. Print Media

Print medium comprises newspapers and magazines. In both cases the message is conveyed through words in print, sometimes along with pictures or photographs. Words in print can be made as attractive, appealing and informative as possible, so also the accompanying picture.

Newspapers: Published in different languages, newspapers are widely and regularly read by the educated public. Reading newspaper is the daily habit of many people. Many have also become accustomed to advertisements in newspapers and look for them as sources of information. As a medium of advertising, newspapers reach a very large number of people. Newspaper advertising is relatively cheaper than other media like radio and television. Newspapers provide the facility of repeating the message every day, if necessary. Besides, in case of urgency there is scope for inserting an advertisement without much loss of time. It is possible to select a particular newspaper suitable for the audience in view. Since newspapers are read by the general public, they may be used as suitable media for goods of mass consumption. The life of the advertisement in a newspaper is short.

Magazines: Magazines are also called periodicals as they are published at periodical intervals. Different types of magazines are published for different categories of readers. Each magazine has a distinct category of readers. They have longer life than newspapers. On the whole, the cost of advertising in magazines is relatively cheaper compared to other media like radio and TV. However, magazines have certain limitations.

Timing of publication s periodical.

Lack of flexibility in the choice of size and design of the advertisement.

Circulation of a magazine does not always indicate the number of readers or the time devoted by the readers in reading it.

2. Broadcast Media

Broadcast media includes Radio and Television.

1. Radio: Radio is simply an audio medium while TV is an audio-visual medium. Advertisement appeals can reach the general public in different parts of the country very conveniently through radio broadcasts. As a mass medium, radio broadcasting is well suited for various consumer goods having a mass appeal. The advantage of radio advertising is that, being an audio medium, it does not require education to receive the message. The listners need not be literates. Besides, the message which is orally communicated may be more impressive than the message in print. The limitations of radio advertising are:

it is more expensive than press advertising,

the life of the advertisement is very short, and

it is difficult to remember the message in detail.

2. Television: Its importance as a medium of advertising has grown with the use of satellite transmission and establishment of more relay stations to cover the remote parts of the country. Use of television for advertising is increasing in recent times due to its extensive coverage and the impact of visual communication on the viewers. Its combination of sound, vision and movement permits the use of advertisement to demonstrate the product and its advantages. This medium is