Today, radio has emerged as one of our major advertising media. It provides a very large coverage of audience in urban and rural areas. Commercial broadcasting is a major source of income. Today, radio advertising is extremely popular with both trade and industry as the demand exceeds the time. Radio advertising may be described as „word of mouth advertising on a wide scale.. The advertiser delivers the message orally and not visually. It makes appeal to the ear and not to the eye with the effect that the message is conveyed to the masses whether literate or illiterate.
Advantages of Radio Advertising
Radio advertising is quite popular in India on account of the following advantages:
1. It has a wide coverage. Even illiterate people are covered under this media. It can convey message even to small remote areas.
2. It is quite flexible as it can be used on a national or local level according to the need.
3. It gives message of the advertiser at the door of the prospects when they are in a respective mood.
4. It easily catches the attention of the people.
5. Today radio advertising is a major source of income.
6. It claims the advantage of memorising value. In this connection, psychologists say that anything learnt through the ears is not easily forgotten.
7. Radio advertising affords variety of programmes including entertainment on account of which the goodwill is developed. People buy the product advertised by radio because they enjoy the free show.
8. Radio advertising has human touch unequalled by any other media.
Disadvantages of Radio Advertising
Radio advertising has the following disadvantages, demerits or limitations :
1. The message given by radio advertising is short-lived.
2. It is costly and is beyond the reach of small and medium sized advertisers.
3. It only appeals to the sense of hearing and thus does not portray visually a picture of the package of the product.
4. It is not suitable for all kinds of products, such as industrial goods which are not needed by the average radio listener. It is useful only for the goods of common use.
5. Radio advertisements are very brief and thus details cannot be elaborated.
6. Since there is a multiplicity of advertisements in a very short time, it is most likely that the listener may forget the name of the product.
7. There is no possibility of demonstration in case of radio advertising.
8. It is a selective media of advertising.
