Volume 21, Number 3; Article by Komal Nagar; September, 2009
Komal Nagar is Assistant Professor at The Business School, University of Jammu.
This paper presents the results of a survey focusing on a comparison between the effectiveness of advertisements in two different media, namely the Internet/Web and television. Advertising on the Web and in the traditional media have both advantages and disadvantages. The Web is increasingly becoming popular and is emerging as an important tool for advertisers and marketers, in competition with the traditional media. While research in the past has focused on the effectiveness of the Internet as an advertising medium, there is a dearth of research on the comparative effectiveness of Web and television advertising. This study aims to fill the gap through a survey of responses from customers who are users of both media. Based on a literature survey, the paper formulates various hypotheses that test the 'value' of advertising on the dimensions of informativeness, attention, emotions, precipitating action, attitude, entertainment, irritation, and deceptiveness.
The results of this study reveal that the Web is an excellent medium for conveying information and advertisements on the Web are not considered to be deceptive. However, television scores over the Web on parameters such as catching viewers' attention, increasing purchase possibility, and in changing and maintaining attitudes towards the advertised products/services and towards the image of the advertiser. Users consider both television and Web advertising to be entertaining which also stimulates emotions among them; however, both the media generate a high level of irritation among the users due to over exposure and advertising clutter. The author maintains that with enterprising effort it may not be long before the Web competes with television on all the factors of advertising effectiveness.
Reprint No 09305
