Booming Newspaper Advertising In India

In the world of media and communication, newspapers are a behemoth that have survived innumerable challenges from new and emerging media like radio, television, Internet and so on. Every new entrant to the world of media and mass communication would loudly proclaim the death of newspapers, only to end up having to eat their own words. If we witness the birth of a new Indian television news channel or Internet news website almost everyday, then it is also true that new newspapers are also entering the media market. In fact newspapers have become more competitive than ever before with major dailies fighting it out to reach the maximum number of people everyday. All of this spells good news for businesses and enterprises as they have more options to advertise their wares.

A national readership survey showed that between 2003-05, over 21 million new readers joined the 179 million Indians who read a paper every day — a rise of 14 per cent. The main reasons behind the boom are growing literacy and awareness and higher levels of disposable income. The advertising pie in India that expanded rapidly in the wake of the economic liberalization policies embarked upon by the country in the early 1990s is responsible for this growth. Advertising revenues are good. India's average growth rate of about 7 per cent over the past decade has meant an explosion in consumer spending. This, in turn, has triggered huge increases in the advertising budgets of the private sector. The print medium is still the dominant medium for advertising with 52.7 per cent of the total ad-spend of Rs. 9,500 crore in 2002.

Print ads have their own advantages over other modes of advertising and marketing. Not only do they cost less but also they have a better recall value. In creating a brand and sustaining that brand image for years, newspapers themselves can re-write branding history. Here are few more advantages of newspaper advertising as a vehicle of carrying ads as compared to newer media:

. Immediate and wide coverage of your markets central area.
. Presents message in news environment that is timely and leisurely.
. Flexibility in terms of timing and ad size.
. You can advertise a variety of items to illustrate a good selection of merchandise.
. Ads can be read and clipped out be customer, to use when shopping.
. Consumer directory for service businesses like restaurants, theaters and hotels.
. In-business preparation of advertisement's capabilities.
. Generally reaches your current customer base with good frequency.

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