Advertising Is Not the Problem. It’s the Solution.

If you want to see a problem with anything, you can find it. Adbusters has done a great job of pointing out that advertising propagates a societal problem of buying in excess. I fully buy into the concept that we buy in excess, however, advertising is not the problem. Ads cannot force people to buy. People make their own choices. People choose to be entertained by advertising, especially when it’s done right. Heck, even Adbusters advertises.

I prefer to seek solutions. Advertising is a great solution that works better than most other mediums. If you consider that nearly every communication is either advertising or marketing, it’s pretty easy to see which ones are the most effective in terms of improving sales or reaching an organization’s goals.

Advertising mediums include websites, microsites, blogs, videos, Twitter, print ads, direct mail, email, and a host of other methods. Is social media advertising? You bet it is. In the coming days, I’ll explore why all of these methods are considered advertising, as well as examining which methods work the best for increasing sales in the shortest time possible.

In the mean time, try thinking about advertising like you never have before. Toss out the idea that advertising is a waste of money, because that’s simply flawed thinking. Advertising works exceptionally well when it’s done right. And it isn’t too hard to get it right. The problem is most companies just do it wrong.