PROS AND CONS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEDIA

                    Merits and Demerits of Different Types of Media 

  

1.  1. Print Media 

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  Merits  

•  a. Appeal to visual learners 

Flashy images in magazines get the attention of many magazine readers. Thus, if you have a killer ad design, the results are always promising.  

• b. Still gives a higher ROI than digital ads 

 There is a high tendency for print media to keep at homes and re-read and shared. Newspapers and magazines at the doctor’s office, the library or public places, have a long shelf life which increases your ad’s exposure. Following gives print ads higher chances to stick than digital ads which forget instantly. 

 

• c. Loyal customer base 

Print media has a large loyal customer base that buys the publication on a weekly or monthly basis for months, even for years. Thus, you are assured of massive exposure for your advertisement with print media.  

 

• d. Flexible 

Print media advertising comes with many options. From features, full-page ads to small ad listings it gives you the flexibility in selecting the type of ad to fit your requirements and budget. 

 

• e. Reach multiple generations 

Consumers of newspapers and magazines can range from teens, young adults to senior citizens, enabling you to target a wide range of audience easily. 

 

•  Demerits 

• a. Not for a global audience 

Print media is not the best method to get the word out about your business if you are targeting a global audience as it’s very rare to find print publications that read globally. 

 

• b.  Requires a lot of planning 

Getting published on print media is quite a process. You will have to plan your ad, write an ad copy, hire someone to design it for you and submit the ad copy to the publication and process the payment. The process can be time-consuming and complex. 

 

• c. Hard to target a specific audience 

With print media, it’s hard to target specific audiences. For example, targeting people who want to buy a camera is not possible with print media like weekly newspapers. 

 

• d. Might not stand out 

There is always a chance that your ad to get disappear among other ads as print media publish a lot of advisements per edition even if you pay for a full-page advertisement. 

 

• e. Higher cost 

Getting published on print media can be highly expensive

2. 2.  Television 

 

•    Merits  

 

• a.  Easy and Cheap source:  In this busy, expensive life, television is an easy and cheap source of entertainment. 

• b. Up To Date: By watching international news, we are kept informed and up-to-date with breaking news around the world. 

• c. Improves Knowledge: Some shows and channels (like PBS and Discovery) offer educational programs that can increase our knowledge and make us more aware of the world around us. 

• d. Increases Popularity: It increases popularity of sports and other games among people. 

• e.  Stress Buster: It also helps alleviate depression of mentally suffering patients. It is one of the ways to enjoy, relax and pass the time while at home or during the journey.  

 

•   Demerits 

• a. TV Can make us Passive:  This makes our brain lazy as we do not apply our mind. 

• b. Can be Distracting: It takes our time away from useful activities such as reading and writing. This ruins our education if proper attention is not given. 

• c. May cause health issues: It damages eyes and makes people obese or fatty if watched for longer duration and with inappropriate positions. 

• d. Spoil The Time 
  As I mentioned earlier, television is the best source for pass your free time. But if you addicted to television, it will easily spoil your valuable time. 

• e. Televisions Can be Expensive: Adverts Can Manipulate Us into Spending Money for unnecessary things. 

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  3. Radio 

• Merits

•  

• a. Affordability: Can be easily affordable by everyone since it is less expensive. 

• b. Popular: Wide Reach and Audience Targeting 

• c. Flexibility: Advertisers can target listeners based on time, geographic location, channel, and program. 

• d. Vast coverage: Radio programming has millions of listeners nationwide. 

• e. Mental Imagery: Radio advertising uses sound, and a major advantage of this situation is that it encourages audiences to use their  imagination in creating images  while processing the ad messages. 

 

• Demerits 

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• a.  Lack of a Visual Element: The most fundamental problem associated with radio is lack of a visual element. The radio advertiser cannot show or demonstrate the product, or make use of any other visual appeal. 

• b. Limited Research Data: The research data on radio is limited compared to other major advertising mediums like television, newspaper, and magazines.

• c. Limited Listener Attention: It is difficult to attract and retain radio listeners attention to commercials. Less retention due to multiple ads airing consecutively. 

• d. Weather changes can bring in disturbances: During bad weather you cannot listen radio properly. Often unclear and is affected by weather.  You need to adjust frequency properly. 

 4. Internet 

 

•  Merits 

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• a. Source of Information: 

It is the best source of a variety of information. Most of the people use internet, to keep themselves up-to-date. There is no better source of research other than the internet. We can find the latest trends, we can talk to specialists without visiting them, and we can also get professional assistance through the internet. 

• b. Source of Entertainment:  

Online games, chatting, surfing, music, movies, dramas, and TV shows are becoming the most common sources of entertainment.  

• c.  Communication Forum 

One of the top benefits of the internet is communication. Internet technology has allowed people and businesses to communicate with their friends and clients more conveniently. 

• d. Work from home, collaboration, and access to a global workforce 

 Helps in improving productivity. Many people are now in favor of working from home compared to going back to work offices. The internet has necessitated all these. 

• e. E-commerce 

The evolution of internet technology has seen the emergence of giant online E-commerce companies such as Amazon, Ali Baba, eBay, and Jingdong. Thanks to the Internet, online shopping has now got a complete makeover. 

 

• Demerits 

• a. Internet Addiction Disorder 

The internet is so useful but can create addictive behaviors to several platforms that may limit a person's productivity. Internet addiction is detrimental to not only physical fitness but also mental health.  

• b. Cyber Crime 

Hackers can create viruses that can get into your personal computer and ruin valuable data. Users' personal information such as name, address, credit card, bank details, and other information can be accessed by culprits when used on the Internet, resulting in significant economic loss. 

• c. Waste of time 

Internet is the king of time-wasting, all thanks to its addictive nature that may get you stuck in one place for hours. This, therefore, create addiction which in turn leads to time-wasting. 

• d.  Privacy exposure 

Most people have been extorted by online hackers and blackmailers after their devices were hacked and sensitive information taken. 

• e. Miss information/ Wrong Information 

Internet may cause chaos or hatred among people or communities because of simple miss information or false info.