Should one advertise only when one has to sell or otherwise. While most will say the former, I would beg to differ. Advertising is the tool to shape the image of a brand. It should be used much before selling ambition sets in or irrespective of the selling ambition.
I would like to cite my point of view with an example. Lodha builders have been advertising on a regular basis and in a way which is unlike the other builders. Their proposition is luxury and they have been interestingly raising the luxury quotient of their brand. For a moment please do not think that Lodha houses are not in demand or that without advertising they will not get sold. What actually the brand has done is that through image lead communication they have over a period of time changed the perception of the brand and now are in a position to charge a premium. Anybody thinking Lodha is willing to loosen his purse strings that extra bit which more than compensates the brand building investment.
If advertisers understand this they will be able to use advertisement as the tool to shape the image of their brands rather than use it to sell the product.
