15 Feb 2023

Advertising is critical for getting a product or a service to the targeted market, says Mr Kelebonye Bagai, a lecturer at Botswana Integrated University of Science and Technology (BIUST).

Mr Bagai, who was presenting at a small business training workshop in Palapye on Tuesday, said promotion with clear  and appealing message would help businesses to reach the target audience.

Mr Bagai, who is a communication, culture and media lecturer explained that effective advertising drove  businesses as it captured the attention of customers.

He appealed to small business to regularly  advertise so as to remind customers of their brands. 

“This could be done by offering new products   at a promotional price or discount pricing for loyal customers encouraging them to feel connected to the product and the business, therefore ignore competitors,” he said.

‘’No matter what type of business you run, you have competitors. There will always be brands vying for the attention of the same consumers. If you do not use advertising to put your brand at the forefront of people’s minds, your competitors will gladly take the spotlight,” said Mr Bagai. 

He said a product that stayed in the shadows for too long lost relevance in consumers’ minds. Mr Bagai added that advertising helped in educating consumers about how products or services could help them.

Therefore, he advised small businesses to engage in advertising campaigns to improve brand building and generate a deeper understanding of their brands.

He said as their target market understood  more about the business, they developed  a strong connection to such brands and this assisted in building and expanding customer base, trust and loyalty. ENDs