How ads have changed through the years

Advertising has experienced some major milestones in its evolution over the years. It has had to change and adapt to suit new audiences and channels continuously. The channel that has had the biggest impact on advertising is the internet thanks to its capacity to collect a large number of data points on users. It has made advertising more personalized than ever before.

The face of advertising had been changed when the industry started using the radio and television mediums in the early 1900s. As brands spoke directly to people through TV and radio channels, advertising became more personalized. In 2007, Steve Jobs shipped one of the most iconic devices of the century, the iPhone. It revolutionized the way people connected, exchanged information, and consumed. As a result, advertisers became responsible to drive mobile revenue as well. They made use of audio ads which proved to be an ideal fit for mobile as it could reach people regardless of location or screen size.

Advertisers have become more accountable for the inventory they sell. As a result, they have become more transparent regarding quality of products. Additionally, the attention spans of people around the world have drastically fallen and are continuing to diminish with time. That is why advertisers also have a challenge in front of them to deliver quality content incredibly quickly. Their ambition now is to get the immediate attention of prospects and consumers, as they fear otherwise they will be off to the next thing.

Though the advertising industry has transformed radically in the past century, the basics remain the same. One should show ads and promote ideas that people are interested in and want to see and hear. As the more people do not see your content as an ‘advertisement,’ the more they will be captivated by it, engage with it, and in due course, purchase.