A strange question you may think, but it I am regularly surprised when I see advertisers, and even ad-people, who really don't understand the basic principles of advertising. What it is, what it's meant to achieve, how it works and importantly how it can all go wrong.

Advertising is... any form of communication or message, aimed at a specific target audience with the intention of either encouraging an action (such as to 'buy', 'visit', 'call' etc) OR to create a 'perception' of the product (i.e. to help create a brand or a character).

Therefore advertising is, naturally, Television and Radio commercials, Cinema commercials, Press and Magazine Ads, Outdoor posters, Train and Bus posters, Web ads, Direct Mail, Sports Stadium posters, Shopping Mall posters, Sports & TV Programme Sponsorship, Viral (using existing social networks).

But it also means your Website, your Packaging, your Logo, your Company Stationery, your Showroom or Reception area, your Answerphone Message, your People (how they interact with customers). They are all a form of advertising!

In other words, anything that has an affect, whether directly or indirectly, in the way that your target audience, customers or clients react to, or perceive, your brand, product or business can be considered as advertising.

An advertising campaign is actually a 'mass' (and often very cost and time efficient) replacement for a company's Sales Team and therefore an advertisement needs to achieve exactly what a Salesperson could achieve if knocking on the door, i.e. sell the brand, be believable, sell the product, put bums on seats...

Conversely, the Salesperson is equally an 'advertisement' and the way that he or she looks, dresses, speaks, sells the product and interacts with the customer is exactly the same as the skills, disciplines and strategies that go into the creation of a Press ad.

However, advertisements haven't the luxuries of meeting face to face, being able to answer questions, alter sales stance instantly (all good salespeople know within seconds how to 'tailor' themselves to different people) and have to work within the confines of their media and other competition.

And, remember, two rather important factors...

Advertising can do as much harm as it can do good!

Certainly, if badly conceived. Poor creative work, incorrect media or brand positioning, a product can easily be perceived as being 'too cheap' or 'too expensive' or 'not trustworthy' or just plain silly. Remember Gerald Ratner?

Advertising is more about perception than about the 'exact' truth!

But don't tell the Advertising Standards Authority. Nobody buys a BMW because it's inexpensive, economical to run, exceptionally comfortable, extremely fast or built to last a lifetime. They buy one because it's a BMW.