In the advertisement context, medium refers to the channel used to communicate the advertising messages for example the broad cast media and the print media. Both these media are non personal in nature.

The various media used by advertisers to communicate with audiences are different in a number of aspects such as the type of the audience, the number of audience they can reach, the costs and qualitative factors, etc. These are basic differences among media concerning the rate and the manner in which the information is communicated and be processed by audiences. When the readers are in a position to read, as long as they desire to process the advertising message at their own convenience, such as ads in newspapers, magazines, or direct mail, or the information from broadcast media or television and radio cannot be processed at the convenience of the audience because it is “externally paced” that is, the rate of transmission of the advertising message is controlled by the medium itself. These differences in the processing rate for print and broadcast media are important and have significant implication for the advertisers in media choice.

Print media offers the advantage of being self-paced and makes it easier for the message recipients to read and process a detailed and complex ad message. It is often the advantageous for advertisers to use print media in case of high-involvement products that require a rather lengthy copy. This is an attempt to communicate information. Broadcast media on the other hand are more appropriate for short messages. For example the television is more suitable when pictorial information along with words and movement is important. Often shorter and attention arresting messages on broadcast media are followed by print ads to furnish more detailed and complex information. For immediate recognition of the ad message in print, advertisers use the same version of the ad as in broadcast media.

Ad gurus opine that “the medium is the message”. This implies that an ad is interpreted and influenced by the environment in which it is received and communicates an image that is independent of the message content. The effect is known as the qualitative media effect. For example the advertisement for a designer dress for a woman is likely to have of more of an impact in a magazine like Femina or Vogue than India Today or Reader’s Digest. The image of media vehicle is independent of the type of message it carries and can have a significant effect on reactions to the message.

The nature of broadcast media, programmed in which the commercial appears can also effect consumer’s reactions. Marvin. E. Goldberg and other advertisement experts have reported that consumers react more positively to TV commercials seen during happy programs than those evoking sadness. For example, Coca Cola never advertises during the TV news breaks because bad news is inconsistent with its image. It also does not advertise programs of excessive violence because it thinks that the image of coke is of a fun and joy product. In general advertisers tend to avoid programs that are more likely to create a bad mood among the audience. Huge amounts of money are spent on popular sports programs, such as Olympic Games, World Cups, and Grand Prix etc. where a positive mood is generated.

The medium is thus as important as the message itself that a particular ad conveys to its potential target group.