Glossary of Commonly Used Advertising Techniques
Glossary of Commonly Used Advertising Techniques
Companies appeal to consumers in many different ways to persuade them to buy their products. Here are a few of the most common.
|Technique |Explanation |
|Avant garde |The suggestion that using this product puts the user ahead of the times ex:. a toy manufacturer encourages kids to |
| |be the first on their block to have a new toy |
|Bandwagon |The suggestion that everybody is using the product and that you should too ex:. a credit card company quotes the |
| |number of millions of people who use their card |
|Facts and figures |Statistics and factual information is used to prove the superiority of the product ex: a car manufacturer quotes |
| |the amount of time it takes their car to get from 0 to 100 k.p.h. |
|Glittering generalities |"weasel words" are used to suggest a positive meaning without actually really making any guarantee ex:. a famous |
| |sports personality says that a diet product might help you to lose weight the way it helped him to lose weight |
|Hidden fears |The suggestion that this product will protect the user from some danger ex: a minivan manufacturer makes the |
| |consumer feel as though buying any other vehicle for their family is unsafe |
|Magic ingredients |The suggestion that some almost miraculous discovery makes the product exceptionally effective ex: a pharmaceutical|
| |manufacturer describes a special coating that makes their pain reliever less irritating to the stomach than a |
| |competitors’ |
|Patriotism |the suggestion that purchasing this product shows your love of your country ex:. a company brags about its product |
| |being made in Canada and employing Canadian workers |
|Plain folks |The suggestion that the product is a practical product of good value for ordinary people ex: a cereal manufacturer |
| |shows an ordinary family sitting down to breakfast and enjoying their product |
|Snob appeal |The suggestion that the use of the product makes the customer part of an elite group with a luxurious and glamorous|
| |life style ex:. a coffee manufacturer shows people dressed in formal gowns and tuxedos drinking their brand at an |
| |art gallery |
|Celebrity Endorsement: |A famous personality is used to endorse the product ex:. a famous hockey player recommends a particular brand of |
| |skates |
| |
|SEE REVERSE FOR MORE TECHNIQUES |
| | |
|Humour |Customers are attracted to products that divert the audience by giving viewers a reason to laugh or to be |
| |entertained by clever use of visuals or language. ex: an advertisement for a movie shows a few funny scenes in its|
| |preview |
|Beauty/Sex Appeal: |Beauty attracts us; we are drawn to beautiful people, places, and things. ex: an ad for sunscreen shows and |
| |exceptionally pretty woman using the product. |
|Compliment the Consumer: |Advertisers flatter the consumer who is willing to purchase their product. By purchasing the product the consumer |
| |is recognized by the advertisers for making a good decision with their selection. ex: an advertisement for a diet |
| |product says to its audience something like “You are working hard to work out and eat well. Our product can help |
| |you achieve the goal you’ve already started working toward. |
|Escape: |Getting away from it all is very appealing; you can imagine adventures you cannot have; the idea of escape is |
| |pleasurable. ex: an advertisement for a SUV shows it winding around a mountain road and then pulling up to a |
| |beautiful and peaceful campsite. |
|Nurture: |Every time you see an animal or a child, the appeal is to your paternal or maternal instincts. Associates products|
| |with taking care of someone. ex: an ad for toilet paper shows puppies |
|Peer Approval: |Associates product use with friendship/acceptance. Advertisers can also use this negatively, to make you worry |
| |that you’ll lose friends if you don’t use a certain product. ex: an ad for a new cell phone claims it can keep you |
| |in better touch with your friends than older phones. |
|Rebel: |Associates products with behaviors or lifestyles that oppose society’s norms. ex: an ad for a new unusual style of |
| |jewelry says something like: “for those who stand out” |
|Independence/Individuality: |Associated product with people who can think and act for themselves. Products are linked to individual decision |
| |making. |
|Intelligence: |Associates product with smart people who cannot be fooled |
|Rhetorical Question: |This technique poses a question to the consumer that demands a response. A question is asked and the consumer is |
| |supposed to answer in such a way that affirms the product’s goodness. |
|Unfinished Comparison/Claim: |Use of phrases such as “Works better in poor driving conditions”. Works better than what? |
Information for this handout was compiled from:
and Tressler and Lewis, Mastering Effective English (Third Edition), pp.470-472)
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