Term | Definition |
Print ad | An ad in a newspaper, magazine, telephone directory, or other publication. |
Direct mail advertising | Printed advertising sent by mail to consumers' homes. |
Commercial | A brief, one minute or less, TV or radio ad used to promote a product. |
Informercial | A TV or radio ad that promotes a product and lasts 30 minutes or longer. |
Pop-up ad | An ad that suddenly appears on a web page or in an email message. |
Billboard | An ad posted on a sign along the highway. |
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) | An agency that regulates advertising to ensure that ads are fair and accurate. |
Clearance sale | Sale to reduce existing product inventories. |
Seasonal sale | Sale at particular times of year. |
Going-out-of-business sale | Sale when a business is being liquidated. |
Holiday sale | Sale during a holiday times. |
Incentive | A reward used to encourage spending. |
Coupon | A small paper clipping that entitles the holder to savings on a product. |
Rebate | A partial refund of a product's purchase price. |
Sweepstakes | A drawing to select a winner of money or valuable prizes. |
Commission | A percentage of sales income given to the salesperson. |
Trading up | Convincing customers to but higher-priced item than they intended. |
Telemarketer | A person who sells a line of products over the telephone. |
Door-to-Door Representative | A person who goes house to house selling a line of products. |
Decor | The way in which a store or place of business is decorated. |
Slogan/Jingle | Catchy songs,rhymes,phrases used to help consumers remember products. |
Logo | Graphics or symbols that represent a company, used to identify products. |
Beauty appeal | Product that makes you this beautiful,makes you like this person. |
Testimonial | A positive statement made by a person who is endorsing a product or service---usually a famous person |
Endorsement | An advertising message that reflects opinions, beliefs, findings, or experiences of a person or group other than the advertiser. |
Escape | Associating products with beautiful, adventurous settings to create the illusion of escape for viewers. |
Lifestyle | Associating a product with a desirable style of living. |
Bandwagon | Attempting to convince consumers that everyone is using the product. |
Rebel | Associating products with behaviors that contradict societal norms. |
Unfinished comparison | Claiming a product “works better”---better than what? |
Group identification | A message that, if you use this product, you will fit in with this group. |
Trendsetter | A message that, if you use this product, you will stand out from the crowd. |
Hidden fears | A strategy of playing on the fears of consumers. |
Before-and-After comparison | “Before” and “after” pictures show results of a product or treatment. |
Traditional values | Trying to associate with home and family. |
Puffery | Exaggerated claims intended to increase a product’s reputation or appeal. |
Loss leader | An item priced below the retailer’s costs in order to attract customers. |
Price Comparision | Offering products below retail value or implying that the same item is sold at higher prices at other stores. |
Bait and Switch | A retailer advertises a product thtat it has no intention of selling, hoping to persuade consumers to come and buy a product at a higher price; customer is often told that the “bait” product is “sold out”. |
False promise | A promise of a free gift that actually requires that another item be bought first. |
Introductory offer | Indicates new merchandise selling at a price that will soon increase. |
Deceptive pricing | Advertising a “sale” price that is actually no better than the everyday price. |
Hidden catch | When details of an offer are not all clearly disclosed---extra charges, processing fees, other restrictions. |