Advertising Strategies

Three strategies that have been especially popular with advertisers can be classified as slogans, rational appeals, and emotional appeals.

Slogans. Advertisers often use slogans that sound great but mean little or nothing. Yet, advertisers seem to feel that such slogans, when repeated often enough, do increase sales.

Rational Appeals. Rational appeals rely upon logic or reason to convince the consumer to buy a product.

“Our Cookies Contain 25% Fewer Calories Than the Next Leading Brand.” This is an example of an advertisement that appeals to reason. Ads for health foods, pain relievers and home remedies tend to use this technique.

Emotional Appeals. Emotional appeals rely upon the use of psychology. The following is a sampling of such strategies:

• Testimonials. These are the advertisements in which famous people claim they use and enjoy a particular product. Ads for sports equipment frequently rely on this strategy.
• The Bandwagon. The bandwagon appeal, implies that everybody is using a particular product, and that if you don't, you will be left out. The term derives from the practice, during nineteenth-century circus or political parades, of jumping on or following behind the wagon carrying the band. Soft drink and automobile ads use this appeal.
• Popularity. Some advertisements suggest that simply by using the advertised product you will be popular or find romance. Toothpaste ads showing moments of romance between handsome young men and women are typical of these kinds of campaigns.

Every day you as a consumer are the object of the marketing efforts of companies. The advertising on television and radio and in the newspaper that come to your house are just some of the ways that sales promotions reach you. Most of these marketing strategies represent honest efforts to convince you.to buy a product or service. Nevertheless, you are. responsible for evaluating advertising directed at you, separating! fact from emotion, and deciding whether or not to buy the product.