Advertising definition - defining advertising

In the New Shorter OED , the word ‘advertise' has the following definition for advertising: ‘make an announcement in a public place; describe or present goods publicly with a view to promoting sales'. Right after this it is defined the word ‘advertisement' as being ‘a public announcement' (formerly by the town-crier, now usually in newspapers, on posters, by television, etc.). This is a well rounded advertising definition, but let's analyze it:

This is certainly what most people have in mind when they think of advertising defintions– adverts in the newspaper or magazines and commercials on radio or TV. But this really doesn't begin to tell us much about what advertising actually is. In fact, a better feel for what advertising is really all about may be gained by looking back at the Latin root of the word ‘advertising' - a good indication why teh current advertising definitions sound like they do. It was Daniel Starch , one of the early pioneers of advertising theory in the 20 th century who, back in the 1920s, mentioned that the Latin root for advertising is ‘advertere'. This could be translated as ‘to turn towards'. If we look up again in the New Shorter OED , we find that the word ‘advert' is colloquial for ‘advertisement', and when used as a verb means ‘turn toward'. This advertising definition is more relevant, because it implies more than simply ‘an announcement in a public place'.

Defining modern advertising

In a very real sense, advertising is meant to turn us toward a product or service by providing information or creating a positive feeling – something that goes well beyond simply calling our attention to it. We can say that advertising is an indirect way of turning a potential customer toward the advertised product or service by providing information that is designed to effect a favourable impression which will then place the consumer on the path toward seeking out the product or service advertised. So, advertising deals indirectly with potential action on the part of someone by providing information or creating feelings that turn them toward the product or service advertised. (Larry Percy, John R. Rossiter and Richard Elliott, 2001)

Another definition for advertising given by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising says that “advertising presents the most persuasive possible selling message to the right prospects for the product or service at the lowest possible cost”. Being a non-personal form of communication conducted through paid media aimed at a target group, advertising can be seen as the means by which we make known what we have to sell or what we want to buy. So, as we can see, advertising is used to transmit information, develop attitudes and induce some form of response on the part of the audience; it seeks to bring about a response by providing information to potential customers, by trying to modify their desires and by supplying reasons why they should prefer that particular company's services. (Adrian Palmer, 1998, p. 274)

The complexities of an advertising definition

We can also say that advertising is a specialized form of communication because in order to satisfy the marketing function it has to do more than inform. It has to persuade people to complete the marketing strategy which is designed to sell at a profit what the marketing department believes people are willing to buy; at the same time, it has to influence choice and buying decisions. This positive task is brought out in another definition for advertising, which says that ‘advertising is the means of making known in order to sell'. For example, a name like Ford or L'Oréal, makes known – it identifies – but it does no more than, say, the name of a private house. These examples do not even explain what these companies make; therefore, we can say that advertising takes the communication process a step further and makes these companies known in ways, which will sell them.

Another important definition of advertising is that it is “a form of non-personal presentation of ideas, goods or services by an identified sponsor”. Including a number of key words, this definition attempts to distinguish advertising from other forms of communication used by a company. Thus, the words ‘paid form' distinguish advertising from any free publicity, which a company or a product may be subject to. A publishing company, for instance, may advertise a newly launched book by paying for advertisements to appear in certain newspapers or magazines while an institute or association may recommend the book to its members as essential reading. The first situation refers to advertising while the latter is publicity. The words ‘identified sponsor' used in the definition are also important because they imply that all advertisements should identify the person or company with a vested interest in the product or service being advertised. It again facilitates the separation of advertising from free publicity and explains to the interested parties who is responsible for the benefits which can be derived from the purchase, hire or use of a product or service. (W. G. Leader and N. Kyritsis, 1990, p. 54)

Ultimately, advertising is about “manipulating public opinion and getting a message across to an audience so that they will behave in a particular way”. Whether that involves buying a particular brand or supporting a charity, effective advertisements will ensure that we react in the required manner.

For more resources defining advertising and looking at other aspects of this industry, please see our other articles.