Techniques Used in Advertising

Bandwagon

The bandwagon technique suggests that thousands of people patronize a product. It aims to make consumers realize that many are using a specific product so that they would also use it.

Scientific Experiments

This technique presents results of laboratory or scientific experiments to prove the effectiveness of a product.

Folk Belief

This technique is commonly used in election campaigns where a candidate is shown together with folk people, like the poor from the barrios, farmers, fisher folk, ordinary laborers—in short, the masses. Since the majority of the population belongs to this social stratum, more people tend to patronize products popular to the common folk.

Glittering Generalities and Hasty Generalizations

This technique presents a product in a “glittering” way such that consumers will be tempted to buy it. Even without proofs of any kind, superlatives like the cheapest, most popular, most effective, the best are used to promote a product. Many consumers readily believe these superlatives especially those who are unmindful or ignorant of the tricks of advertising.

Transfer Technique

This is the technique in which a famous person from a well-known group or organization endorses a product. The endorser lends or “transfers” his/her name to the product so that consumers will buy it. A variation of this technique is the testimonial in which a person or persons who claim to be using a product testify to its effectiveness and benefits.