Unit 1: Advertising fundamentals
Advertising and Sales Management notes · PTU syllabus (BBA 512-18)
On this page
Unit summary
Advertising is paid, non-personal communication by an identified sponsor to promote ideas, goods or services. This unit covers the definition, history and roles of advertising, its types, setting advertising objectives, layout and copy, creative and message strategies, and measuring effectiveness.
After this unit you can
- Define advertising and explain its roles and types
- Set advertising objectives using DAGMAR
- Explain advertising layout, copy and creative strategy
- Explain methods of measuring advertising effectiveness
PTU syllabus topics
- Definition
- history and roles of advertising
- types of advertising
- setting advertising objectives
- advertising layout and copy
- creative and message strategies
- measuring advertising effectiveness
- 1Unawareness
- 2Awareness
Knows the brand exists
- 3Comprehension
Understands what it offers
- 4Conviction
Believes it is the best choice
- 5Action
Buys
Topic 1
Definition, history and roles
Advertising is any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods or services by an identified sponsor (AMA). History: from town criers and wall signs to print (newspapers), radio, television and today's digital and social media advertising. Roles: marketing (inform and persuade buyers), communication, economic (creates demand, supports media) and social (shapes values and awareness).
Topic 2
Types of advertising
| Basis | Types |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Product, institutional (corporate image), public service |
| Audience | Consumer, business-to-business, trade |
| Geography | Local, national, international |
| Media | Print, broadcast, outdoor, digital |
| Approach | Informative, persuasive, reminder, comparative |
Topic 3
Advertising objectives and DAGMAR
DAGMAR (Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results, Russell Colley, 1961) says objectives should be specific, measurable communication tasks with a target audience and time period.
- 1Unawareness
- 2Awareness
Knows the brand exists
- 3Comprehension
Understands what it offers
- 4Conviction
Believes it is the best choice
- 5Action
Buys
Example
"Raise awareness of our new energy drink among college students in Punjab from 20% to 50% in six months."
Topic 4
Layout, copy, creative and message strategy
- Layout: the arrangement of headline, illustration, body copy, slogan, logo and call to action. Good layouts have balance, contrast, proportion, flow and unity.
- Copy: the words of an ad — headline (attention), sub-headline, body copy (benefits, proof) and call to action.
- Creative strategy: the big idea and how the message is expressed.
- Message appeals: rational (quality, value, performance), emotional (fear, humour, love, pride) and moral.
- Execution styles: slice of life, testimonial, demonstration, lifestyle, humour, celebrity endorsement.
Topic 5
Measuring advertising effectiveness
When
Before the campaign runs
After the campaign runs
Methods
Consumer juries, portfolio tests, physiological tests, theatre tests
Recall tests, recognition tests, sales tests, inquiry tests
Purpose
Choose and improve the best ad
Judge actual impact
Key terms
- Advertising
- Paid, non-personal promotion by an identified sponsor
- DAGMAR
- Setting measurable communication objectives
- Copy
- The text of an advertisement
- Appeal
- The basis on which an ad persuades
- Post-testing
- Measuring an ad's impact after it runs
Quick revision
- Paid + non-personal + identified sponsor.
- DAGMAR: unawareness → awareness → comprehension → conviction → action.
- Copy: headline, body, call to action.
- Pre-testing (before) vs post-testing (recall, recognition, sales).
Important exam questions
Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).
Short-answer questions
- Q1.Define advertising.
- Q2.What is DAGMAR?
- Q3.List the elements of an advertising copy.
- Q4.Differentiate between rational and emotional appeals.
- Q5.What is a recall test?
Long-answer questions
- Q1.Explain the roles and types of advertising.
- Q2.Explain DAGMAR and how advertising objectives are set.
- Q3.Explain creative and message strategies in advertising.
- Q4.Explain methods of measuring advertising effectiveness.
Stuck on this unit?
Message SBS on WhatsApp for help with Advertising and Sales Management, or to ask about studying BBA at Synetic.