Differences between Advertising & Sales Promotion, Propaganda
Differences between Advertising and Sales Promotion
The following are the differences between Advertising and Sales promotion:
Sales promotion is increasingly being used to accomplish an ever expanding list of marketing objectives. The company’s marketing objectives and strategies influence the development of sales promotion objectives and strategies.
The purpose of sales promotion could be to stimulate the consumer, gain the cooperation of traders, or motivate the sales force. The company’s promotional strategy should be attractive for the re-sellers so that they stock the product and are willing to set up displays and cooperate in accepting coupons. The sales force must be motivated to put in more efforts in selling, to put more emphasis on a certain brand, or motivate dealers to participate in contests, etc.
| Advertising | Sales Promotion |
|---|---|
| 1. It provides general inducement to change attitude. | It provides specific inducement to change action. |
| 2. Advertising has long-term and short-term aims to achieve. | Sales promotion has only short-term goals to achieve. |
| 3. The media of advertising are indoor — outdoor — direct and display. | The media of sales promotion are contests, premium, prizes, special schemes. |
| 4. Advertising is more pronounced in pre-and post-transition phases. | Sales promotion being a transition phase, is close to selling than advertising. |
| 5. Its effects are both repetitive and frequent, as it is long-term in nature and cumulative. | Its effects are not repetitive and frequent. It is short-term in nature and non-cumulative. |
Differences between Advertising and Propaganda
To propagate means to spread, as we spread seeds in a garden. We propagate ideas, doctrines and gospels. Propaganda is an one-sided communication. Propaganda’s effect is indoctrination. It is emotional, but it could be sincere. We can promote the idea of hygiene by propaganda. But to promote Lifebuoy soaps, we have to use advertising. Propaganda is the means of making known m order to gain support for an opinion or belief.
Like advertising, propaganda is biased in favour of the thing being promoted. Generally, we come across political propaganda, and accept it as such depending upon our own perception regarding who is right. Propaganda can be shorn of bias while promoting intellectual, environmental and sociological aspects.
Thus, the terms “advertising” and “propaganda” are not synonymous. They differ from each other in the following respects:
| Advertising | Propaganda |
|---|---|
| 1. Advertising is generally done for the promotion of sale of goods or services. | Propaganda is done in favour of or against a person, doctrine or cause. |
| 2. Advertising is openly or deliberately sponsored by the advertiser. | Propaganda may or may not be openly sponsored. |
| 3. Advertising is paid for. | Propaganda may or may not be paid for. |
| 4. Advertising is always done in favour of something. | Propaganda may be done either in favour of or against something. |
| 5. Generally, advertising is done regularly. | Propaganda is, usually, temporary. |
| 6. In modern scientific advertisement, there is no untruth or exaggeration. | In a propaganda, there may be untruth or exaggeration. |
| 7. In advertising, right methods are adopted. | In propaganda, the methods adopted may be right or wrong. |
| 8. In advertising. consideration is given to the cost element. Normally, advertising is undertaken at the minimum possible cost. | In propaganda, no attention is paid to the cost aspect. |
