Advertising and marketing

Marketing is the part of a business that is concerned with the way a product, service or idea is sold. For example, the marketing department of a business thinks of and develops a product, and then decides on the price of the product, the particular place - shops or areas where the product should be sold (distribution) and the promotion - the way the product should be advertised. These four Ps are known as the marketing mix. The word "mix" is used to describe the importance of combining all four elements into a marketing plan for a successful exchange of a particular product, service or idea between manufactures and consumers.

Advertising is just one of the important tools of one part of the marketing mix - promotion. This promotional technique is used to increase sales by making the product, service or idea known to a larger audience, and by emphasizing its superior qualities so that people are persuaded to buy what is advertised. Companies advertise in a variety of ways depending on the amount of money companies want to spend, and the size and type of the audience the advertisers want to influence. The group of people that the advertisements are aimed at is called the target audience. The different advertising media include television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and direct mail by which advertisers send letters, brochures and leaflets directly to potential customers. Advertising is a highly developed million-dollar business.

The marketing department designs and develops new products, while advertising is a way of persuading consumers to buy a particular product.