Advertising & Consumerism Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering the essential terms and phrases related to advertising, consumer behavior, and academic writing techniques from the lecture notes.

Commercial

A short television, radio, or streaming advertisement.

Promotion

Any marketing activity intended to increase awareness or sales of a product or service.

Publicity

Media attention or public notice a brand receives, either paid or earned.

Subliminal messaging

Hidden or subtle cues in ads intended to influence consumers below the threshold of conscious awareness.

Promotional materials

Physical or digital content (flyers, banners, videos) created to market a product or service.

Information dissemination

The process of spreading data, facts, or messages to a wide audience.

Consumerism

A social and economic order encouraging the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts; excessive consumption.

Brand loyalty

Consumers’ consistent preference for—and repeat purchases of—a particular brand over competitors.

Target demographic

A specific group of people an advertisement is intended to reach, defined by age, income, interests, etc.

Artificial needs

Perceived wants created by marketing rather than actual necessity.

Overproduction

Manufacturing more goods than can be sold; also called surplus manufacturing or excessive output.

Niche marketing

Strategies aimed at a narrowly defined, specialized segment of the market.

Wasteful production cycle

A manufacturing pattern in which frequent product updates lead to excess inventory and discarded items.

Planned obsolescence

Designing products with a limited lifespan to encourage repeat purchases.

Clickbait

Sensationalized headlines or thumbnails crafted to attract online clicks, often with misleading content.

Scarcity principle

A persuasion tactic that increases perceived value by suggesting limited availability.

Social proof

The tendency to view behavior as more correct when we see others doing it; used in testimonials and reviews.

Emotional branding

Building a brand identity that appeals to consumers’ feelings rather than just logic.

Deceptive advertising

Promotional messages that intentionally mislead or provide false information about a product.

Misleading promotion

Marketing claims that can easily create incorrect impressions, though not always outright false.

False marketing

Advertising that presents untrue statements about a product’s nature, qualities, or benefits.

Marketing tools

Techniques and platforms—such as surveys, analytics, and social media—used to execute campaigns.

Personal privacy

An individual's right to control personal information and limit unwanted intrusions.

Encroach on privacy

To infringe or intrude upon an individual’s personal data or private life.

Impulsive spending

Unplanned, spontaneous purchases often triggered by persuasive advertising.

Materialistic mindset

A consumer-oriented mentality that places high value on acquiring possessions.

Perpetuate

To cause something—often a problem or belief—to continue indefinitely.

Heighten

To increase the intensity or degree of something, such as competition or interest.

Fuel (a cycle)

To supply energy or impetus that keeps a process, trend, or problem going.

Disseminate

To spread or distribute widely, especially information or ideas.

Engender

To produce, cause, or give rise to a feeling, situation, or condition.

Overstate efficacy

To exaggerate how effective a product or service truly is.

Keep the public abreast of

To ensure people remain informed about the latest developments.

Gain prevalence

To become increasingly common or widespread.

Escalate into

To grow into a more serious or intense state.

Stimulate market innovation

To encourage the development of new products, services, or business models.

Capture consumers’ attention

To draw and hold the interest of potential buyers.

Excessive consumption

Buying or using goods in quantities beyond what is necessary; overconsumption.

Superfluous goods

Products considered unnecessary or non-essential.

proliferation

to increase a lot and suddenly in number

make purchasing decisions

consumers choose which products to buy

limited-time offers, seasonal sales

promotions that are available for a short period, encouraging immediate purchases.

strain financial stability

the pressure on an individual's or household's financial resources

trial (v)

to test

augmented-reality ads

ads that use interactive technology to enhance user experience and engagement.

 release new versions

To issue updated products.

gain an edge over

Achieve an advantage over a competitor.

environmental degradation

The deterioration of the natural environment

testimonial

A statement praising a product or service, often used in advertising.

 immediate efficacy

the instant effectiveness or results of a product or service.

appearance-conscious

refers to individuals who place a high value on how they present themselves to others, often influenced by societal beauty standards.

distorted claims

Exaggerated or misleading statements about a product's effectiveness or benefits

without proper scrutiny

not carefully examined

extravagance

excessive or elaborate spending

dermatological complications

Negative skin effects

pop-up ads

Advertisements that appear suddenly on a website, often interrupting the user's experience.

billboards

Large outdoor advertising structures

 persistent intrusion

Frequent, disruptive web content hindering browsing.

Commercial practices

Ways businesses conduct sales, marketing, and customer interactions.

omnipresence

Pervasive presence of a brand or ad.