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Meaning & use

indirect advertising

noun·Academicbusiness

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UK/ˌɪndərekt ˈædvətaɪzɪŋ/
US/ˌɪndəˌrekt ˈædvɚtaɪzɪŋ/

Meanings

  1. noununcountablebusiness

    Promotion of a product or brand that does not openly ask people to buy it, such as product placement in films or sponsored events.

    Grammar: Usually uncountable: indirect advertising is common, not an indirect advertising.

    Patterns

    • rely on indirect advertising
    • a form of indirect advertising

    Showing the brand's soft drink in a film scene is a form of indirect advertising.

    Sponsoring a local football team is indirect advertising that builds goodwill.

    Some countries limit indirect advertising of alcohol on television.

  2. noununcountablelegal

    In law and regulation, promotion of a banned or restricted product through another product or brand name.

    Grammar: Often appears in rules about tobacco or gambling.

    Patterns

    • ban indirect advertising

    The law bans indirect advertising of tobacco through clothing brands.

    Selling merchandise with a betting logo was treated as indirect advertising.

    Regulators warned the company about indirect advertising of its restricted product.

Common combinations

a form of indirect advertising
Influencer posts are a form of indirect advertising.
ban indirect advertising
The government plans to ban indirect advertising of cigarettes.
rely on indirect advertising
The brand relies on indirect advertising through celebrity events.
product placement and indirect advertising
Product placement and indirect advertising are growing in streaming shows.

Synonyms and how they differ

product placement
Product placement is one specific kind of indirect advertising, where a product appears inside a show or film.
covert advertising
Covert advertising stresses that the promotion is hidden, which is not always true of indirect advertising.
sponsorship
Sponsorship is paying to support an event or team in exchange for exposure, and is only one type of indirect advertising.
word-of-mouth marketing
Word-of-mouth relies on personal recommendations, while indirect advertising is paid or planned by the brand.

Opposites

direct advertising

Word family

advertise verb
to promote a product publicly
advertisement noun
a notice promoting a product
advertiser noun
a person or company that advertises
indirectly adverb
in a way that is not straight or open

Commonly confused: indirect advertising or direct advertising?

indirect advertising vs direct advertising

Direct advertising speaks openly to the customer and urges a purchase, such as a leaflet or ad, while indirect advertising stays in the background.

Practice

A soda brand pays for its drink to appear in a character's hand in a film, with no slogan. This is an example of ____.

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