Meaning & use
reverse marketing
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Meanings
noununcountablebusiness
A marketing approach in which the seller persuades buyers to want the product, often by making them come to the seller instead of advertising directly.
Grammar: Uncountable: use 'reverse marketing' without 'a' or 'the' in general statements. Say 'a reverse marketing strategy' for one example.
Patterns
- use reverse marketing
- a reverse marketing strategy
- reverse marketing techniques
The startup used reverse marketing to get customers to request invitations.
Reverse marketing works best when the product is scarce or exclusive.
Their reverse marketing campaign made people feel they had discovered the brand themselves.
noununcountablebusiness
The practice of a buyer actively searching for and approaching suppliers, rather than waiting for sellers to make offers.
Grammar: Used in procurement and business-to-business contexts; often followed by 'by' to name the buyer.
Patterns
- reverse marketing by the buyer
- reverse marketing in procurement
In reverse marketing, the purchasing company contacts suppliers directly.
Reverse marketing by large buyers can put pressure on small suppliers.
Common combinations
- a reverse marketing strategy
- They developed a reverse marketing strategy to attract premium clients.
- use reverse marketing
- Small firms can use reverse marketing when they cannot afford big ads.
- reverse marketing techniques
- The workshop taught reverse marketing techniques for B2B sales.
- reverse marketing campaign
- The reverse marketing campaign invited customers to apply for early access.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pull marketing
- Similar in that it aims to make customers seek the product, but pull marketing usually relies on advertising and brand awareness rather than persuasion of individual buyers.
- inbound marketing
- A modern term for attracting customers through content and search; reverse marketing is broader and can include direct persuasion of buyers.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: reverse marketing or reverse logistics?
reverse marketing vs reverse logistics
Reverse logistics is about moving goods backward in the supply chain, such as returns and repairs; reverse marketing is about how buyers and sellers communicate.
Practice
Which situation best shows reverse marketing?
Choose one answer.
Reverse marketing means the seller works on the buyer's desire first, so the buyer comes to the seller. Option 0 describes traditional mass advertising; option 2 is a price promotion; option 3 is mass, untargeted marketing.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reverse marketing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.