Advertising Vocabulary for English Learners

Here is a group of words and expressions that are often used in the advertising business. This vocabulary can be used in English for specific purposes classes as a starting point to help build vocabulary.

Teachers are often not equipped with the exact English terminology required in very specific trade sectors. For this reason, core vocabulary sheets go a long way in helping teachers provide adequate materials for students with English for Specific Purposes needs.

This vocabulary will also help English learners interested in building vocabulary in this profession.

advertisement - ad
advertiser
advertising - publicity
advertising agency
advertising agent
advertising budget
advertising campaign
advertising columns
advertising consultant
advertising dealer
advertising effectiveness
advertising expenses
advertising in the yellow pages
advertising man - adman
advertising manager
advertising media
advertising planner
advertising poster (GB) - advertising board (US)
advertising rate
advertising support
advertising to sales ratio
announcement - press release
art director
audience
audience composition
average audience
average circulation
billboards (GB) - hoardings (US)
billsticking - billposting
bleed page
blow-up
body copy - copy
booklet
brand image
broadcasting
market coverage
mass advertising
mass communication
mass media - media
media buyer
media buying
media buying agency
media department
media planner
media planning
media strategy
merchandising
misprint
mural advertising
neon sign
news agency
newsletter
number of copies
opinion leaders
opinion maker
opinion poll
order card
outdoor sign
pay-off
peak time
periodic
pocket edition
point of purchase advertising (POPA)
point of sale material
popularity rating - audience
poster (GB) - board (US)
posting
press agent
press cutting - clippings
press office

brochure
campaign briefing
campaign evaluation
campaign testing
campaign turnover
caption
cartoons
to cast
circulation
classified advertisements
to clip
clipping agency
close-up
column
column width
columnist
commercial
commercial break
communication
communication plan
comparative advertising
complimentary copy
consumer acceptance
consumer advertising
consumer promotion
copywriter
corporate advertising
corporate campaign
creative department
creativity
cross advertising
daily paper
direct advertising
door-to-door advertising
economy size
press release
to promote
promoter
promotion
promotional action
promotional campaign
promotional costs
promotional support
publisher
publishing
radio commercial
ratings
readership
to recall
reportage
sales incentive
salesforce promotion
script
shop display
shop sign
shop window
short
short commercial
sketch
sky-writing
slide
slogan
socio-economic groups
to sponsor
sponsor
sponsorship
spot
storyboard
strategic planning
strengthening of the campaign

editor
editorial advertising
editorial article
effective reach
exhibitors' area
feedback
follow-on campaign
follow-up campaign
frame
gag
gatefold
graphic designer
graphics
headline
high-circulation weekly magazine
high circulation
house agency
house magazine
household panel
image
in-store demo
in-store promotion
informative advertising
insertion - advertisement
inside cover
jingle
key-account manager
large print run
layout
leaflet (GB) - folder (US)
leit motiv
lettering
local advertising
magazine circulation
mail advertising
subheading
subliminal advertising
subscriber
subtitle
support campaign
supporting promotion
tabloid
tailor-made promotion
target group
tax on advertising
technical magazine
television audience measurement (TAM)
test campaign
testimonial
throwaway - flier
tied-in advertising
tied-in campaign
total ratings
trade journal
trade magazine
transfer (GB) - decal (US)
transport advertising
TV network
TV spot - commercial
visual
visual appeal
visual proposal
to visualize
visualizer
window-dresser
window bill
window display
window streamer
zapping

Study Tips

Notice that many of these expressions are made up of two or three words. These might either be compound nouns, in which two nouns are combined to make a single word:

news agency - Let's contact a news agency for more information.
sales incentive - We're offering a sales incentive at the end of the month.
target group - Young teenagers are our target group for this advertising campaign.

Other vocabulary on this sheet are collocations. Collocations are words that usually belong together. Often this is an adjective + noun combination such as:

Our average circulation is about 20,000 copies.
We've had a lot of luck with comparative advertising.