Adaptive Selling

A marketing technique that utilizes a sales message and approach that are adapted for each
prospect in response to a specific sales situation. Electronic commerce is an ideal vehicle for this
technique because of its ability to gather input from customers through effective interfaces.

Advertising

Any form of paid communication designed to bring attention to and engender positive
perceptions about an organization, good, service or idea by an identified sponsor. Advertising is
generally focused on motivating target markets to make a purchase or take another specified
action.

Advertising Effectiveness

Degree to which an advertisement or advertising campaign achieves its stated objectives.

Advertising effectiveness is typically gauged by measuring a campaign’s impact on sales, brand
awareness and/or market share.

 Brand

A company's face to the world—not only its name, but also how that name is visually expressed
through a logo and how that name and logo are extended throughout the organization's
communications. The company's brand is also how it is perceived—the associations and inherent
value placed on the business by its various constituencies.
 Brand Associations
The feelings, beliefs and knowledge that consumers hold about a specific brand.
 Brand Attributes
Functional or emotional associations that are assigned to product or company by its customers
and prospects; the qualities a company wishes to stand for or have associated with its brand.
 Brand CredoTM
A brand identity statement developed by Suasion Resources that articulates what a firm stands
for in the marketplace—i.e., how it wishes to be perceived and the attributes it wants to have
associated with the brand.
 Brand EngineeringTM
Suasion Resources’ proprietary branding process, designed exclusively for the financial services
industry. Brand Engineering employs a highly focused and market-driven approach to create a
strong brand identity and manage marketplace perceptions.
 Brand Equity
The perceived value and quality of a brand as measured by the level of brand loyalty, awareness
and strong positive associations the brand has engendered in its target market.
 Brand Essence
A brand’s promise expressed in simple terms that are rooted in a fundamental customer need or
desire (e.g. Volvo = safety).
 Brand Extension
A new product or service that is related to an existing brand, but that offers different
features/benefit and/or appeals to a different target segment.
 Brand Identity
The outward expression of the brand, including its name and visual appearance, brand identity
symbolically communicates the brand's key attributes and its competitive differentiation.
 Brand Loyalty
Consumers’ consistent preference for and/or purchase of the same brand in a specific product or
service category.
 Brand Personality
The distinguishing characteristics of a brand described in terms of human characteristics—e.g.,
warm, friendly, sophisticated, etc.
 Brand Positioning
Strategies employed by a brand to occupy a specific, clearly defined niche in the competitive
environment. Positioning addresses every element of the marketing mix—e.g, messaging, market
segmentation, brand imagery—to manage perceptions in the target market.
 Brand Prominence
The presence of a brand in the media in relation to the competition.
 Branding
The process of developing and communicating brand attributes and brand identity to build
marketplace awareness and acceptance in order to meet sales and revenue goals.

 Cause-Related Marketing
A partnership between a company and a charitable organization intended to benefit both parties
by increasing awareness of both parties and associating the company with the positive, altruistic
acts of the charitable organization.
 Competitive Advantage
The unique strengths and benefits, as well as the strategies, skills, knowledge, resources or
competencies, that favorably differentiate a business from its competitors.

 Database Marketing
The use of customer and prospect information, stored in an electronic database for targeted
marketing activities.
 Differentiation.
The creation or demonstration of unique characteristics in a company's products or brands that
set it apart from its competitors in the mind of the target market.
 Direct Marketing
Advertising or promotional materials sent in bulk to existing or potential customers by mail or e-
mail to generate a specified response—e.g., a product purchase, a request for more information
or a trip to a retail location.
 Direct Mail
Process of sending a direct mail package—e.g. an advertisement, product offer or other response
device—to a mailing list.
 Direct Response Marketing
A category of direct marketing that sends prospects promotional communications that asks them
to pre-qualify themselves by responding to an offer by phone, mail and/or email.
 Distribution Channels
The various approaches and/or organizations (internal or external) a company uses to distribute
its products and/or services.

 Emotional Selling Proposition (ESP)

Marketing concept that seeks to create awareness and acceptance by invoking specific emotional
attributes or feelings— e.g., sex appeal, nostalgia, etc.
 Endorsement
Expressed support, usually from a celebrity, existing client or special interest group that a
product or service is worthwhile and delivers the promised results and/or benefits.
 Ethnic Marketing
Approach that adjusts marketing strategies and tailors marketing message to appeal to the shared
cultural norms, values, traditions, beliefs, attitudes, and practices of specifically targeted ethnic
group(s).
 External Analysis
Study of the external marketing environment, focusing on factors such as: customer
demographics and preferences; competition; relevant legal and regulatory constraints; and the
social and cultural environment.

 Facilitator
An individual who orchestrates and manages a meeting to ensure that: relevant guidelines are
followed; all participants are given the opportunity to express their opinions; and the stated
objectives are achieved to the fullest extent possible.
 Financial Marketing
The process marketing financial products and services, including the development of pricing,
promotion, and distribution strategies that satisfy the needs of the financial organization and their
retail and/or institutional clients. Financial marketing generally requires industry specific
expertise since each industry (i.e., banking, brokerage, investment management and insurance)
has its own nuances and must abide by the strict regulations of its various governing bodies.
 Focus Group
A moderated group discussion involving small groups of consumers that seeks to explore
relevant issues and attain opinions of the participants on topics such as the utilization of a certain
product or perceptions of a certain brand.

 Generational Marketing

Approach that adjusts marketing strategies and tailors marketing message to appeal to the
shared attitudes, styles, practices and consumer behavior of market segments defined by
their generational groups.

 Guerilla Marketing
 Highly aggressive marketing that uses unconventional, attention-getting techniques to get
maximum results from a minimal effort. Examples of guerilla marketing include placing
signs in highly visible but unexpected locations or inserting business cards into relevant
books at a bookstore.

 Image

The managed perception of the general public of a person, business, product, service or
organization.

 Image Marketing

Strategy that seeks to create awareness and positive perceptions for a brand by promoting
the "image attributes" of a product or service—e.g., cool, hip, exotic— rather than its
functional attributes.

 In-depth Interviews (also referred to as One-on-One Interviews)

A form of research that focuses on questioning participants individually in order

encourage candor and ensure that the individual is not influenced or intimidated by
others. In-depth interviews also provide the interviewer the flexibility to explore relevant
topics that emerge in the course of the interview.

 Institutional Marketing

The marketing of products and services to institutions in the private, not-for-profit and
government sectors.

 Internal Marketing

Training and promotional initiatives that a company conducts among its own employees
and/or sales force in order to elicit support and goodwill, and encourage them to promote
corporate goals.

 Leadership Position
The position held by a company or product that is considered as the preeminent force in its target
market. While some market leaders are characterized by their market share, many others define
leadership by displaying innovation and setting, rather than following, market trends.
 Logo
A graphic usually consisting of a stylized name and/or symbol that identifies a company or
brand.

 Market Penetration (also referred to as Market Share)

The percentage of sales in a specific market sector represented by a given product or service
during a given period of time. 
 Market Share (also referred to as Market Penetration)
The percentage of sales in a specific market sector represented by a given product or service
during a given period of time.
 Market Segmentation
The division of the market place into distinct subgroups or segments, each characterized by
particular needs, preferences, demographics or socio-economic characteristics.
 Marketing
The full range of research, strategic planning and tactical implementation activities required to
identify market needs and develop, distribute, promote, price and sell products and services.
 Marketing Plan
A written document that details the actions planned and the resources needed to achieve
specified marketing objective(s) over a given period of time, either short-term or long-term.
 Marketing Research
The systematic gathering, recording and analysis of data relating to a company's market,
customers and/or competitors in order to develop recommendations that will enhance a
company's sales and revenues.
 Marketing Strategy
A comprehensive plan that details how a company proposes to position the firm and its products
in the competitive marketplace, including a discussion of target markets, product and pricing
policies, and proposed marketing and promotional initiatives.
 Media Marketingsm
 
A term coined by Suasion Resources to describe its proprietary alternative to traditional public
relations, a cost-effective method that uses highly concentrated efforts to garner targeted media
coverage.
 Media Strategy
A plan that details how a company proposes to bring advertising messages to the attention of
target markets through the use of various media channels—e.g., television, radio, print, online.
 Messaging
Strong, compelling "benefit statements" that communicate a company’s key brand attributes and
appeal to clearly defined priority target markets.
 Mission Statement
A summary of a company's business philosophy, goals and values.
 Mixed Branding
Firms that follow a mixed branding strategy market products under their own name and that of
reseller(s).

 Niche Marketing
Marketing adapted to the needs, preferences and expectations of a precisely defined segment of
the marketplace.

One-on-One Interviews (also referred to as In-depth Interviews)

A form of research that focuses on questioning participants individually in order encourage

candor and ensure that the individual is not influenced or intimidated by others. In-depth
interviews also provide the interviewer the flexibility to explore relevant topics that emerge in
the course of the interview.

Online Marketing

The marketing of a product or service using Internet and e-mail based techniques.

 Packaging
The various elements used to present a product or service to the marketplace.
 Positioning
The process used by marketers to create “relevant differentiation” for a product, service or
company and generate the desired positive marketplace perceptions relative to the competition.
 Product Differentiation
The process of distinguishing a product from other similar products by identifying or creating
unique product features, and utilizing innovative approaches for advertising, packaging,
promotion and design.
 Promotion
The use of persuasive communication techniques such as advertising, personal selling, sales
promotion, and public relations to enhance the visibility and marketplace acceptance of a
product, service or company.
 Prospecting
finding new potential customers who have the ability, authority and willingness to purchase.
 Public Relations (PR)
Techniques and activities designed to establish and protect the reputation of a company or brand,
and to create and promote favorable relationships between the organization and targeted
segments of the public or client base.

 Qualitative Research
A market research approach that uses observation, interviews, document review and objective
analysis in lieu of quantitative data.
 Quantitative Research
A market research approach that focuses on gathering statistical data and measuring, evaluating
and defining precise differences and similarities.

 Relationship Marketing
An approach that focuses, not on closing a single transaction, but rather on establishing a strong,
long-term relationship with customers based on understanding and fulfilling their evolving
needs.
 Relevant Differentiation 
A sustainable competitive advantage that enables products and services to stand out from others
in the same market category and is appropriate, meaningful and valuable to the target markets.

 Sponsorship
The practice of a company to provide funding to another organization in return for publicity and
goodwill.
 Strategic Marketing
The process of building and executing a marketing campaign according to set criteria established
as a result of detailed research, evaluation and planning in the areas of target market
segmentation, positioning, product development, pricing, distribution and promotion.
 Strategic Plan
A document that details a company’s key marketing goals and then explores ways to create
competitive differentiation by maximizing strengths and minimizing weaknesses and finding one
or more niche markets in which the company can establish a leadership position. Strategic
marketing plans require that a company examine its marketing motives and discover what steps it
needs to take to implement each element of the plan.
 Sustainable Competitive Advantage
The prolonged benefit a firm achieves by creating a product or service that is valued by its target
market and can not be readily duplicated or replaced by the competition.

 Tagline
A phrase that conveys the most important attribute or benefit of a company, product or service
and is generally incorporated into all communications, promotional materials and the company's
logo to enhance the brand image.
 Target Market
The particular segment of a total population which is considered to be a prospective consumer of
goods or services.

 Unique Selling Position (USP)

A statement that defines what differentiates a company from its competition, how its products
and services are superior and what benefits the company provides to its customers.
 Value Proposition
The unique set of product and service benefits an organization offers its customers.
 Viral Marketing (or Word-of-Mouth Marketing)
A strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message with the result that
existing customers act as agents, promoting and endorsing a company's product and/or services,
often in return for certain incentives.

Bibliography:

http://www.suasionresources.com/glossary/index.php