The first step in developing an advertising program is to get the advertising objectives. These objectives must flow from prior decisions on the target market, market positioning and marketing mix. The marketing positioning and marketing mix strategies define the job that advertising must do in the total marketing program.

Advertising objectives can be classified as to whether their aim is to inform, persuade or remind.

Informative advertising figures heavily in the pioneering stage of a product category, where the objective is to build primary demand.

Persuasive advertising has moved into the category of comparison advertising, which seeks to establish the superiority if one brand through specific comparison with one or more other brands in the product class.

Reminder advertising is highly important in the nature stage of the product to keep the consumer thinking about the product. A related from of advertising is reinforcement advertising which seeks to assure current purchasers that they have made a right choice.