Pioneering or Informative advertising: Here an attempt is made to stimulate the primary demand of the product category rather than a specific brand. For example the advertisement Malaysia Tourism, with their pictorial TV commercial and the slogan ‘Malaysia – Truly Asia’ made an indelible mark where pioneering advertisement was concerned. Here the product category is introduced first, educative in intent and it appeals to the consumer’s rational as well as to his emotional being. At the introductory stage of the PLC this type of advertising is beneficial. Generating awareness is the main function of advertising here.

Competitive or Persuasive advertising: Here selective demand of a specific product brand is stimulated. By now the product is established in the market and has reached the growth in the market and has reached the growth or maturity stage of the PLC. Very competitive to market forces. Competitive advertising is again of two types:

• Direct type, where it seeks to stimulate immediate buying action.
• Indirect type, here the benefit of the product is emphasized in the anticipation of the consumer’s final action of buying.

Retentive or Reminder oriented: The product is now having a firm footing in the market place. Its sales may start to decline at a later point. The buyer must be reminded about the product to sustain his loyalty. It is a soft sell approach where the buyer is judged to continue the usage of the product. The essence here is to keep the brand name in front of the eye of the viewer. Used at both the maturity as well as the declining stage.