Hard & soft selling

Question 1

hard selling=

Answer 1

direct to the point, focus on features & benefits of the product

Question 2

soft selling=

Answer 2

product backgrounded, focus on mood, lifestyle or feeling

Question 3

features of hard selling>

Answer 3

-has call to action (“buy now”)
- produces scarcity (“deal ends midnight”)
- plays on fomo
-direct comparison with competitors
-directives
-temporal adverbs (“while stocks last”)
- rhetorical qns
- 2nd person possessive (“get your”)

Question 4

overall effect on hard selling=

Answer 4

increasing initial interest> but little effect on brand loyalty

Question 5

what is hard selling most suited to?>

Answer 5

fast-moving consumer goods, price-sensitive offerings (e.g. budget travel), blockbuster releases

Question 6

features of soft selling>

Answer 6

• can be stories (or hint at), or descriptions
• suitable for luxury products, upmarket travel
  -improves brand perceptions but little effect on brand loyalty

Question 7

overall effect of soft selling>

Answer 7

improves brand perceptions but little effect on brand loyalty

Question 8

how is hard selling embedded in computer games?

Answer 8

• limited time events
• suspense trailers
• prices ending in .99
• easy storylines for free> more difficult as ‘add-ons’
• virtual coins if buy something

Question 9

e.g.s of how hard selling can be embedded>

Answer 9

• in personal stories (“i love this colour”)
• listing product features & benefits (“i find them so comfortable, it comes in X colours”)
• special offers (“you can use my code for..”)
• transparency & passion

Question 10

concs>

Answer 10

-hard & soft selling as two advertising techniques for different products & service categories
- hard selling can be embedded in other genres
- hard & soft selling can be combind