ZIMSEC O Level · Commerce · Form 4
Advertising
Communicating information about goods and services to persuade people to buy.
- Informative advertising gives facts (price, features); persuasive advertising tries to create a desire to buy; competitive advertising compares products.
- Media: television, radio, newspapers, magazines, billboards, the internet and social media, SMS, cinema, posters, flyers.
- Advantages: informs consumers, increases sales, helps launch new products, supports media.
- Disadvantages: can mislead, raises costs, encourages buying unnecessary goods.
Sales promotion
Free samples, discounts, competitions, loyalty cards, buy-one-get-one-free, and demonstrations.
Consumer protection
Consumers need protection from poor quality, short measures, false advertising, unfair prices and unsafe goods.
- Laws: the Consumer Protection Act (2019).
- Organisations: the Consumer Protection Commission, the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe, the Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) and local authority health inspectors.
- Consumer rights: safety, information, choice, redress (to complain and be compensated) and consumer education.
Exam tip: When asked how consumers are protected, name the law or organisation AND what it does.
Check yourself
- Distinguish between informative and persuasive advertising.
- Give two methods of sales promotion.
- Name one organisation that protects consumers in Zimbabwe.
Show answers
- Informative gives facts about a product; persuasive tries to make people want to buy it.
- Any two: free samples, discounts, competitions, loyalty cards, demonstrations.
- Any one: Consumer Protection Commission, Consumer Council of Zimbabwe, Standards Association of Zimbabwe.
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