Consider purchases vs. impulse buying. Ice cream is an impulse purchase. Buying a Mercedes Benz is a considered purchase. Which category does your product fall into? Too many times, marketing efforts fail because the marketing director never asks this key question. Considered purchases need third-party endorsement, from publicity articles and impartial consumer ratings. For these products and services, consider spending money on developing publicity which is viewed by the consumer as credible information versus ads, which is viewed as self-serving chest thumping. If you have to use advertising, consider an informative approach that outlines for the consumer your comparative strengths.