Types of Advertising Strategies: Examples, Use Cases, and How to Choose the Right One

This guide breaks down 12 types of advertising strategies, each paired with a real campaign example and clear use cases.

You’ll see what each strategy is best for, when it works, and how to choose the right one for your business.

What Is an Advertising Strategy?

An advertising strategy is your plan for how you’ll use paid media to reach the right people, with the right message, in the right places, to drive a specific business outcome.

Not “run ads.” Not “be on TikTok.” A strategy answers five practical questions:

• Goal: Are we trying to drive sales now, create demand, or change perception?
• Audience: Who exactly are we targeting and what do they care about?
• Offer + message: What are we promising, and why should anyone believe us?
• Channel mix: Where do we pay to show up, and why those channels?
• Measurement: What does success look like and how will we prove it?

If you can’t say those out loud in one minute, you don’t have a strategy yet.

12 Types of Advertising Strategies (Plus Examples)

Advertising is not backing down.

Brands worldwide are expected to spend around $1.1 trillion on advertising, with digital channels capturing more than three-quarters of that total.

Businesses must use different types of advertising strategically, not just run ads everywhere.

The right approach today pairs clear goals with the right formats, reaching audiences where they actually spend attention and budget.

1. Search advertising (SEM): Capture intent
2. Paid social advertising: Build demand fast
3. Creator and influencer advertising: Borrow trust
4. Retail media advertising: Win at the digital shelf
5. Connected TV advertising (CTV): TV reach with digital targeting
6. Programmatic display and video: Scale with automation
7. Digital out-of-home (DOOH): High-impact, real-world reach
8. Audio and podcast advertising: Own the commute and the earbuds
9. Native and sponsored content: Educate, then convert
10. Experiential and live activations: Make the brand real
11. Full-funnel, omnichannel campaigns: Connect the dots
12. Seasonal and event-based “moment” advertising: Ride demand spikes

1. Search Advertising (SEM): Capture Intent

Search ads work because they meet people at the moment they’re already looking.

Best for:

• High-intent categories (services, software, local businesses, urgent needs)
• Businesses with clear “money keywords” (pricing, near me, best, alternative)

What it looks like in practice:

• Branded search defense (protect your brand name)
• Non-branded conquest (win category keywords)

Booking.com Paid Search Strategy

Booking.com is one of the most aggressive and disciplined users of search advertising in the travel industry, and it is intentional.

The company consistently bids on:

• Broad, high-intent keywords like “hotels,” “cheap flights,” and “places to stay”
• Destination-specific searches like “hotels in Paris” or “New York accommodation”
• Long-tail queries tied to travel intent, dates, and amenities

The goal is simple. When someone is actively planning a trip and types a booking-ready query into Google, Booking.com is there, often at the very top of the page.

2. Paid Social Advertising: Build Demand Fast

Paid social works by paying for guaranteed visibility in feeds, then using creative and targeting to turn that attention into action.

Best for:

• New products and offers
• Lead generation
• Retargeting (especially when the buying cycle is longer)

What tends to work:

• Simple creative that shows the product in use
• A strong hook in the first 1–2 seconds
• Multiple angles, tested quickly (price, outcomes, proof, pain points)

Nothing Beats a Jet2 Holiday Anthem

Jet2 took a familiar frustration and flipped it into entertainment.

Instead of pretending travel is always perfect, the brand leaned into the chaos people associate with holidays. Delays, stress, packed airports. Then they paired it with a catchy, upbeat anthem built around Hold My Hand and a simple message. Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday.

The campaign ran heavily across paid social, especially short-form video platforms. What made it work was honesty. The tone was self-aware, playful, and easy to remix.

Users started sharing it. Then parodying it. Then turning it into a meme.

Paid distribution gave it scale, but the format and message made it travel organically.

3. Creator and Influencer Advertising: Borrow Trust

Influencer advertising works because the message comes from a familiar voice, in a format the audience already watches.

Best for:

• Products that need demonstration or social proof
• Categories where trust matters (beauty, wellness, finance, education)
• Brands that want “UGC-style” creative for paid ads

How to make it an actual strategy:

• Choose creators by audience fit and content style, not follower count
• Contract for usage rights so you can run the content as ads
• Build a repeatable pipeline, not one-off posts

CeraVe x Michael Cera Influencer-Led Campaign

In early 2024, the brand teased the idea that Michael Cera was behind CeraVe’s product formulas. It started on social media. Cera was spotted with products, signing bottles, and casually fueling the rumor online. Creators and audiences picked it up and ran with it.

The punchline landed during the Super Bowl, where the brand revealed the joke in a national TV spot. By then, the internet was already in on it.

This worked because it felt native to social. It played with curiosity, culture, and humor instead of pushing product benefits upfront. Michael Cera wasn’t just endorsing the brand. He was the narrative engine.

4. Retail Media Advertising: Win at the Digital Shelf

Retailers became ad platforms because shoppers are already there, already buying. Retail media lets you pay to show up in search results, product pages, and on-site placements.

Best for:

• Consumer products and eCommerce
• Brands competing on marketplaces or major retailers
• “Category capture” during peak shopping periods

Why it works:

Retail media is fueled by first-party retailer data and high-intent environments.

Walmart Connect Campaign via Wunderkind

A consumer-packaged goods brand used Walmart Connect to reach shoppers directly inside Walmart’s digital storefront.

The ads targeted people already browsing or buying similar products. No guessing. No awareness-only play. Just ads placed in front of shoppers who were close to making a purchase.

The campaign drove over $3 million in incremental Walmart sales and delivered a $10.85 return on ad spend.

5. Connected TV Advertising (CTV): TV Reach With Digital Targeting

Connected TV advertising is streaming TV ads (apps and smart TVs), often bought with more targeting and measurement than traditional linear TV.

Best for:

• Brands that want mass reach but still care about targeting and attribution
• Categories with broad audiences (CPG, fintech, telco, marketplaces)
• Building awareness that you can later retarget

Carl’s Jr. AI-Powered CTV Campaign

Carl’s Jr. used connected TV ads with contextual targeting to show ads during streaming content that matched viewer interests.

Instead of just buying big TV spots, they used data to place ads where the audience was more likely to care about the message. The result: better reach with people who actually paid attention.

This shows how CTV can give you the broad impact of TV plus smarter targeting and measurement.

6. Programmatic Display and Video: Scale with Automation

Programmatic advertising automates how display and video ads are bought, placed, and optimized across channels.

Best for:

• Retargeting at scale
• Prospecting when you have strong audience data
• Managing frequency and reach efficiently

Where it’s going:

Programmatic is even moving into linear TV buying, aiming to make it work more like digital buying (automation, targeting, reporting).

Ferrero Rocher Programmatic Campaign

Ferrero Rocher ran a programmatic campaign that combined connected TV and online video placements.

They used automated buying to serve ads across screens and formats based on real-time audience data. Because the buying was automated and data-driven, the ads reached people more efficiently.

The campaign delivered:

• 33% improvement in brand image
• 21% increase in brand familiarity
• 25% lift in consideration
• 15% lift in ad recall
• 50% more unique households reached by reinvesting budget savings

7. Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH): High-Impact, Real-World Reach

DOOH is outdoor advertising on digital screens, often with smarter targeting (time of day, location, context) than traditional billboards.

Best for:

• Brands that need broad local visibility
• Retail, QSR, events, and “we’re everywhere” positioning
• Campaigns that want IRL credibility plus online spillover

McDonald’s Weather-Reactive DOOH

In 2019, McDonald’s ran a DOOH campaign that changed based on the weather.

When temperatures rose, the ads automatically switched to cold drink promotions on outdoor digital screens in high-traffic areas. If it cooled down, the creative shifted accordingly. It made the message feel relevant in the moment and more helpful to people passing by.

Results:

• ~1 million impressions in 10 days
• 9% increase in foot traffic to McDonald’s locations exposed to the ads

8. Audio and Podcast Advertising: Own the Commute and the Earbuds

Audio advertising buys sustained attention in trusted audio environments rather than quick, skippable impressions.

Best for:

• Products that benefit from explanation (software, subscriptions, services)
• Brands targeting niche communities
• B2B and thought leadership plays

Renault Spotify Audio + Display Campaign

In 2024, Renault used Spotify as part of a broader campaign for its Austral model in Spain. They ran audio, podcast, display ads, and sponsored playlists to reach listeners alongside other channels.

Here’s what the measurement showed:

• +2 points incremental audience coverage compared with TV alone.
• +9 points incremental coverage over online video.
• 3.5 times higher reach in the morning when TV viewership was low.

Spotify also drove stronger purchase consideration among key age groups than TV-only placements.

9. Native and Sponsored Content: Educate, Then Convert

Native advertising works by delivering useful, brand-backed content where readers already expect depth.

Best for:

• Complex offers (B2B, healthcare, finance, high-consideration services)
• Brands that need to shift perception
• Launches where education is required before demand exists

How to keep it honest:

• Lead with the problem, not the brand
• Make the CTA relevant (download, demo, guide), not “buy now”
• Retarget readers later with performance ads

ELLE x Dove “Livet Under Armen”

In 2023, ELLE and Dove partnered on a native campaign that focused less on selling deodorant and more on changing the conversation.

“Livet under armen” was published as a native article and video on ELLE’s platform, featuring Bianca Kronlöf talking openly about body image, beauty standards, and the taboo around female armpits. Dove’s product benefits were present, but they were not the headline.

The content lived naturally within ELLE’s editorial environment and was extended through social channels to broaden reach.

10. Experiential and Live Activations: Make the Brand Real

Sometimes the fastest way to stand out is to stop fighting for feed space and create an experience people talk about.

Best for:

• Brands competing in crowded categories
• Products that benefit from sampling or live demos
• Building PR and social spillover

Walmart “FYP on Wheels” Tour

Walmart took its brand straight into real world experiences.

Instead of only running online ads, Walmart launched “FYP on Wheels”, a mobile activation that brought curated products and live experiences to places where younger shoppers hang out.

The idea was to mix physical interaction with social energy so people could touch products, snap content, and build genuine awareness.

The tour showed that experiences that meet people where they live, play, and create can extend brand relevance in ways digital ads alone often can’t.

11. Full-Funnel, Omnichannel Campaigns: Connect the Dots

This is when your advertising is built as a system:

• Top-of-funnel creates awareness
• Mid-funnel builds consideration
• Bottom-funnel converts
• Retargeting tightens everything

Best for:

• Businesses with longer buying cycles
• Teams that want both growth and efficiency
• Brands that need to defend share while acquiring new customers

As Leslie Licano, co-founder and CEO of Beyond Fifteen Communications, explains:

“Success is about deploying the right mix of strategies and tactics to transform those blink-of-an-eye moments into omnichannel marketing campaigns that build enduring brand recognition, bolster credibility, and generate strong marketing-qualified leads.”

Starbucks’ Omnichannel Strategy

Starbucks is one of the brands most often cited for doing omnichannel well because it connects digital tools, physical stores, loyalty, messaging, and personalization into one unified journey.

Here’s how they tie it all together:

• Paid media and social: Promote seasonal drinks, limited offers, and brand moments to drive awareness and app installs.
• Mobile app: Central hub for ordering, payment, personalization, and rewards. Mobile Order & Pay removes friction at purchase.
• Starbucks Rewards: Loyalty points sync across in-store, app, and delivery orders, encouraging repeat visits.
• Email and push notifications: Personalized offers based on past orders, time of day, and location.
• In-store experience: App data connects to the physical store so digital behavior influences real-world service.
• Pickup and delivery: Customers choose how to buy without leaving the ecosystem or losing rewards.

12. Seasonal and Event-Based “Moment” Advertising: Ride Demand Spikes

This is deliberately planning around moments when buying intent spikes: holidays, tentpole events, product drops, industry moments.

Best for:

• Brands with seasonal sales patterns
• Retail and gifting categories
• Companies that can ship fast and capitalize quickly

Dunkin' Super Bowl LVIII Campaign

Dunkin’ leaned into Super Bowl LVIII in 2024 with its “DunKings” commercial featuring Boston icons Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Tom Brady. The ad played like a fun music video that doubled as a brand moment.

Results:

• It ranked among the most talked-about ads of the night in multiple industry rankings.
• Coverage and engagement spiked across social and earned media after airing, driving increased mentions and menu item discussions tied directly to the spot.

Which One Is the Best Advertising Strategy for Your Business?

Here’s the honest answer: the best strategy is the one that matches your goal, your margin, and your reality.

Use this as a quick picker:

If you need sales now:

• Search (SEM)
• Retail media (if you sell products)
• Retargeting (programmatic or paid social)
• Creator ads you can run as performance creative

If you need demand (people don’t know they need you yet):

• Paid social prospecting
• CTV
• Podcast ads
• Native/sponsored content

If you need legitimacy and visibility:

• DOOH
• CTV
• Event-based moments
• Creator partnerships with strong brand fit

If you’re B2B with a long sales cycle:

• Paid social for leads + retargeting
• Sponsored content for education
• Podcast for credibility
• Search for high-intent capture

One more filter that matters more than people admit:

• If you can’t produce good creative consistently, performance channels will punish you.
• If your tracking is weak, you’ll kill good campaigns too early.
• If your offer is average, no channel will save it.

How To Implement These Advertising Strategies

You’ve seen the strategies. Now here’s how to actually run them.

These steps help you plan, launch, and improve campaigns without wasting budget.

1. Start with one sentence
2. Pick one primary KPI and two supporting metrics
3. Build a simple channel mix
4. Create ads like a testing system, not a “big idea”
5. Set up measurement before you spend
6. Launch, learn, tighten

1. Start With One Sentence

Before you choose channels or budgets, lock the message.

Write this down:

We are advertising to [AUDIENCE] so they [TAKE THIS ACTION] because [THIS IS WHY THEY SHOULD BELIEVE US].

If you struggle to finish the sentence, that’s the signal. Don’t launch ads yet. Fix the message, offer, or audience definition first. Advertising only amplifies what’s already clear.

As Ran Avrahamy, CMO at AppsFlyer, puts it:

“Start with the fundamentals: research, testing, and measurement. Then, introduce AI to scale what works. Once you can identify winning creatives, the next stage is to reveal why they perform, and then extend their impact.”

2. Pick One Primary KPI and Two Supporting Metrics

Every campaign needs a single primary KPI. Not a list.

Pick one:

• Purchases
• Qualified leads
• Bookings
• App installs
• Store visits

Then add two supporting metrics that explain performance, not distract from it.

Example:

• Primary: Purchases
• Supporting: CPA, conversion rate

If everything is a KPI, nothing is.

3. Build a Simple Channel Mix

You do not need to be everywhere. Start with a system that covers intent, demand, and follow-up.

A practical baseline:

• One demand capture channel: Search or retail media
• One demand creation channel: Paid social, CTV, or podcast ads
• One retargeting layer: Display or social retargeting

This structure ensures you are creating interest, capturing it, and not wasting attention you already paid for.

4. Create Ads Like a Testing System, Not a “Big Idea”

Run multiple versions of your ads built around:

• Problem: what the audience is struggling with
• Outcome: what life looks like after using your product
• Proof: reviews, demos, results, credibility
• Offer: trial, pricing hook, guarantee, incentive

Let performance decide what wins, not personal preference.

5. Set Up Measurement Before You Spend

If tracking is shaky, results will be misleading.

At minimum, you need:

• Conversion tracking that fires correctly
• Clean UTMs so you know where traffic comes from
• Reporting that reflects your funnel, not vanity metrics like impressions or likes

If you can’t confidently explain how conversions are tracked, fix that first.

6. Launch, Learn, Tighten

The first 2 to 4 weeks are for learning.

Focus on:

• Cutting ads, audiences, or channels that clearly don’t work
• Doubling down on anything showing early signal
• Improving creative and landing pages quickly based on real behavior

Only scale once performance is stable and repeatable.

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Types of Advertising Strategies FAQs

1. How many advertising strategies should I run at once?

Start with one or two you can execute well. Most teams fail from spreading budget and creative too thin.

2. What’s the fastest advertising strategy to get results?

Usually search ads (high intent) or retargeting (warm audiences). If nobody knows you yet, paid social can be fast too, but only if your creative is strong.

3. What’s the difference between an advertising strategy and a marketing strategy?

Marketing includes everything (product, pricing, positioning, lifecycle). Advertising strategy is specifically your paid media plan inside that bigger system.