Promotional efforts that are paid for and directly aimed at increasing business are best described as what?

• A. Public relations
• B. Personal selling
• C. Advertising
• D. Sales promotion

Answer: (C)

Advertising is paid, non-personal communication delivered through media to promote products or services and drive sales. This matches the idea of promotional efforts that are paid for and directly aimed at increasing business, since it involves planned messages paid for by the sponsor and designed to reach a broad audience to boost demand. Public relations relies on earned media and image-building rather than paid messages; personal selling involves direct, two-way interaction with a specific customer, and sales promotion covers short-term incentives—each serving different purposes from a broad, paid promotional push.