How to Say "advertising" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “advertising” is “publicidad” — use 'publicidad' when referring to the industry or the general activity of promoting products or services.
publicidad
poob-lee-see-dadpuβliθiˈðað
Examples
La publicidad en redes sociales es muy efectiva hoy en día.
Advertising on social media is very effective nowadays.
Queremos contratar una agencia de publicidad para el nuevo producto.
We want to hire an advertising agency for the new product.
Hay demasiada publicidad durante las películas.
There is too much advertising during the movies.
Always Feminine
Since 'publicidad' ends in -dad, like most words with this ending, it is always feminine. Use 'la publicidad' or 'mucha publicidad'.
Using 'el' instead of 'la'
Mistake: “El publicidad es molesto.”
Correction: La publicidad es molesta. (Remember the -dad ending signals feminine gender.)
marketing
mar-keh-teenˈmaɾketin
Examples
Ella trabaja en el departamento de marketing.
She works in the marketing department.
Necesitamos un nuevo plan de marketing para el verano.
We need a new marketing plan for the summer.
El marketing de influencers es muy efectivo hoy en día.
Influencer marketing is very effective nowadays.
A Borrowed Word
This word is taken directly from English. In Spanish, it is treated as a masculine word, so you should always use 'el' (the) or 'un' (a) with it.
Spelling and Accents
While you might see it spelled 'márketing' with an accent to follow Spanish rules, the English spelling 'marketing' is the most widely accepted and used in professional environments.
Using it as a Verb
Mistake: “Estoy marketing mi producto.”
Correction: Estoy haciendo marketing para mi producto.
publicitario
poo-blee-see-TAH-ryohpuβlisiˈtaɾjo
Examples
Vimos una campaña publicitaria muy creativa.
We saw a very creative advertising campaign.
El sector publicitario ha cambiado mucho con internet.
The advertising sector has changed a lot with the internet.
No me gustan los cortes publicitarios durante la película.
I don't like the commercial breaks during the movie.
Matching the Noun
This word needs to change its ending to match what it describes. Use 'publicitario' for masculine words (el sector) and 'publicitaria' for feminine words (la campaña).
Word Order
In Spanish, this word almost always comes after the noun it describes, unlike in English where 'advertising' comes before.
Using the wrong gender
Mistake: “La anuncio publicitario.”
Correction: El anuncio publicitario. 'Anuncio' is masculine, so the describing word must also end in 'o'.
Publicidad vs. Publicitario
Related Translations
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