A Practical Guide with Real Examples
When working on ad classification tasks (such as those on Appen), your goal is not to “guess,” but to answer consistently and according to the platform’s rules.
This guide explains how to approach the task step by step, avoiding the most common mistakes.
1️⃣ First question: Is there a recognizable advertiser?
Always start here:
👉 Is there a visible logo, name, or organization clearly shown in the ad?
- ✔️ Yes → select “Yes, there’s some advertiser info”
- ❌ No → only if there is truly no identifiable advertiser
Examples
- Apple logo → yes
- ALDI logo → yes
- NHTSA logo (government agency) → yes
- Image with no text or logo → no
2️⃣ Is this a store / retail chain?
This is one of the most important questions.
✔️ It is a store if:
- It’s a supermarket (ALDI, Costco)
- It’s a retail chain
- It’s a physical store
❌ It is not a store if:
- It’s a product brand (Apple, Nike)
- It’s a service company (Penske)
- It’s a government agency (NHTSA)
📌 Example
- ALDI → ✅ store
- Apple iPhone → ❌ store
- NHTSA → ❌ store
3️⃣ Is a brand featured?
This is where many workers make mistakes.
👉 A brand is commercial.
✔️ These are brands:
- Apple
- Nike
- Coca-Cola
- ALDI
❌ These are not brands:
- Government agencies (NHTSA)
- Public safety campaigns
- Public Service Announcements (PSAs)
📌 Simple rule
If it doesn’t sell anything, it’s probably not a brand.
4️⃣ Is this an advertisement for a product?
Ask yourself:
👉 Is the ad promoting something you can buy or subscribe to?
✔️ Product / service
- iPhone 16 Pro
- Equipment Protection Plan (Penske)
- Paid services
❌ Not a product
- Store logo only
- Public safety messages
- Informational campaigns
5️⃣ Is this a website or online service?
Select Yes only if the ad promotes:
- An app
- A website
- An online platform (Google, Facebook, etc.)
If it’s only an informational message:
👉 select “No, it’s really not.”
6️⃣ Is this an event or campaign?
This includes:
- Awareness campaigns
- Public safety initiatives
- PSAs (Public Service Announcements)
📌 Example
- “Don’t forget your child. Check the back seat.”
→ ✅ campaign, not a commercial event
7️⃣ What to write in “Primary Advertiser, Brand or Product”
Write one clear name only:
- Apple →
Apple - ALDI →
ALDI - iPhone →
iPhone 16 Pro - PSA →
NHTSA
❌ No long descriptions
❌ No explanations
✔️ Just the main entity
⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid
- Marking a government agency as a brand
- Marking a brand as a store
- Over-analyzing company divisions (Nord/Süd, departments, etc.)
- Thinking “real-world marketing” instead of Appen rules
✅ Conclusion
These tasks don’t test your marketing knowledge.
They test your ability to:
- Read the ad carefully
- Follow clear classification rules
- Answer consistently
If you follow this framework, you can reduce errors to nearly zero.
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