Advertising is Manipulative - Research Paper Example

Advertising is Manipulative: A Review There is a lot of manipulation going on in the society today, what seems real is actually fake and this trick is used by several people to make a quick buck. The people who fall for this are at the receiving end and they are naïve and do not realize that they have been cheated and led down the garden path. Advertisements have become enticing and more and more people are falling for advertisements these days, fair and lovely is a classic example of the same. The naivety of the people is being worked upon and this is why advertisements like fair and lovely become highly successful, in reality the cream does very little to improve the complexion of a person but it works on the mindset of people who want to look handsome and who does not want to look handsome? People fail to realize that they are being exploited and led down the garden path, the cream has been selling like a hot cake for the last several years and it is mainly because of manipulative advertisement, they recruit models who are beautiful and convince people that an average looking person can also look like a model, this is highly unacceptable but it is successful because people have fallen for it in the past and will continue to fall for this in the future too. This is a classic example of manipulative advertisement, people are being manipulated into buying products that are of no use to them and will probably do more bad than good to them. This paper will shed more light upon the same and how advertisers are exploiting the naivety of the people and how they are misguiding the people into buying products that are absolutely of no use to them. The advertisers spend a lot of money on advertisements and the only way of recouping money is by manipulation and by selling products that never do even half as much work as they claim to do in the advertisements. Fair and lovely is not the only example, there are many more products that are being sold on a daily basis by misguiding the people. Thesis Statement In today’s cut throat competition companies often use aggressive advertising to push their products in the market. The essay will discuss ways and techniques in which advertising is used as a medium to push products thereby making it manipulative in most cases. Introduction With the advent of new products and technology, consumers are becoming sensitive towards their needs and businesses across the globe are finding newer ways to increase their turnover. Advertising is one of the most used ways in an effort to increase sales and advertising is also often the most misused way to target audience. Advertising leads to huge spending by corporates and these companies in turn pass on their advertising costs to the end users. Unfortunately, most people do not understand this and react rather emotionally to an ad that features their favorite movie star or sportsperson. Many multinational companies with inferior products in a bid to own a larger market share get their brands endorsed by famous celebrities and the results of such an action can be disastrous unless the products being endorsed really deserve to command the maximum market share. Advertising also makes use of constant remembrance techniques which sometimes can be really pushy, unwelcome and persistent. Advertising gone wrong “Advertising both informs and transforms the product by creating an image that goes beyond straightforward facts.” (Wells et al, 2003:14). Over the years advertisers have come to realise the power of advertisements and their ability to attract more masses in huge numbers. As we moved forward from 1990’s, there has been a very noticeable change in the kind of advertisement taking place and also the importance of advertisement. “The most dramatic change affecting advertising has undoubtedly been the growth in importance in promotions, both consumer and trade. Advertisements leave a long lasting impact in the minds of the consumers.” (Jones, 1998:16). The above quote clearly describes the impact of advertising on the minds of consumers and how long lasting such an effect can be. There have been numerous studies and debates concerning ethics in advertising and how advertising manipulates our minds without us even recognizing it. In 2004 American Association of Advertising Agencies got a consumer survey conducted. The survey conducted on behalf of the association by Yankelovich Partners, the market research firm aimed to collect consumer perceptions about advertising. The survey had astonishing results. Over 54 percent respondents said that they “avoid products that overwhelm them with repeat advertising”. (THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; A survey of consumer attitudes reveals the depth of challenge that the agencies face, The New York Times) Over 60 percent said “their opinion of advertising is more negative than a few years ago”. 61 percent felt the “amount of advertising they were exposed to was out of their control”. 65 percent felt they were exposed to too much advertising without them needing it and interestingly 69 percent said they were interested in products that could help them block marketing. The most relevant piece of statistics showed that 45 percent of respondents said advertising “detracts from the experience of everyday life”. (THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; A survey of consumer attitudes reveals the depth of challenge that the agencies face, The New York Times). The survey clearly pointed out that advertising plays a big role in helping a business gain competitive advantage over other similar businesses not necessarily on the basis of its product quality. Conclusion Advertising is centred around creating demand and making people switch from competitors’ products. There are a variety of ways in which an advertising manager chooses to advertise. However, sometimes these ways can create problems by excessive persuasion that subtly crosses boundaries of manipulation. There can be question related to morality as advertisers try too hard to convince consumers to buy their products. Advertising ethics is directly related to our lives as each buying decision we make alters our long term perception concerning the product bought and if the product is purchased just on the basis of advertising without considering its actual benefits or merits over its competitors, the effects can be disastrous. References: THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; A survey of consumer attitudes reveals the depth of challenge that the agencies face, The New York Times. Retrieved from: Jones, J.P., How Advertising Works- The Role Of Research, Saga Publications Inc, United States Of America, 1998. Wells, W. Burnett, J. and Moriarty, S., Advertising Principles and Practice, 6th Edition, Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 2003. Read More