Critics of Advertising - Term Paper Example

College: Advertising Introduction Advertising, which is generally defined as the profession or action of generating adverts for commercial commodities or services, presents a potent communication and marketing tool. Advertising helps modern day companies to sell products, services, ideas and images via a persuasive information channel. This crucial marketing tool also enables business ventures to communicate relevant information to both current and prospective buyers. Information provided in advertisements principally revolves around the company, its products and their qualities, and location of availability, among other vital features (Lunn n.pg). Acute competition in the contemporary business environment, coupled with fast changing technology, increases the importance of marketing, as ventures seek to lure more customers. Advertising is indispensable to both business ventures and buyers, since it builds brand recognition and increases sales for the former, while providing crucial product and service information for the latter. Refutations There are those who opine that advertising does not benefit both sellers and customers. Such individuals posit that advertising is solely meant to enable companies increase their sales and consequent profitability. These critics of advertising also uphold the belief that buyers or advertisement targets suffer negative impact from this marketing tool. One of the primary arguments against advertising is that it is highly intrusive to users, especially if the targeted individuals are not interested in the commodities or services on sale. Such intrusion may ultimately drive prospective buyers away by instilling a spiteful attitude toward the advertising business. The other advertisement counterargument is that, this mode of marketing is increasingly exposing viewers or recipients to false images (Rosehill n.pg). For example, most beauty products’ adverts tend to showcase slim and tall female models, consequently implying that these features are the ultimate symbols of beauty. Conversely, adverts targeting the male audience portray tall, handsome and athletic men. These are often unrealistic and unachievable images, and some may even make the targeted audience feel isolated and negative about themselves. Critics of advertising further contend that advertising extensively misrepresents certain products or services. This is because companies primarily emphasize the positive attributes of a commodity and downplay or entirely ignore its negative features. Such misrepresentation could be detrimental to both the seller and the buyer. For instance, a buyer could purchase the product, only to realize that it does not fulfill the advertised qualities. On the seller’s part, misrepresentation may lead to buyers’ discontent and subsequent decision to file a law suit for false advertising. As a result, the company in question could suffer significant losses due to bad publicity and accrual of high litigation fees. In line with misrepresentation is the negative aspect of unrealistic expectations (Rosehill n.pg). Glorified advertisements naturally make prospective buyers elevate their hopes on the efficacy of certain products. For instance direct to consumer promotion of prescription medications has made individuals expect so much of them, that they end up overlooking potential side effects. The same applies for beauty products, whereby buyers expect instantaneous results, only to be disappointed. Many advertisers hide product or service disclaimers away from viewer’s eye, since their primary purpose is to generate publicity without regard to customers’ requirements. The final contention against advertising is that people are progressively turning a blind eye to adverts. This implies that very few people are taking notice of advertisements in the modern society. Decline in audience’s interest in this type of marketing can be attributed to the immense volume of adverts portrayed in diverse media platforms. This trend concurs with the notion that, the higher the number of adverts to which consumers is exposed, the lower their interest in promotion content (Rosehill n.pg). Essence of Advertising to Business Ventures Despite the numerous negations of advertising, I believe that this marketing tool has more advantages than disadvantages. Advertising has progressively grown into a marketing activity without which modern companies and consumers cannot do without, especially considering the broadening scale of production and the ever increasing market competition. One of the primary roles played by advertising in an establishment is sales promotion. Advertising informs people about the existence of commodities and services and further persuades them to make purchases. This means that a comprehensive advertising campaign enables companies to win new customers, not only in local markets, but in global ones as well. This marketing tool is also instrumental in any venture’s launch of a new product or service. Without advertising new business establishments would not have the ability to introduce themselves to the market, and neither would they launch their products or services effectively. It is also imperative to note that advertising makes it possible for business enterprises to create a positive public image. This is because an enterprise can design its adverts to clearly delineate what it represents. Such a good image further serves to increase the business’ reputation and goodwill. Another entrepreneurial benefit of advertising that cannot be overlooked is the concept’s ability to foster mass production. This marketing approach facilitates production in large scale, by providing a guarantee that the respective firm has the ability to reach a broad consumer base. In addition, advertising encourages research and development (R&D) activities. This is because every business establishment seeks to ensure that its products or services are distinctive from those of other companies. As a result, companies embrace the responsibility of conducting extensive market research, in a bid to find out customer tastes, preferences and requirements. Advertising, therefore, serves as a competing platform, upon which businesses build their customer attraction strategies (Corbett 238). Businesses also recognize the fact that, without advertising and the R&D activities it inspires, they would easily lose their competitive ability or even their market share. Most importantly, adverting puts businesses in a position where they can effectively educate buyers or prospective customers about novel commodities or services and their applications. Further, the education platform broadens a venture’s perspective on customer needs, by opening up dialogue between buyers and sellers. Influence of Advertising on Society Advertising has become one of the integral parts of people’s live. This is because of its persuasive nature of marketing in the society. By utilizing different methods of marketing, it is now evident that the society is changing and embracing new modes of advertisement. This is because of the constant change that has taken place over the decades. Additionally, the purpose and role of advertising has also changed over certain duration of time. Presently, without advertising, the modern society will be affected especially in their ways of survival. In the present multifaceted society, advertising has advanced into an imperative communications structure used by both businesses and consumers. The capacity to advertise and use other promotional methods in delivering a carefully prepared message to the target audience has become a principal role in marketing programs of numerous organizations. Organizations ranging from multinational corporations to small enterprises are increasingly relying on adverts and promotions to assist them to market their products and services (Teitchell n.pg). This is why; in market-based economies; purchasers have learned to rely on adverts as their main form of information to use while making a purchase decision. This is why advertising has become a useful tool in the society in different ways. For example, it encourages purchasing. The principal role of advertising is encouraging individuals to purchase goods and services. This is why; some industries are generally relying on adverts compared to others. For instance, a cereal company is supposed to have a more aggressive mode of advertising because of the wide array of competing products in the market. This is because, adverts usually influences the society members to buy products based on the feelings instilled in them of lack or scarcity. Advertising has also played a huge role in bridging the gap between individuals by communicating different cultures via the ad message. This means that it brings about variation in the social circle of life. Additionally, advertising has also promoted economic growth. This is because it increases demand and further encourages economic activities that fuel the people’s desire to shop. This automatically improves people’s living standards (Corbett 228-232). Advertising and Brand building Advertising plays a huge role in differentiating one business from another since it builds the brand name for a particular product. Nevertheless, brands are also defined from the kind of personality they reflect on individuals in relation to their emotional aspects, status, as well as, subjective quality. Adverts give customers perceived knowledge on the products, their quality, as well as, its uniqueness before they purchasing it. Therefore, advertising has become a principal element in brand building which is equally imperative to the consumers and marketer. Additionally, brand personality acts like a potent differentiator because it offers sustainable aggressive advantage. This means by advertising reinforcing or creating a brands personality, it will enhance the brand value which in turn will be leveraged via brand extension. Advertising also assists in creating brand personality. This means that it also assists in gaining market share, for the products and services. A strong brand name is a key aspect in enhancing business success. In the current dynamic business environment consumer sophistication is changing business practices. Therefore, companies are forced to predict consumer’s needs, as well as, conveying clear messages to the customers by establishing robust brand names, as well as, focusing on building the brand. Familiarizing with products and Life style identification Advertising influences people’s feelings and emotions the consumers. This is why in many cases it only emphasizes on giving the people positive aspects of their products. An advert influences people’s way of thinking and in some cases one can even think that a particular product does not have any negative effects. Additionally, adverts make people buy what they do not really or want or need. People are always willing to buy things that are to them familiar instead of what they don’t. Therefore, advertising familiarizes people with brands and products. This is attributable to the fact that it has a positive context, in attempting to keep people open and familiarized to procedures. When people are only familiar with particular products, the selection process of satisfying a particular need comes down to choosing from a list of products that have been advertised. However, in some cases, psychological needs are somewhat satisfied by products, but that does not mean that other things cannot fulfill the same thing. Some people might feel valuable by buying a prestigious item while others can increase the sense of worth by paying more attention to issues and circumstances (Foljambe n.pg). Very many adverts connect products or brands with a fastidious life style. Individuals that identify with this kind of lifestyle will therefore feel more attracted to such products. This shows that advertising has a huge influence over people’s way of life, as well as, their lifestyle (Unenticed n.pg). Conclusion Advertising is made up numerous activities which are involved in presenting sponsor-identified, non-personal, paid-for message to an audience on a product or service. This is an aspect that shows that advertising has become extremely essential in promoting sales, in order to introduce new products, creating good publication for large scale of production, as well as educating people. Therefore, advertising is has become an integral part peoples’ lives and without it people would be unable to go on with their daily activities. This means that advertising has become a useful tool to the society’s survival because it encourages individuals to purchase goods and services, and at the same time acts as a bridge on the gap among individuals communication and varied culture. Advertising contributes on bringing about all round development n the economy because it enhances demand and provides opportunities to individuals to improve their lives. Works Cited Corbett, Julia B. "A Faint Green Sell: Advertising and the Natural World." Signs of Life in the USA. Eds. In Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. 227-245. Print. Foljambe, Alan. Car advertising-Dominating Nature. 2010. 13 May 2014. Lunn, Murray. Why not all advertising is beneficial to a business. 2011. 13 May 2014. Rosehill, Katie. Negative Impacts of Advertising. 2014. 13 May 2014. Teitchell, James. What we are to Advertisers. 2012. 13 May 2014. Unenticed. Advertising. 2014. 13 May 2014. Read More