Role of the Photography in Advertising - Coursework Example

Role of the Photography in Advertising Table of Contents Introduction 3 Literature Review 4 Methodology 5 Findings 7 Conclusion 7 References 10 Introduction This research is focused on the role of photography in advertising. Advertisement is a visual based marketing strategy used to communicate business information to the present and prospective customers. By analysing and understanding the role photography in advertising we will have a better appreciation of advertising. The choice of research topic was based on the need to prove the significant role that advertising photographers play modern advertisements. I am fascinated by the task of proving that photos are at the core of modern advertisement. The problem addressed by this research is determining the role of photography in advertisement. Advertisement is a marketing strategy that uses cues to inform the public. One of advertisements key cues is imagery, which is also photography’s medium. The result is that photography and advertisement have a strong relationship. Understanding the relationship between advertisement and photography is key to appreciating how photography contributes to the efficiency, effectiveness and overall success of advertisement. The results of this research can be applied as a learning paradigm to enhance the teaching of photography. The research aim was developed purpose of advancing photography as an independent field and gaining an understanding and appreciation of photography and advertisement. The research study outcomes will add to the current literature that highlights photography and advertisement. Upon identification and understanding of the role of photography in advertisement, other researchers are likely to enhance this relationship (Ornstein 1998, p. 111). Literature Review In the formal education setting, the human brain is trained to pick apart the words they are reading in order to analyse texts. This process, though, does not hold true for their perception of photos and images. Through societal standards, we have grown used to accepting photos as truth without applying the analytical process used to comprehend texts. The human awareness of truth in photos has played a major part in the modern day trend of photo manipulations. In this progressively digital era, photos can be manipulated to portray an illusion of whatever the manipulator wants the photo to be. This can be especially predominant in print marketing, where the chief objective is to sway the yearnings or needs of a consumer using photos (Barry 1997, p. 23; Walden 2006, p. 18). In the technology savvy environment where most of our communication is done using imagery, it is challenging to comprehend of a medium more powerful than photos. With the establishment of photography within modern culture, the medium sits together with other forms of imagery, from which it has been created and which it has helped to create, standing as a purely denotative form (Stafford & Faber 2005, p. 57). Photography shares a comparable cultural space with advertising imagery, with the later often relying on the former to deliver its message, while at the same time determining the purpose of photo depiction. Photography and advertising share a mutual and co-dependent past and as such can legitimately be regarded as correlated constructs and forms. In this era of commodity culture, where characters are traded and made by means of the slabs of customer capitalism and the products promises, photographs have emerged as the most dominant and far reaching cultural form. It is the photo’s association with advertising that renders the photo fundamentally dissimilar from the old medium examples, and which has apportioned it a fresh part in modern productions (Lawrence 2002, p. 79). Methodology Secondary information analysis was considered as the source of information because of the need to bridge the gap between past researches and the present problem. It is defined as the purposive analysis of peer reviewed articles and books relevant to the research topic. It includes results, views and opinions from past researches, and published peer reviewed literary materials. It forms an integral part of the literature review, and forms the basis for choosing the research topic and conducting the research. It is fundamental in preparing the literature review for the research (Lindlof & Taylor 2002, p. 79; Marshall & Rossman 1999, p. 109). Library and key word searches have been deemed as the most appropriate tools for collecting information for this study. Results from the tools present a more comprehensive view of the variables that are being examined. The tools have been designed to acquire data considering identifying and specific factors, by collecting information from valid and relevant sources. They are based on an integrative research design as the procedure for collecting, analyzing, and amalgamating information in a single study to understand a research problem. The research design implementation is; however, requiring intensive information collection and analysis, and less time to carry out (Creswell 2003, pp. 134-136). The design includes a range of characteristics that include: Rationale for the design that includes a justification for use of qualitative information. Collecting information using library and key word searches as tools. Priority advanced to the information sources selection. Information collection conducted using sequential approaches that are independent of each other and presented as phases with each phase determined by the research objectives. Information analysis matched to the design and dependent on the collected information. Creswell (2003 p. 125) defines qualitative research as the immersion of the researcher into the research natural environment in an effort to discover their perspective and opinion of a given situation. It is non-intrusive immersion into an environment to observe the authentic social psychology of the environment. The application of this systematic research practice in order to interpret the subjective and objective dialect of the subject of inquiry is the output and goal of the qualitative researcher, who reports the results using text and other symbols from the research. The assumption is that within different environments there are contexts that can be interpreted, and that patterns of behaviour, relationships, actions, activities and emotions exist (Corbin & Straus 2008, p. 46; Creswell 2003, pp. 125-126). Qualitative research design seeks to contextualize a study by immersing the researcher into the research situation with the information sources whereby information is collected and the results tend to be subjective. This plays a significant role in obtaining information that could not be otherwise be obtained. The research procedure adopted for this research involved a series of eight key steps. Step one involved formulation of a general statement of research objectives that are clear, concise, and precise. Step two involved documentation of specific research questions to be answered. By answering the research questions this research shall have met the research objectives. Step three involved conductive and exhaustive literature review. Step four involved deciding on information types that will be relevant to the research and can answer the questions documented in step two. Step five involved designing the research and corresponding data analysis that are appropriate for the research questions and objectives. Step six involved specific manipulations of collected information and analysis to highlight relevant trends. Step seven involved drawing logical conclusions from the collected information and interpretation of the results. Step eight involved discussion and reporting of study results. The objective for carrying out a research process is to facilitate the process of collecting information relevant to the research by intuition and fluid interaction. Data from secondary sources is straight forward and easy to analyse due to their standardization (Lindlof & Taylor 2002, pp. 86-87; Marshall & Rossman 1999, pp. 57-59). Findings This research study has shown that photography plays a unique and important role in advertisement. Not only is it convenient, but it is at the very core of advertising. Rather than considering advertisement as strategy to meet set threshold, models must therefore; understand the nature of advertisement; be acquainted with the readiness to change company and personal needs; put in place solid behind the scene infrastructure that is documented as a façade of promises. The research findings can be summarised as: Photography’s unique position as a key visual and stimulant are the two main properties that have advanced its use in advertisement. Conclusion This conclusion reflects on how well the research design, tools and results are guided by the research aim, and how well it has been met. The research process stresses on the need for instruments to validate research data. These instruments must be valid and precise; if not, then the research results are most likely be factually flawed and/or biased. Information validation and verification are the most important instruments in validating any research. It must, however, be noted that there are three other instruments that are of importance in validating a research and were applied in this particular research study. These three instruments include (Anderson, Sweeney, & Williams, 1995, p. 83; Kaplowitz, 2000, p. 59): Protection of construct validity. A construct is the parameter the research study seeks to measure using the independent variable. The construct must be well-defined and be relevant to the research topic in the sense that it measures whatever is required. Construct validity must be protected at all times during the course of the research. The construct for this research is use of photographs in advertisements while the independent variable is advertisement. Protection of the internal validity. Internal validity refers to how independent the research is from outside influence that could unduly affect the results. The research must isolate true scores while controlling for differences. It is for this purpose that all secondary information incorporated in the research is from verifiable peer-reviewed published literary materials that includes journal sources. Conclusion validity that must be protected. Conclusion validity refers to the conclusions drawn from the research results. Even if the collected information is valid but the conclusions drawn are invalid and not supported by the collected information, then the whole research process is considered flawed. The research study invalidates the research process by making a conclusion error. Conclusions drawn in this research are supported by the collected information. No inferences or conclusions have been made without evidential support. Though this research study has used information from a variety of peer reviewed publications, the sources of information could only canvas a small fraction of all photography in advertisement literature and as such the results are not exhaustive in detail. Nevertheless the opinions from information sources selected for this research provide a review of the research topic. Overall, literary materials can provide a broad and relatively accurate foundation to justify extensive use of photographs in advertisement. If advertisement needs are to be met, documentary evidence supported by experimental data has the potential to ensure that it is practically sound, desirable and justifiable. To most advertisers, it is accepted that applying photography in advertisements would be a sound decision. The real value of such a decision would be increased effectiveness, efficiency and the possibility to advance photography as an imagery form. Neither of the stated benefits can be accomplished simply by using photography in advertisement, preparing for such an eventuality and involving all stakeholders. To adequately prepare for such an eventuality, all the stakeholders must be credibly involved and their participation guaranteed to ensure substantive results. References Anderson, R. Sweeney, J & Williams, A 1995, Statistics: concepts and applications. McGraw Hill Publishers, New York. Barry, Ann Marie S 1997, Visual Intelligence: Perception, Image and Manipulation in Visual Communication. State University of New York Press, New York. Corbin, J & Strauss, A 2008, Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory, 3rd ed., Sage Publishers, Thousand Oaks. Creswell, W 2003, Research design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, 2nd ed., Sage Publishers, Thousand Oaks. Kaplowitz, M 2000, “Statistical Analysis of Sensitive Topics in Group and Individual Interviews.” Quality and Quantity, vol. 34, pp. 419-431. Lawrence, Mary W 2002, A Big Life in Advertising. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. Lindlof, R & Taylor, C 2002, Qualitative Communication Research Methods. 2nd ed. SAGE Publishers, Thousand Oaks. Marshall, C. & Rossman, B 1999, Designing Qualitative Research, 3rd ed. SAGE Publishers, London. Ornstein, D 1998, “Survey Research.” Current Sociology, vol. 46. no. 4. pp. 111-136. Stafford, Marla R. & Faber, Ronald J 2005, Advertising, Promotion, and New Media, M.E. Sharpe, New York. Walden, S 2006, Truth in Photography, Blackwell Publishing, New York. Read More