Advertising & society

Brand communication in India is like snake charming. Unless you play the tune to suit it idiosyncrasies, it falls flat. In a nation where more than 65% of the populace cannot read, close to a billion people worship about the same number of Gods. Consumer Psychology is a tricky affair in a country draped in its disparities, corruption, poverty and IT. Integrated communications approach.

 The role of advertising has often been a subject of much debate in society. Advertising may be useful to consumers, considering that dissemination of information is necessary when buyers have to make a choice from various products and services. The opposite view is based on the contention that consumers are duped by misleading advertising and hence advertising should be curtailed, or at least strictly regulated Advertising on social issues is criticized on the grounds of deception, manipulation and on ground of being in bad taste. Besides, it also is alleged to corrupt our social values and life styles.

Deception.
Deception occurs when an advertisement is introduced into the perceptual process of the audience and the outcome of the perceptual process either differs from reality of the situation or affects buying behavior to the detriment of the consumer. Thus, it refers to the informational content in the advertising but may also arise from the misplaced emphasis on presentation. Deception is involved when due to advertising (a) A consumer perceives a claim (being explicitly or implicitly made by the advertiser) differently from what it actually is (b) They buy the product under the influence of mistaken impression and then suffers a loss as a consequence. Thus, either the claim itself could be false or at least the impression being created is false. Even if literally true, an advertiser may make a claim that a particular target audience may not be able to understand correctly.

examples
many management institutes have started using CAT (Common Admission Test) conducted by IIMs for screening their applicants. The impression, though unintended, that was created in the mind of the applicants was that these institutes were in one way or other affiliated to the IIMs. The CAT committee, therefore, has directed all such institutes to write in their Ads that IIMs have no role in the selection process or conduct of the program. thePalmolive shaving cream, the cream lather was shown to be effective enough to shave sand grains off the sand paper. Implication was that if the cream could shave sand paper, it could tackle the toughest beard. But what was not disclosed was the fact that the sand paper was soaked in water for 24 hours before shooting of the Ad. Would you immerse your face in water for 24 hours before shaving?

Puffery
Puffery refers to an advertising claim that is not outright false because the product does possess that quality but it is an exaggerated claim. It is a subjective claim that cannot be proved right or wrong. 1. The first is a subjective statement of opinion about a product's quality, using such terms as best or greatest. 2. The second form of puffery is an exaggeration extended to the point of outright spoot that everyone knows is not true. The 'green devil' of Onida was obviously fictitious and even if he were real he would not be talking the way he did.

Manipulative Advertising.
Critics of advertising feel that freedom of choice of the customer is restricted by the power of advertising since it can manipulate buyers into making a decision against their best interests. Such manipulation can be brought about by playing on the subconscious motives of people by using emotional and subliminal appeals.

Advertising Creates Materialism.

Advertising is also accused of promoting the materialist value system. It creates the notion that acquisition of something will gratify basic and inner needs and aspirations. The message of a commercial seems to be that all the major problems confronting the individual can be instantly eliminated by the application of some external force - the use of the advertised product. Lakme Skin Care Ad brings it to the notice of the girl that her face is not really clean (even with soap and water) if she does not use the Lakme Skin Cleaner. Other Ads project products in such a manner that the customers begin to feel that their life would be dull or complicated if they are not used. Human instinct is to possess, to be recognized in the society. . . Advertisers play with these sentiments and emotions to gain the customer's loyalty.

Advertising of Certain Products.

It is also suggested that all the products cannot be allowed to be advertised because some of them are: (a) Harmful upon consumption: Cigarettes, hard liquor, etc., should not be allowed advertisement. The advertisers give a counterpoint that if the government does not impose a ban on their sale, then why should they not be allowed advertisement?

 Advertising and Special Audience. (a) Children are more susceptible to the influences of advertising since they lack the perceptual defences and cannot objectively evaluate every advertisement. Since they lack the perceptual defences and cannot objectively evaluate every advertisement, many Ads to which children are exposed, mislead them. Since they are immature, they easily believe what they see. For example, children are attracted towards the advertisements of soft drinks, chocolates, noodles, etc., not realizing their harmful effect on their body, teeth, etc. It is advertisements that glamorizes orange drink and makes a child prefer it to pure orange juice, which is 'unexciting'. (b) But it is not merely children who get misled. Even their mothers fail to discriminate between the good and bad, the required and un-needed for their children, under the influence of advertising. World Health Organization has recommended a ban on infant food product advertisements .Not only this, they can't even follow the instructions given on the tin and prepare these products unhygienically (for example, not putting the bottle (in which they feed their children) in boiling water, etc. Result: the child becomes under-nourished. (c) Likewise, many students/unemployed youth get attracted towards false advertising because their miserable condition prevents them from judging the contents of an advertisement objectively.

 Advertising and Moral Values. Certain advertisements are obscene/morally degrading. In a recent case, Hindustan Lever Limited had to withdrawn an advertisement for their Feast ice cream because it was found to be obscene. In one advertisement, the child assumed that his teacher becomes a frog. The Ad had to be subsequently withdrawn. In Singapore, an American nutritional supplement was being advertised. In the Ad, the kid says: Come on Dad. If you can play golf five days a week, I can have Sustagen once a day. The Singapore PM objected, saying that the Ad undermined the traditional politeness and deference that Asian children have for their parents. The Ad propagated western values that put unhealthy emphasis on individual rights over and above the accepted family and societal norms. Advertising and Violation of Right to Privacy. Many times, Ads may use the names/pictures of a person without consent. Likewise, ideas, trade marks, etc. of others may be stolen and used in an Ad without permission of the owner.

 Advertising and Promotion of Stereotyping. Advertising also promotes stereotyping by portraying certain group of individuals in specific roles. For example, women are usually portrayed as housewives, not business executives. Secretaries are always girls. The daughter-in-law has to please the mother-inlaw by cooking tasty food or by keeping the house clean, etc.

Positive Role of Advertising.

creating a demand for consumer goods raising living standards of the Indian population. done to promote capital goods, services, socially desirable values, etc. Advertising has definitely played a role in rural and urban development. advertising can promote saving habits. Advertisements done by banks, financial institutions, etc., do precisely that. Lastly, advertising can also spread literacy, health awareness, etc. Role of Advertising for Consumers. 1. Guide to prospective buyers: an instrument of information and persuasion. about products, features, functions, specifications and prices to prospective buyers. Due to ignorance (minus advertising), they may purchase an inferior product, pay higher prices, or worse still, may not even know the variety of products that exist. 2. Elimination of unnecessary intermediation: direct touch with the consumers.. 3. Better quality goods and cheaper prices: Advertising ensures better and improved quality of goods to consumers, at cheaper rates since (a) advertised goods promise a certain quality which has to be maintained, (b) mass advertised goods are produced and distributed in large quantities, thus reducing the production cost per unit (due to economies of scale) and (c) unnecessary middlemen are removed, thereby reducing distribution costs.

4. Propensity to consume Advertising: short-run propensity to consume by informing buyers of the various bargains available. Besides, it is also true that consumer spending declines when the normal advertising flow is cut-off. 5. Quality improvements: Goods are generally advertised with brand names. When an Ad appears with a brand name, it imprints an image of the product in minds of the consumer. If the use of the advertised product confirms their expectations, a repeat order is expected and the product will earn a favourable image and good reputation. Thus, the manufacturer is prompted to maintain and if possible, improve the brand quality so that the confidence of consumers is maintained. Else, the brand will lose market share.

Role for the Society

1. Better standard of living: Advertising creates the desire to possess better and newer items by educating the buyers about better life-style. Advertising gives a direct stimulus to consumer which in turn prompts the producer to produce more and better quality. 2. Increase in economic activity and employment: Advertising and selling have played an important part in expanding the economic system by stimulating consumers into buying more. Advertising makes people work harder than they otherwise would. This has had the effect of raising the aggregate level of the economy. In the long run, advertising has probably played a major part in making people favourably disposed towards high levels of consumption and in creating new products and ideas. Thus, advertising also increases the employment levels, directly and indirectly. 3. Glimpse of national life: Advertising acts as a mirror that shows the country's way of life. It is in fact a running commentary of the way people live and behave. 4. Innovation: Advertising reduces the risk of innovation. The cost of innovation can be more than recovered by the sales which Ads may generate and encourage manufacturers to undertake research and development.

5. Financial support to media: The revenue through subscriptions are quite inadequate to support the publication of newspapers, magazines or TV channels. Advertising revenues, in fact, provides a greater support to viable functioning of these media. 6. Competition: Advertising encourages competition and subsequently firms vie with each other to provide the best products and services to create and sustain brand loyalty. This also creates price competition. 7. Countercyclical effect: When an economy is in the recessionary phase, some firms increase their advertising efforts. This may have the effect of re-booking of orders which otherwise would have remained cancelled, especially for industrial products, machinery and plant, thereby diminishing the amplitude of business cycle. 8. General awareness about social issues: Advertising also tends to enlighten the population about social evils and how to control them, e.g., population problem, illiteracy, road safety, dowry deaths, drunken driving etc.