The Role Of Advertising In Society Marketing Essay

In this essay I would like to consider two schools of thought on the role of advertising in society. The first – advertising stimulates demand and is good for the economy in general; the second – advertising creates “false needs” and generally contributes to the over consumption of social and natural resources. As a matter of fact, life of modern society is unthinkable without the advertising. Advertising – is a dynamic, rapidly transforming sphere of human activity. For many centuries, being the constant companion of man, it changes along with us. The nature of advertising, its content and form are undergoing drastic metamorphosis with the development of the productive forces of society, changing socio-economic formations. The role of advertising in modern society is not limited to any outside commercial communications, or even the entire market activity. The value of advertising is increasing in almost all areas of economic and social life, as described in Advertising and the big society.

As a fact, today, there is no doubt that advertising plays a key role in the development of market economy. Advertising stimulates demand and economy in general. That is why countries with high living standards spend huge amounts of money on advertising. Cliché that advertisement – is the motor trade, adequately discloses the basic function of advertising: transmission of product information, familiarity with potential buyers and their belief in the need to purchase. It is not just the study of information and learning with a certain, very specific purpose – to increase demand for goods. Advertising is just a tool of the market like trading or any other. As a rule, advertising provides an opportunity to sell potential consumer a message about your product or service. And so, to make buyers choose this product, the service all others. At the core of advertising – is information and beliefs. Advertising in the media contributes to the development of mass market goods and services and, ultimately, the investments of entrepreneurs in production are warranted. The value of advertising is still in the fact that it attracts many talented people – artists, writers, directors, actors, singers, etc. All together they make advertising like an art. Advertising, in turn, provides them with ongoing training, as well as comfortable existence. As a rule, many people believe that advertising – is the best guarantee of product/services quality. Only satisfied customer allows manufacturers to stay on market and develop product/service quality. I do not think that successful businessman would risk their money by advertising products with poor quality. It can be said that advertising is an industry that responds to society mood requests and, therefore, is consistent with the state of society and its standards, as described in The Role of Advertising in Our Economy.

                Advertising – is a dialogue between seller and consumer, where the seller expresses his intent through the advertising media, and consumers – his interest in this product. If interested buyer did not appear, hence, the dialogue has not taken place, and purpose of the advertiser is not reached. 

Advertising follows several interrelated goals, among them:

Formation consumer’s certain level of knowledge about the goods and services; 

Formation consumer’s certain image of the company; 

Development needs in the product and services; 

Formation of a benevolent attitude towards to sellers; 

Encouraging consumers to apply to certain company;

Inducement to purchase certain product just for certain company; 

Sales promotion of goods or services operation;

Acceleration of trade; 

Formation from other firms of the image a reliable partner; 

Assisting consumers in choosing products and services.

Quite naturally, the goals can be interlinked with each other. For example, if you are invited for dinner, for most people it is associated not only with food, but with communication, conversation and an opportunity to escape from everyday affairs. The main task of advertising to make message about your product or service is not only understandable but also enjoyable. Functional orientation of advertising is to intelligibly convey the image of the goods to the buyer and the benefits of this particular product, call interest and lead to its acquisition. Advertising information helps create accessible descriptions, helps in finding the necessary goods and services, as described in What Is The Importance Of Advertising?

I would like to consider types of advertising more closely:

Image advertisement. Basically, this type of advertising creates a favorable image of the firm and its goods/services. Its primary role – is to familiarize potential buyers or customers with products/services, its characteristics, as well as activities with those benefits that accrue to the buyer, certain product/service. The second role of image advertising – is to create a favorable impression of it this product or service of the company. In general, the main purpose of image advertising – is in fixing in consumer’s minds a positive image of the goods or service that provides a certain company. Image advertising aims not only to direct purchasers, but to all population in order to expand the list at products and activities that a firm or product has already caused positive emotions in buyers.

Stimulating advertisement. This type is aimed primarily at promotion needs of customers. Its main task is in stimulating the need to acquire goods or use services of a particular company. Its focus should be addressed to a specific user or purchaser of the company. In most cases is difficult to strictly delineate the range of potential buyers or identify only read their publications. Advertising – is a reflection of market conditions. 

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Stability advertisement. Even with the streamlined sales of goods and services, and full orders portfolio, from time to time any company should consolidate reached results by advertising. It can be: hidden advertising in the form of articles on company’s activities and its products, participation in exhibitions; direct mail to permanent partners with the prospects (reports) on the annual activities of the firm, as stated in Advertising and the big society.

It should be mentioned, that not everybody is recognizing the role of advertising as a positive. Many people consider that advertising creates “false needs” and generally contributes to the over consumption of social and natural resources. By some economists, the most frequent accusations of advertising are that it requires large sums of industrial and commercial areas to promote products. As a consequence, it contributes significantly increase in commodity prices. Critics have even called this phenomenon “advertising tax”, which indirectly pays each family. For example, in the United States, experts said that the amount of the range is $2.5 thousand per family annually, as described in Social criticism of advertising: on the role of literary theory and the use of data. I think that it is a serious problem. Indeed, advertising stimulates consumption and very often people buy goods or services that they do not need at all. Scientists call this behavior unmotivated purchase. Moreover, everybody knows that nowadays appeared so-called “shopaholics” – people, that can not resist buying new thing (often clothes) a certain period of time (week or even day) and spend all their money on goods that they really do not need. Of course, this situation caused not only advertisement but modern marketing tricks, like sales and so on.

As a rule, there are entire industries which depend on demand, which in turn fueled by advertising. For example, today deforestation in Brazil and Russia is distributed in view of huge demand for modern furniture all over the world. Everybody knows a lot of such examples and of course, all these factors do not contribute to planet’s ecological situation improvement.

Moreover, advertising for a long time has not been just a word in the trade. This word is in politics, in the word in public relations, in the word of morality. It is difficult to overestimate the social role of advertising. Advertising daily and massively affects the vast majority of the population. Daily effects of advertising on billions of potential consumers not only promotes the formation of consumer preferences, but includes the social environment, which is involved in the formation of certain standards of thinking and social behavior of different segments of the population in each country and throughout the world.

It should be noted that scientists have repeatedly declared the important role of advertising in the development of society itself. Modern American advertisement theorist Per Martino in his book “Motivation in Advertising” says: “Its second job – is selling goods. But its first task – is to join the people in our American system. Advertising can help people feel that they are part of society, which offers all the best, help them to feel the inspiration and work with the highest performance”, as stated in Social criticism of advertising: on the role of literary theory and the use of data.

In modern society, advertising tools are increasingly used to solve acute social problems. As a rule, in developed countries independent press is essential for a democratic state. So, there is no wonder that press got the definition of “fourth authority”. In this regard it can be said that in many countries with post-industrial society, the definition of advertising is the “fifth power”, which fully reflects its social role in the modern world. It should be noted that advertising plays important role in ensuring the independence of the media.

As a matter of fact, advertising closely linked with politics and has its ideological role; it is not surprising, because in modern society, advertising is becoming one of the most important factors in developing a human vision. We can give many examples of the place occupied by advertising in strengthening and spreading of communist ideology in the Soviet Union. There is no doubt that the influence of “Western” advertisement (at least for those samples that leaked through the “Iron Curtain”) has played not last role in destruction of socialist ideals. Modern American sociologist Giancarlo Buzzi said on this occasion: “The advertising message is trying to unify the attitudes and behavior, serving to a certain ideology”.

However, I would like to note a significant educational role of advertising in the process of introducing new advanced products and technologies that promotes the spread of knowledge from different spheres of human activity, instills consumers certain practical skills. As a fact, advertising effect is realized by acting on human psychology. As a result it has been actively involved in shaping the attitudes of human systems, its environmental assessment and self-esteem, character reactions to various stimulations and creating some of the psychological climate, etc. In this regard, it can be mentioned and fully justified the selection of psychological role of advertising, according to Erich Fromm: “Advertising appeals not to mind but to feelings; as any hypnotic trend, it tries to influence on its objects intellectually. In this advertisement there is a dream element, and thus it brings some pleasure to a man (like a movie), but at the same time strengthens his sense of insignificance and impotence”, as stated in The Role of Advertising in Our Economy.

It can be said that assessing the significance of advertising would be incomplete if we miss its important aesthetic role. The best samples of advertising appeals since their first appearance to the present day can be rightly regarded as works of applied art. 

To sum it up, I would like to express my own behavior to advertisement. Does advertising stimulates demand and is good for the economy in general or advertising creates “false needs” and generally contributes to the over consumption of social and natural resources. Of course this is a debate question and it is impossible to answer unequivocally. From one hand, company owner should spend a lot of money on developing new technologies, manufacture new products, but not on advertising. But whereas recognize the potential buyers of these products, the firm that they produce? Who will carry this information to other companies? After all, advertising has not only informational but also a stimulating functions. It broadens the market. Marketing brings new customers, and that naturally raises producer’s income. From the other hand modern advertising become so annoying that there is no way to hide from it. Radio, TV, Internet, outdoor, political, economic, social advertising – it is everywhere. Today, advertising make people purchase goods they do not need to, it indirectly influences on environmental degradation. It is all true, but I strongly believe that without advertising the manufacturer will not be operate in full force, producers, sellers and dealers will not make high profits, pay high taxes, improve standard of living etc. In general, it is impossible imagine modern, developed market without advertising. 

I can propose only one exit in this situation. It is a legislative restriction some kinds of advertising or prohibition of broadcast advertising at certain hours. I understand that these proposals can not change the situation, but they can mitigate exist contradictions. We must have will power to change this situation. Finally, like said one wise man, even the biggest trip begins with a small step.