Transcript Advertising & Commercial Culture

Advertising & Commercial
Culture
Chapter 11
Culture Influenced by Ads
“Advertising has long played a prominent role in
contemporary life….As big players like Google
take advantage of … technological advances, the
advertising business itself is evolving. Only time
will reveal what direction this major support
system for mass media industries will take in the
future.”
Advertising comes in many forms
• Without consumer advertisements, most media
businesses would cease to function in their
present form.
• How has advertising evolved?
– Early history of advertising
– Importance of visual design/impact of Internet
– Persuasive techniques
– Deception in advertising
– Impact on democracy
Events in advertising, 1850s-1950s
• Industrial Revolution - Linked villages, towns,
cities together
• Merchants advertised in newspapers,
magazines
• Space brokers- individuals who purchased
space in newspapers then sold to merchants.
Firsts in Advertising
Volney Palmer
1841 opened the
first ad agency in
Philadelphia,
charged 25%
commission, sold
space to clients in
newspapers.
First fully modern ad
agency opened in 1869 in
Philadelphia, N.W. Ayer
who created content for his
clients.
N.W. Ayer
Brand Names
• Retail stores sold in bulk, manufacturers
wanted to increase profits so they turned to
advertising to increase “visibility.”
• Consumers started asking for “brand name”
products and stores were forced to begin
stocking goods.
• Patent Medicines: Making outrageous claims.
– Led to the creation of the Food & Drug
Administration in 1906
Patent Medicine Advertisements
Fueling Consumer Demand
Department Stores
• Newspapers carried Dept.
Stores advertisements
Transforming Society
• Stimulating demand for
consumption
• Targeted ads at women who
were seen to control
household purchasing
decisions.
Early Regulation Efforts
• Better Business Bureau
-Monitored deceptive advertising
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
-Monitored ad abuses
• Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC)
-Monitored circulation figures to decrease
fraud https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64lzPYFiVIU
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4liwCLuvLAg
Early Regulation Efforts
• War Advertising Council
– Organized World War II bond sales, blood donor
drives, and rationing of scarce goods
• Became Ad Council after war
– Produces pro bono public service announcements
• National Association of Broadcasters
– Banned use of subliminal ads
• Demonstrated willingness of industry to selfregulate
Mad Men
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GALMX2BO5ps
• Lucky Strike Pitch
Evolution of U.S. Advertising: 1950today
• Visual Design becomes integral to ads
beginning in 1960s
– Inspired by European designers, TV, video
• Mega-agencies offer a full range of services
– PR ,ads, radio and TV production.
– Examples: Omnicom, WPP, and Publicists
• Boutique agencies
– More personal service to limited clients, more
creative
Ad Agency Structure
• Account Planning develops strategy
Market Research assesses consumer behavior
Includes demographics, psychographics, focus
groups, VALS strategy
• Creative Development is nerve center
Teams of writers and artists create ads
• Media Buying selects media for clients
Finds media best suited to product, consumer
• Account Management brings in business
Manage relationships with clients
Data Collection: Market research
• Demographics/Psychographics & focus groups
• Value and Lifestyles (VALS)
http://www.marketing91.com/vals-values-attitude-lifestyle/
Internet alters ad landscape
• Rise of Web Advertising
Banner ads displayed on Web pages
• How Online Ads Work
Agencies track ad impressions & click throughs,
gather information
Mobile phones, tablets allow ads for specific
locations
• Advertising Invades Social Media
Provide data on consumers and a venue for ads
• Web Advertising’s Growing Power
Web companies buy agencies, become brokers
Persuasive Techniques in Advertising
• Famous-person testimonial
– Product endorsed by famous person
– Serena Williams spokeswoman for Nike
• Plain-folks pitch
– Product associated with simplicity
– Example: GE “Imagination at work”
• Snob appeal
– Product use will maintain or elevate status
Classic Techniques
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRAtX7yK6O8
Persuasive Techniques in Advertising
• Bandwagon effect
– Everyone is using the product
– Example: “America’s favorite”
• Hidden-fear appeal
– Plays on consumers’ insecurity
– Example: fear of personal hygiene problems
• Irritation
– Creates brand recognition by being annoying
– Example: “UNBELIEVABLE BARGAINS!”
Association Principle
• Product associated with some cultural icon or
value
– Patriotism after 9/11
– “Green,” “real,” or “natural” products
– The “Marlboro man”
• Product sometimes linked with stereotyped
caricatures
– Men as idiots who cannot cook, do laundry
Telling Stories
• Many ads contain elements of myths
– Mini-drama featuring characters, settings, plots
– Character experiences conflict
– Conflict resolved by end of ad as result of product
purchase
– Example: GEICO cavemen
Product Placement
• Placing ads in movies, TV shows, comic
books, video games
– Burger King in Iron Man
– Diet Snapple on 30 Rock
• Watchdog organizations calling for consumer
alerts about product placement
– FTC rejected
– FCC unresponsive
Regulation Concerns
• Advertising is commercial speech
– First Amendment unclear on rights to protection
– Critics demand regulation for destructive ads
• Ads for unhealthy products
• Dangerous behaviors
• Medications
• Influence of ads unclear
– Up to 90% of new products fail despite ads
– Concerns over ads persist
Targeting Children and Teens
• Children influence family spending
– Children’s Television Act of 1990
– Prompted in part by Action for Children’s
Television (ACT)
• Networks mandated to provide some
educational content
– Hard to enforce, little impact
• Ads invade schools
– Channel One and others find loopholes
Strategies include displaying toys in play areas and using cartoon characters,
celebrities, and athletes to promote sugary and fatty meals. According to the
Children’s Defense Fund, one in five African American children ages two to 19 is obese,
compared with one in seven white children.
(Photo: Robert Manella/Getty Images)
Problems Blamed on Ads
• Anorexia among girls and women
– Ads feature unnaturally thin women
• Widespread obesity in U.S.
– Ads hawk corn-syrup-laden soft drinks, fast food, junk
food, etc.
– http://www.takepart.com/article/2011/02/04/un-cracksdown-pushing-junk-food-kids
• Smoking promotion
– Ads previously targeted kids with cartoons (Joe
Camel)
Problems Blamed on Ads (cont.)
• Drinking promotion
– Ads target minorities
– Snoop Dogg
– Ads link drinking to power, romance, sexual
prowess, or athletic skill
• Prescription drug promotion
– Ads market drugs directly to consumer
– Creating consumer demand
– Spreading limited or false information
Watchdog Organizations
• Commercial Alert
– Checks commercialism
– Challenges marketing tactics allowing corporate
intrusion into civic life
• American Legacy Foundation
– The “Truth” project
• FTC
– Plays investigative role in substantiating ad claims
– Imposes monetary civil penalties
Advertising in a Democratic Society
• Political Ads
– Ad techniques used to “sell” candidates
– Less affluent candidates can’t compete
– Issues can’t be explained in short TV commercial
• Advertising maintains its hold
– Sustains media business model
– Consumers enjoy, accept advertising
• We need to understand its benefits and costs to
our country
Samsung
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT4ikdAS-P0