Chapter 4 Flashcards
Advertising Educates Consumers: Pros
Advertising informs
educates consumers, equipping w/info needed to make informed purchase decisions
consumers enhance their lifestyles and economic power because they are better educated
consumers can become more aware of their own tendencies toward being persuaded by certain types of product information.
reduces product search time
good for storytelling
communicates important issues such as environmental protection and healthy lifestyles
Advertising Educates Consumers: Cons
Advertising Is Superficial and Intrusive
Many ads don’t carry enough actual product information, biased
can be intrusive
can be clutter
Advertising Improves the Standard of Living: Pros
The Economic Effects of Advertising Lower the Cost of Products
economies of scale (ads stimulate demand)
greater variety of choice (bc advertising increases the probability of new product success) and firms will incur less failed product introductions, making products cost less
competition pressures - have to have fresh, marketable brands - motivates firms
diffusion of innovation - new products can be delivered to large audiences quickly
Advertising Improves the Standard of Living: Cons
Advertising Wastes Resources and Raises the Standard of Living Only for Some
can be inefficient and wasteful - shuffle existing demand instead of creating new demand
brand differences may be trivial - so no greater variety of choice rather a waste of resources
only widens the gap between rich and poor
Advertising Affects Happiness and General Well-Being: Con
Advertising Creates Needs
makes people buy things they don’t really need or want - creates needs and wants
advertising could create perceived “needs” that are not for things but for unobtainable standards
Advertising Affects Happiness and General Well-Being: Pro
Advertising Addresses a Wide Variety of Basic Human Needs
advertising does not create basic human needs - people turn to goods and services to satisfy needs such as hunger
Can remind us of 5 types of needs that we all share
5 Types of needs
Physiological needs - biological needs, hunger, thirst, etc.
Safety needs - need to provide shelter, smoke sectors, etc.
Love and belonging needs - affiliation and affection, giving and receiving of love, ex. giving flowers can symbolize love
Esteem needs - recognition, status and prestige + self-respect ex. expensive cars
Self-actualization needs - highest need state - max. fulfillment, education pursuits, high-intensity leisure activity
Advertising Affects Happiness and General Well-Being: Con
Advertising Promotes Materialism
wants and aspirations may be distorted bc of advertising
tendency for conformity and status seeking
advertising portrays brands as symbols of status, success and happiness - wants that are artificial and self-centred
Advertising Affects Happiness and General Well-Being: Pro
Advertising Only Reflects Society’s Priorities
consumption culture existed in America long before advertising
Advertising: Demeaning and Deceitful or Liberating and Artful?
Con: Advertising Perpetuates Stereotypes
portraying people in ads that look like the people of their target audience - perpetuating stereotypes
older people (shown as sick), minorities (athletes) and women (objects of desire)
Advertising: Demeaning and Deceitful or Liberating and Artful? Pro: Advertisers Are Showing Much More Sensitivity
advertisers are realizing the diversity needed that ads have done harm to in the past
on its way to become the past
change stereotypes - older people being active, disabilities, LGBTQ consumers, boys in makeup commercials, gender stereotypes, redefining beauty
Advertising: Demeaning and Deceitful or Liberating and Artful? Con: Advertising Is Often Offensive
poor taste
being rude, crude, lewd as a trend in ads
taste is personal - one person might find is offensive when someone else finds it funny
Pro: Advertising Is a Source Advertising: Demeaning and Deceitful or Liberating and Artful? of Fulfillment and Liberation
most people appreciate modern conveniences
Modern advertising has helped bring about a “democratization” of goods - consumption of many goods were restricted by social class
there is a liberating quality to advertising and consumption that should be appreciate and encouraged
Advertising: Demeaning and Deceitful or Liberating and Artful? Con: Advertisers Deceive via Subliminal Stimulation
subliminal communication - not true
unconscious ad processing - short lived
Advertising: Demeaning and Deceitful or Liberating and Artful? Pro: Advertising Is Democratic Art
art just as much as business
“Advertising is anti-elitist, pro-democratic, widely accessible art.”