Advertising: curse or blessing?

Ministry of education of Russian Federation

Municipal Formation of Verkhnyaya Tura

Secondary school №19

 

 

 

Report:

Advertising: curse or blessing?

                                   

 

 

 

Pupil: Grishina Alyona

Alekseevna,

10 «A»

Teacher: Plotnicova Marina

Alekseevna

 

M.F. Verkhnyaya Tura

2008-2009

Contents

          

  Introduction………………………………………………………………….........3

  1. The concept of advertising…………………………………………............…..4

  2. The history of development of advertising

             2.1. The history of development of advertising in ancient times

                     and Middle Ages…………………………………………………...…5

           2.2. Advertising evolution in Russian press in XVIII-XIX century…….....7

            2.3. The situation in Russia at present……………………...…….…..........9

  3. Technology of advertising

             3.1. Kinds of techniques of Ads………………………………….….…...10

             3.2. Advertising slogans………………………………………….………14

  4. Particular qualities of Ads

             4.1. Influence of Ads on Russian people……………………….….……..16

  5. Sociological questioning……………………….….…….…………………....18

  Conclusion……………………………………………………………….…........19

  6. Literature……………………………………………………...........................22

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

Introduction

             Once as usual I was sitting in front of the TV, watching a film when unexpectedly it was interrupted by ads.  I saw a car which was carrying … a whole plane!!!  I was furious  because as we know and  under all laws of physics a car could not get under way from a place with the cargo exceeding its weight tens, and even hundreds times!!!

             I was very much interested by this advertising from the point of view of promotion of this car. How the founders of advertising manage with the help of a roller lasting usually for some seconds to convince the person that exactly THIS car is necessary to him.

             For the first time the scheme of advertising has seemed very simple to me, but then I understood that my first impression was too deceptive. Being interested, I have studied some more sources about advertising on the whole, and in due time I started to understand all the complexity of advertising technology.

             Nowadays advertising penetrates all spheres of our life It is so powerful that you can not avoid it. You come across it everywhere, when you read a newspaper, watch TV, go to a local grocery, take your mail etc… This is all the question of advertising. Thousands of people buy unnecessary things only because they heard about them on TV or radio. Why do we do it? Nobody knows, only advertisers do…

Having realized all this I decided to write an essay on the topic advertising: curse or blessing and to find out if advertising is good or bad for us.

             The main goals of my report will be:

- Formation of the approach to problems of modern advertising;

- Finding out the essence of its technology;

- Acquaintance with advertising history, language of advertising and its influence on the consumer;

- Improvement of my knowledge of the English language (grammar, vocabulary).

1. The concept of advertising

             The word Advertising comes from the French word “reclame”.

             In the USA and other industrially developed countries the term "advertising" means advertisements in mass media (in a press, by radio, TV, on panel board advertisement) and does not extend on the actions promoting sales, - “sales promotion” , on the prestigious actions aimed at a gain of goodwill of the public .

             In our country the concept of advertising is wider. We refer to advertising exhibition actions, commercial seminars, packing, a printed matter, and distribution of souvenirs and other stimulants of trading activity. Advertising serves to notify the new goods or services and their consumer properties, and is directed on the potential consumer. It is paid by the sponsor and serves for advancement of his production and ideas. Advertising doesn’t always impose the goods to the buyer. Sometimes it simply forces to recollect the last concrete mark or the good’s name when you make the choice.

             The advertising structure contains following five high lights:

• Firstly, it is ability to draw attention. It is very important how much attention is paid by the readers to the headline. Does advertising influence those categories of potential consumers on which it is aimed?
• Secondly, force of influence on emotions of consumers of advertising. What feelings are born by the influence of advertising, how much successful is the advertising argument and whether it is correctly presented.
• Thirdly, capacity force of influence. Whether the spectator will run to buy these goods after advertising or he will sit in an armchair in spite of the fact that advertising was pleasant to him and there is a necessity for acquisition of the given goods.
• Fourthly, it is information. Is advertising argument clearly stated?
• Finally, it is efficiency of attraction of attention.

 

2. The history of development of advertising

       2.1. The history of development of advertising in ancient times and Middle Ages

             Advertising is a growing tendency in our society, so it seems quite natural to make our at last whether advertising is our friend or roe. So let’s go back to the earliest days of advertising and find out how it all began.

            Heralds were one of the first representatives of advertising. What did this trade serve for? For daily informing the big crowds of people. In many cases under the pretext of the state orders political appeals and accusations were proclaimed.

             Certainly, much more often heralds gave the population the valuable information: about celebration of the glorified commanders about the next distribution of bread or grandiose circus representation. In these announcements the valid information was closely connected with advertising. 

             As culturologists prove, in antiquity and the Middle Ages advertising had, mainly, oral forms. Their constant component cries of dealers – was allocated in a special genre. This area of advertising included: Cries, inviting to try the goods and services; appeals of messengers, intermediaries in rendering of various services and vagrant handicraftsmen.   Besides oral speech, complex of advertising means included, various graphic elements, gestures and mimicry, and also the organization of entertainment action during suitable time and a suitable place. 

The theorists of advertising consider an image to be a core of the present advertising text.  All cultural development shows certain "aspiration" of advertising to improve and diversify the form of advertising images. This process began in an extreme antiquity. Sources of graphic advertising are closely connected with development by mankind of an ornament, drawing, and sculpture.

             In ancient Greece there was a tradition to mark subjects of potter's and art manufacture. Property signs were used also: brand was burnt out not only on pets, but also on “Live objects” – slaves. So the development of a sign was the beginning of the future advertising. 

             At early stages of development of culture advertising starts to acquire the form of the written text. Certainly, it happened in the process of the invention of the letter, which in various regions of globe is dated 8-6 millennium B.C. Together with the alphabet monumental inscriptions has been borrowed. Herodotus informs that during an epoch of the Greek-Persian wars Dari, beginning a campaign to Greece, put “two columns from a white stone on which one with Assyrian, and on the other with Ellyn letters had been cut out the names of all people which were lead by him”.

             Here we meet with a variant of political advertising. Such combination of the text and drawing finds application in advertising activity up to the present.

Inscriptions, scratched or traced by paint on walls are called graffiti (from Latin graftio – I scratch). The ancient city of Pompey left us more than one and a half thousand such inscriptions. Among them there are sets of various advertising texts of quite modern structure. Advertising subjects in them cover all spheres of life. Terms (antique baths) were advertised also, another inscription suggests buying a country house. Sometimes the city authorities warned:

« It is forbidden to write here, a grief will catch everybody whose name will be mentioned here.  He will not have good luck ».

             So, as we see, advertising texts are not the inventions of New time. Their sources go back to antiquity.  Its basic genre is oral announcement, representing useful information. The initial form "acquires" a rich set of the verbal, sound, graphic receptions, creating images  and specifically advertising texts,  the purpose  of which was to attract attention of the potential consumer,  to clear up desires and wills, to push to actions, favourable to advertisers. Sources of such phenomenon as the poster, the trade mark, the advertising action also go back to antiquity.

2.2. Advertising evolution in Russian press in XVIII-XIX century

             The Beginning of advertising in Russia was put by Peter I’s newspaper “VEDOMOSTY”, where the first advertisements were published.

             In Petrovsky “Vedomosty” mineral waters were popularized - in the second issue of 1719 the newspaper convincingly advises to visit the new Resort:

“Понеже оные воды исцеляют различная жестокия болезни, а именно: цинготную, безсильство желудка, каменную, ежели песок или малые камни, и оные из почек гонить”.

             Sometimes lists of the books were published in “Vedomosty”. So bibliographic advertising started in Russian culture. And such special genre, as the catalogue is soon appeared. For example, in November, 1723 in Moscow printing house 80 copies of the catalogue “рукописных книгъ греческихъ въ синодальной библиотеке обретающихся” were printed.

             Since 1728 the new newspaper “St. - Petersburg Vedomosty” was published by the Academy of sciences. Together with the governmental advertising information which was characteristic for its predecessor, the new newspaper started to publish commercial announcements. They mainly filled department «for news», settling down under headings "sale" etc.

           “Trading and craft levels of population of the capital, Russian and foreign businessmen have seen in the newspaper means for advertising their production.  There were more announcements, and in due course they were allocated in the special supplement”.

             In the middle of the XVIII century the section of announcements in the newspaper was even bigger in size than the basic information part of the newspaper. It was live reflexion of time with all its contradictions and paradoxes. For example, dynamical development and strengthening of the Russian economy happened together with the toughening of serf usages - and in «supplement» to № 13 of “St. - Petersburg Vedomosty” of  1770 we read:

“Желающие купить дворовую девку 13 лет могут спросить в Семеновском полку в офицерской линии…”

             To the middle of a XVIII century the advertisement genre has taken roots in Russian culture. These advertising texts had character of helpful, business information which is typical for an announcement genre.

             In the 30 of the XIX-th century we can see the breakthrough in the developed advertising activity. Advertising of this period covered the shows, new books and fashions. Journalist F. Bulgarin overcame an official interdiction for advertising of firms by means of an embedded advertising - articles and the notes, accidentally praising quality of that production. “Commercial newspaper” (1825-1860) and a private weekly journal "Merchant" (1832-1835) were started.  The last was published in three languages - Russian, German and French - and has the purpose “to promote successes of the domestic industry instructions of trading houses and skill with all conditions, to sale and acquisition of the goods”.

             Qualitatively new stage of development of advertising activity comes with serfdom cancellation in 1861 and the rapid development of capitalist relations. The first advertising agencies appeared. The first similar attempt was undertaken by the banker. V. Trubnikov who created in 1862 cable bureau in the newspaper “Exchange Vedomosty”. The trading house of “Mettsel and To”, based in Moscow in 1870 is the most known Russian advertising agency of   the XIX-th century.

             The role of cable agencies grew, as newspapers needed more and more operative and plentiful news about a life of the country and all over the world. By 1870 income from advertising of the most popular newspapers were daily about 100 roubles. Their annual income of advertising made 35-40 thousand roubles.

 

2.3. The situation in Russia at present

             As almost all experts agree, the advertising market as economic concept appeared in Russia in 1992.  A great amount of advertising appeared in press in November of 1991. Since autumn of 1992 there begin to appear serious amount of advertising on TV.  We can see the following data of the amount of the advertising market in Russia in 1991. Advertising expenses in Russia did not exceed 3 million dollars (now it is a monthly amount of advertising on our TV of such firms as “Procter and Gamble” or “Mars - Russia”), and in 1994 - 1, 2 billion dollars. It is necessary to take into account “the advertising moratorium” of the first channel.

           The prices for the TV advertising placed on ORT has reached 30000 dollars for a minute, on "Russia" -  24000 dollars, on NTV - 28000 dollars for a minute, it is at least 8  time below  compared  with the corresponding tariffs for advertising placing in “ Prime -  time” of the national telecampaigns in the USA.

             The considerable part of the outdoor advertising was provided by tobacco and alcohol, which since January1991 was prohibited for advertising.

             The data of the research centre about advertising in the underground “Comcon - 2” shows its extremely high efficiency (the third place after advertising in a press and on TV). Specialists prove that this specific kind of advertising will develop in Russia and the CIS countries very rapidly.

             The radio advertising develops slowly, because it is considered inefficient and does not promise high incomes. From large advertising agencies nobody wishes to work with Radio advertising.

             Political advertising as the phenomenon appeared in Russia at April referendum in 1993 and election campaigns to the State Duma in December 1993 and December 1995. Unlike the goods advertising, political advertising in Russia does not have any background - the history of the Russian parliamentarism in  the beginning of 20 century is too short, politicians in Russia have historically got used to using  for  influence on minds not advertising, but agitation - propaganda methods.

3. Technology of advertising

        3.1. Kinds of techniques of Ads

             And now let’s conduct a little investigation and try to find out what stands behind advertising that makes it so powerful and successful. So our objective is to teach the consumer to respond to our strategy, so we must understand how advertising influence people, what components make up the process of influence, what are they?

             Influence is made up of several components: motivation, experience, repetition, generalization and discrimination. Every time we see a commercial on TV, for example, for a refreshing drink on hot summer evening or for hot chocolate when the weather turns cold, there is a strong motivation to learn so that our needs can be satisfied. It is much easier to learn the message if the commercial shows a hot and thirsty person drinking coke and then falling backwards into cooling, refreshing water.

             Every man can ask: why do we need to see advertisements several times? Our experience even with good commercials can only be vicarious and therefore weak in comparison with the first hand one. That is why we want people to learn advertisements they should be repeated many times. 

              To my surprise, sometimes people simply fed with consumer fatigue or that advertisement and in that case the message falls of deaf ears. So they think that advertisers should avoid too much repetition, by eventually changing the message.

             If you know, consumers can generalize from experience and information. Therefore advertisers sometimes copy a highly successful campaign idea that has been learned by consumers. The highly successful “Marlboro Country” for advertising for cigarettes has led to “Ford Country” for automobile dealers and “Cadbury Country” for chocolate bars.

             And finally, some facts about discrimination. When several products are very similar, we will choose a particular one if we can find something special or different about it, that is if we can discriminate positively between it and others.

             Very often influence becomes so entrenched that a habit develops and we buy the same brand without even being aware of the influence experience that originally led to the purchase. It becomes our second nature. Under such circumstances, it is extremely difficult for advertising to get customers to switch brands.  As we could see advertising is persuasive communication that means they are deliberately written to persuade you to be for or against something. This is done by using different kinds of propaganda techniques. Propaganda is the spreading of ideas, information, or rumours for the purpose of influencing people to be in faviour or against something or someone. Much of the advertising is propaganda, for its major purpose is to influence you to buy something.

            What are these kinds of techniques?

             The first technique is called “Bandwagon”. When using this technique, the advertiser tries to influence you to buy something because a great number of other people are buying it. For example, “Thousands of young mothers all across the country have switched, to PAMPERS.  If you wish to save your baby’s health, of course you will buy PAMPERS!”  Shouldn’t you switch, too? The writer of that ad hopes to convince you that you should switch to PAMPERS because thousands of other mums have. But you should consider these two things: Is the advertiser truthful? You can’t be sure. Even if his claim is true, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should switch to PAMPERS.

             One of the favourite advertiser’s techniques is the “Testimonial”. In using this technique the advertiser tries to get you buy the product being advertised by quoting a favourable statement made about the product by some famous person. Often a picture of the famous person whose statement is being used is shown in the advertisement. For example, “Even in damp, windy weather my hair always stays in place. That is because I use TAFT 3 WEATHERS”. TAFT 3 WEATHERS may actually be an excellent hair spray, but the fact that the famous person uses it and likes it does not guarantee the quality of the product. Your decision to buy a certain product should be influenced by the merits of the product itself and not by the fact that a famous person endorses it.

             Another technique similar to the “Testimonial” is one called “Transfer”. Unlike the “Testimonial”, however, the famous people don’t make any statement about the product. Instead, he or she is pictured together with the products being advertised. For example, the perfume “CHRISTINA AGUILLERA” by Christina Aguilera. The advertiser hopes that people who admire this or that famous person will transfer their admiration to the products and buy one.

             Another advertising technique that is frequently used is “Repetition”. For example:

 At last! Here is a detergent you can count on.

For greater cleaning power, RELY ON VANISH

For brilliant colours, RELY ON VANISH

For all your cleaning jobs, RELY ON VANISH.

The advertiser repeats certain words several times. In fact, counting the number of times they are repeated, those words make up one-fourth of all the words used in the ad. By repeating them again and again the advertiser hopes that you will remember them particularly when you are shopping for a detergent.

             Sometimes advertisers use co-called technique “Emotional words”. Emotional words are the words which as advertisers think will arouse your emotions so that you will feel strongly for or against the subject they write about. For example, Chocolate DOVE is the most mouth – watering, taste – tempting chocolate available today. You will love its soft, creamy texture and deliciously delicate flavour. So unbelievably good, yet so unbelievably inexpensive that is Chocolate DOVE. In the following ad, the advertiser uses “Emotional words” to make people feel strongly for something. He hopes that by arousing favourable attitudes towards the thing, he will make people want to buy the product that is being advertised.

“Tired of facing that pile if dirty greasy dishes every night? Tired of scouring those unsightly pots and pans? Then buy a NO-HANDS AUTOMATIC DISWASHER BOSH and big farewell to your daily battles at the kitchen sink”. The advertiser hopes people will fell strongly against dishwashing. By selecting words that make dishwashing seem even more unpleasant than it probably is, the writer hopes to influence people to buy a NO-HANDS AUTOMATIC DISWASHER.

             I would like to mention one more technique. Comparative, or competitive, or sometimes called knocking copy advertising is one in which manufacturer takes some qualities of his product and runs them against those of a competition. It is often aggressive even by the “Rough-and-tumble standards of the hard sell in the USA”. It was first used in America. It can be potent weapon, giving the consumer more information or poking fun at a rival product. Its witty use by Pepsi-Cola in its battle with Coca-Cola is one of the best American examples.