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Starting an Essay on Advertising

Table of Contents

To start off, whenever you are writing an essay on a particular topic, the first thing is to strive to make your audience get a picture of what you are talking about. The best way to do so is by first defining your topic or explaining what it is that you aim to achieve or how the reader will benefit. As far as advertising goes, we are going to look at some of the angles an advertising essay can be approached from.

Essay on Advertising : Sample Approaches

The first way to approach advertising essays can be through looking at how advertisements are brought to life from conception to implementation. This means looking at the different players in the industry and what they do. How they impact advertising and their ways of doing business. This alone can be approached from many different angles depending on the resources one has as a writer and how far they are willing to go to find out the finer details. This is where as an advertising essay writer ; one can cover various media used to roll out advertising campaigns. Whether it is television, the internet, outdoor advertising, print, audio or audio-visual media the list is endless.

Advertising Organization

Figure 2 advertising medium

While writing this sort of essay, it is also important to look at how the whole organizations of the industry including the key figures that make advertisements come to life. This includes companies and advertising agencies that create the adverts.

Advertisements are a huge part of our everyday lives; everywhere we go we see different types of ads which appeal to different target audiences differently. Advertising techniques have changed along the way, and this also influences the way companies/business sell to their customers, with the internet or online advertisements, we have seen more online business or e-commerce which has, in turn, forced businesses to do doorstep deliveries. This mostly is common in food and fashion industries.

A Look at Writing Essay on Advertising Ethics

Ethics can be defined as the moral principles that govern a person or group’s behavior. Code of ethics is used by companies, professional organizations and individuals, it contains some rules and principle which help them in making decisions between right and wrong.

Lately, there has been major controversy in the ethics of advertising. A good example is a Calvin Klein undergarment advertisement that appeared in Times Square. On a billboard was a photo of two children in underwear, standing on a sofa, smiling and playful. The advertisement was criticized as sexual and promoting pedophilia.

Some advertisements are very creative and fun; however, with the competitive nature of the industry, they are continuously becoming unethical in comparison to the advertisements in the 50’s. For example:

• Television consumers today are exposed to many ads which interrupt attention to their most favorite programs.
• Advertisements wrongly target vulnerable populations with a poor diet such as fast foods the likes of KFC or McDonald’s, hence lifestyle diseases such as obesity or diabetes at a very young age.
• Some ads brainwash children who attend to them reducing the children into nagging and pestering towards parents in relation to advertised products.
• Using obscene materials and content has been a great ethical disaster in advertising. Obscenity such as sex appeals has been used to attract viewership a practice that is not ideal for an ethical society.

An ethical ad is the one which does not lie, does not make any fake or false claims and is in the limit of decency. Nowadays advertisers only focus on their sales; they just want to attract customers and increase their sales. They present their ads in such a way that people start thinking that this is the best product as compared to others however most products are found to be fake, false and misleading customers.

Nevertheless, the positive side of advertisements cannot be ignored. Of course, advertising increases awareness about services and products of organizations without which the profitability and sale of these products would be difficult. In other words, demand is a product of advertising since it educates potential consumers about new market offers.

As you can see, there are a lot of angles one can approach an essay on advertising as has been highlighted above. My hope is that this has been an eye opener on the essay possibilities in this industry.

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Advertising Media – Definition, Importance, Types and Methods

June 10, 2023 | By Hitesh Bhasin | Filed Under: Marketing

Table of Contents

What is Advertising Media?

Advertising media is the medium through which an advertisement is delivered to the public. It carries messages, stories or points regarding the product that is being advertised. It is a highly informative way to reach the masses and ask them to buy the product or avail of the service.

Advertising Media plays a significant role in binding the direct communication relationship between the seller and the buyer.

With the help of right types of advertising , there is not a single speck of doubt about the fact that you will be able to make your brand known to people in the best way.

Advertising is a parallel universe. It is the most powerful medium through which anything in our mind, thoughts, and dreams, can be conceptualized and presented in the world, and most importantly to the target audiences and beyond.

If the right way of advertising is chosen, anything can get marketed easily.

Advertising has become an easy yet difficult job to catch viewers’ attention for a more extended period in today’s world, where everyone is exposed to technology and the internet. Therefore, knowing what to deliver, and how to deliver, who to deliver is a significant concern for advertisers.

That is one of the main reasons why people want to spend so much money on advertising their brand in the best way. But how people manage to promote their brands, you might ask. This is where the fantastic advertising media comes to help.

Well, with the help of the fantastic advertising media, people can easily let others know about the brands, products, and services that they have in the best way. This is really great for sure.

Hence, we are going to talk about it a little bit so that people can have an understanding of the concept right here.

Advertising media is something that would refer to the different channels of media which are used for advertising the brands or products in the best way. The media channels help in broadcasting the advertisement about a specific subject.

The advertising media can be used to showcase the content that is promotional and that is communicated in the best way with the help of many methods. These methods include speech, text, videos, images, and so much more.

There are many different mediums which are used for that such as outdoors, radio, online, TV, and so much more.

In simple words, it can be said that advertising media consists of the channels with the help of which certain companies would be able to promote and advertise the products and services that they have so that customers can see it and be interested in the brand without any trouble or hassle for sure.

How to choose the Right Advertising Channel or Media?

One must always keep these points in mind while choosing the medium of advertising to earn maximum profit:

• Target Audience.
• Nature of the product or service
• Return on investment.
• Accessibility
• Future benefits.
• Competitor’s strategy, etc

After knowing about the key things you need to pay heed to while choosing the type of advertising media, let us now have a look upon different types of advertising mediums available for you to widen your reach and optimize your sales and profits-

Different Types of Advertising Methods in Media

When it comes to advertising the brand in the best way, there are some things that people need to keep in mind for sure.

Choosing the right option for advertising medium might be one of the most important things for the people. Hence, we are going to have a discussion about it in the best way. Choose the one that you like the most from the list and it will be great for sure.

1. Print Media

Newspapers, magazines, periodicals, pamphlets, etc. that we read in our daily life are called as print media . We often come across various advertisements while reading a newspaper, for example, sales advertisements or rent advertisements. The people get attracted by such publications and land up buying the product or service. Print media is the best for only the people who can read.

With this one, we have another one of the traditional methods of advertising medium that most people tend to use. That is one of the main reasons why it is still considered to be one of the most essential and useful media options for advertising. This is worth a try for sure. There is not a single speck of doubt that it is going to work for the people.

2. Television Media

Television media is the best and most popular way of advertising the product and service to reach a mass group of people. The people who cannot read or write are also exposed to television. For once someone may not buy a newspaper, but without any fail, they are going to watch TV. If the right story is chosen for advertising, the product or service will end up attracting every class or age group of people.

If you want to reach more and more people at the same time, the TV might be the best option that you have for sure. The video ads are displayed on the television and there is no doubt that these ads are going to get the attention of the public in no time.

3) Electronic Media

The bulletins, emails, etc. are known as electronic media . It is the most professional and historical way of advertising something. Electronic Media is limited to people as it reaches only to a selected class of people.

The most basic level of electronic advertising medium includes video recordings, multimedia presentations, audio recordings, CD-ROM, multi-media presentations, online content, etc.

Digital Media is the most recent addition in electronic media, and it is the most powerful one in today’s time, that is why we will discuss it separately.

4) Events and Experiences/ Outdoor Media

One another great way of attracting the attention of the public is through conducting various activities and experiences. Many times it can be seen that multiple companies and their products sponsor the events are either given away as free samples or showcased as an experience. It is the best way to build the trust of the product in the minds of the customers. For example, events like Bacardi party sessions are sponsored by themselves, and the party contains the beverages from Bacardi.

It is also known as outdoor advertising . This is another fantastic type of advertising media which includes placards, posters, neon signs, electronic displays and so much more. Not just that but skywriting and tram advertising are also included in the list for sure. There is not a single speck of doubt that this is going to work.

5) Radio Media

This is yet another popular and fantastic advertising option that people can try.

The advertisements for the companies would easily be broadcasted from the different stations related to the Radio stations. FM radio channels are quite prominent these days.

So, it is going to work for the companies without any hassle.

6) Digital Media

In today’s time, Digital Media or Mobile Media is the most popular type of advertising media. It helps brands optimize their reach on the web. By using digital channels of advertisements, you can reach to the smartphones, laptops, and tablets of your target audiences.

Digital Advertising Media helps businesses in meeting their audiences on different social media networks, search engines, and various applications with personalized ad campaigns based upon their inclinations and behavioral preferences.

By using digital ads, you can know about the searches of your audiences on the web, their likes, dislikes and other details, that will help you in gauging if that user is the right audience for you or not. You can also check the performance of digital advertising through different analytics tools.

It is going to be quite useful for businesses in increasing lead generations, conversions, sales, and profits. Emails are also one prime part of digital advertising media. Using the direct mail advertising media to send circular letters, calendars, folders, and so much more seems to work.

Different types of online ads that you can run in Digital Advertising Media are-

• Google Search Ads
• AdWords Ads
• Facebook Ads
• Twitter Ads
• Google Display Ads
• Retargeting Ads
• In-Game Ads
• YouTube Ads
• Instagram Ads
• Pinterest Ads

Importance of Advertising Media

We can say this without a single speck of doubt that advertising media has a huge role to play in the field of marketing and business for all the companies.

We have an abundance of different companies that are offering the best products that they have and their services to the people who need it.

But then it is not possible for every single potential customer to know about the brands and the companies, right?

Well, this is where the advertising front comes forth to be the best help for sure. With the help of such fantastic advertising media channels, there is no doubt that companies would be able to make the sales.

The advertising budget, company policies, customer demographics, and targets are some of the crucial factors that decide the media option that companies tend to choose most of the time.

When it comes to advertising, we can say that it is one of the essential tools that people can use to get their brands promoted.

There are many r types of advertising media. However, we only mentioned the common ones. Choose one of the advertising media or all of them to have the best promotion for your company.

By choosing the right kind of advertising media, you will be able to run the most effective ad campaigns to widen your brands’ reach and meet your target audiences, so you can connect, convince and convert them about your products or services.

What types of advertising media would you prefer for optimizing your business? Share the kinds of ads that your audiences love to react to in the comments below.

Want us to help you in choosing the right type of advertising media for your business? Then feel free to share your business details with the M91 team in the comments below.

Liked this post? Check out the complete series on Advertising

Related posts:

• What is Advertising? Advertising Methods and Advantages
• Media Mix Definition – What is Media Mix?
• Who is Media Buyer? Role of Media Buyer Explained
• What is Behavioral research? Importance, Methods & Examples
• Shared Media: Definition, Types, and Importance
• What is Product Sampling? Types, Methods & Tips
• Research Methodology – Overview, Types and Methods
• Outdoor Advertising – Definition, Importance, Types and Examples
• Broadcast Media – Meaning, Importance, Types and Features
• Informative Advertising Vs Persuasive Advertising

About Hitesh Bhasin

Hitesh Bhasin is the CEO of Marketing91 and has over a decade of experience in the marketing field. He is an accomplished author of thousands of insightful articles, including in-depth analyses of brands and companies. Holding an MBA in Marketing, Hitesh manages several offline ventures, where he applies all the concepts of Marketing that he writes about.

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Home Essay Samples Business Advertising

The Role of Advertising in Society: Functions and Effects

Table of contents, functions of advertising, effects on consumers, broader cultural and economic implications, ethical considerations.

• Wells, W., Spence-Stone, R., & Moriarty, S. (2017). Advertising Principles and Practice. Pearson.
• Williamson, J. (2017). Decoding Advertisements: Ideology and Meaning in Advertising. Routledge.
• De Pelsmacker, P., Geuens, M., & Anckaert, P. (2007). Media context and advertising effectiveness: The role of context appreciation and context/ ad similarity. Journal of Advertising, 36(4), 53-67.
• Schudson, M. (1984). Advertising, the Uneasy Persuasion: Its Dubious Impact on American Society. Basic Books.
• Kilbourne, J. (1999). Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel. Simon & Schuster.

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The Importance of Advertising for Business Growth and Success

Advertising has been an integral part of the business world for centuries. From the earliest print advertisements to today’s digital marketing landscape, businesses have utilized various channels to promote their products and services, and ultimately drive sales. The focus of this article is to emphasize the importance of advertising and the significant role it plays in the growth and success of businesses across various industries

Table of Contents

The Role of Advertising in Business Growth

Creating brand awareness

One of the primary objectives of advertising is to create awareness about a brand and its offerings. A well-executed advertising campaign can capture the attention of potential customers, leading to increased brand recognition and recall. Brand awareness is crucial for new businesses, as well as established companies looking to launch new products or services.

Establishing a brand identity

Advertising plays a critical role in defining and communicating a brand’s identity, which includes its values, mission, and unique selling points. An effective advertising strategy helps in establishing a strong brand identity, which can lead to customer loyalty and long-term business success.

Attracting new customers

By targeting specific demographics and creating compelling ad campaigns, businesses can attract new customers and encourage them to try their products or services. Advertising is essential for companies looking to expand their customer base and foster ongoing business growth.

The Importance of Advertising for Increased Revenue

Encouraging product trial and purchase

Advertising can stimulate consumer interest, ultimately leading to trial and purchase. By showcasing the benefits and features of a product or service, an ad campaign can persuade potential customers to make a purchase, thus increasing revenue for the business.

Promoting special offers and discounts

Advertising can be an effective way to communicate special offers, discounts, and promotions to customers. These campaigns can not only boost sales but also help to clear inventory and make room for new products.

Upselling and cross-selling opportunities

Advertising can present opportunities for businesses to upsell or cross-sell their products and services. By promoting complementary items or showcasing more premium options, companies can increase their average transaction value and ultimately boost revenue.

Advertising as a Tool for Market Expansion

Reaching new target markets

One of the critical functions of advertising is to help businesses reach new target markets. By conducting market research and crafting tailored advertising campaigns, companies can effectively target new customer segments and increase their market share.

Expanding into new geographical locations

Advertising plays a significant role in expanding a business into new geographic locations. By creating localized ad campaigns that cater to regional preferences, businesses can successfully establish their presence in new territories and attract local customers.

Adapting to emerging trends and customer preferences

Advertising allows businesses to adapt to emerging trends and customer preferences by promoting new products, services, or features. By staying current and appealing to evolving consumer needs, companies can maintain their competitive edge and foster growth.

The Impact of Advertising on Consumer Perception

Shaping consumer attitudes and preferences

Advertising has a powerful influence on consumer attitudes and preferences. A well-executed ad campaign can create positive associations with a brand, leading to increased affinity and loyalty among customers.

Enhancing brand image and reputation

Advertising can help to enhance a brand’s image and reputation in the eyes of consumers. By consistently communicating the brand’s values and showcasing high-quality products and services, businesses can cultivate a positive brand image that resonates with their target audience.

Building trust and credibility

Effective advertising can help to build trust and credibility with consumers. By showcasing genuine customer testimonials, certifications, and endorsements, businesses can demonstrate their commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, thus fostering trust and long-term relationships.

Advertising as a Means of Competitive Advantage

Differentiating your products and services

In a saturated market, advertising can help businesses to differentiate their products and services from competitors. By highlighting unique features, benefits, and value propositions, companies can set themselves apart and attract a loyal customer base.

Showcasing unique selling points

Advertising provides an opportunity for businesses to showcase their unique selling points (USPs) to potential customers. By effectively communicating the distinct advantages of their products or services, companies can capture the attention of their target audience and ultimately boost sales.

Staying ahead in a saturated market

In today’s highly competitive business landscape, advertising can be the key to staying ahead of the competition. By continually refining and optimizing their advertising strategies, businesses can maintain their market share and even expand their customer base.

The Evolution of Advertising Strategies and Channels

Traditional vs. digital advertising

Traditional advertising methods , such as print, radio, and television, have been around for decades. While these channels can still be effective, the rise of digital advertising has led to new opportunities for businesses to reach and engage their target audience. Digital advertising platforms, such as search engines, social media, and websites, offer more precise targeting and real-time analytics, making it easier for businesses to measure the success of their campaigns and optimize their strategies.

The rise of social media and influencer marketing

Social media has revolutionized the way businesses advertise their products and services. The rise of influencer marketing has enabled brands to connect with their target audience through trusted personalities and content creators, making their advertising messages more authentic and relatable.

The importance of personalized and targeted advertising

In today’s digital age, consumers are inundated with advertisements daily. To stand out from the noise, businesses must prioritize personalized and targeted advertising. By leveraging data and technology, companies can create tailored ad campaigns that resonate with their audience and drive better results.

The Future of Advertising and Its Implications for Businesses

The rise of AI and machine learning in advertising

As artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning continue to advance, the advertising industry is poised for significant transformation. These technologies are expected to improve targeting, personalization, and automation, leading to more efficient and effective ad campaigns. Businesses that embrace AI-driven advertising strategies will likely enjoy a competitive edge in the coming years.

The growing emphasis on data privacy

Data privacy concerns are becoming increasingly prevalent, with consumers demanding greater control over their personal information. As a result, businesses must prioritize data privacy and transparency in their advertising efforts. This may involve adopting privacy-friendly targeting methods and ensuring compliance with data protection regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

The shift towards sustainable and socially responsible advertising

As consumers become more conscious of environmental and social issues, businesses are expected to embrace sustainable and socially responsible advertising practices. This may involve promoting eco-friendly products and services, partnering with ethical suppliers, and supporting causes that align with the brand’s values. Companies that prioritize sustainability and social responsibility in their advertising efforts are likely to appeal to a growing segment of conscious consumers and enjoy long-term success.

The potential of immersive technologies in advertising

Emerging immersive technologies, such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), offer exciting possibilities for the future of advertising. These technologies can create highly engaging and interactive ad experiences, allowing businesses to forge deeper connections with their target audience. Early adopters of immersive advertising techniques may gain a competitive advantage as the technology continues to mature.

The integration of voice and conversational advertising

With the growing popularity of voice assistants and smart speakers, voice and conversational advertising are set to become increasingly important in the coming years. This form of advertising allows businesses to engage with their target audience through natural, interactive conversations, offering a more personalized and seamless user experience. Companies that explore and invest in voice and conversational advertising strategies can potentially benefit from this emerging channel and stay ahead of the curve.

The power of user-generated content in advertising

User-generated content (UGC), such as reviews, testimonials, and social media posts, has proven to be a valuable tool in advertising. Consumers tend to trust the opinions of their peers more than traditional advertising messages, making UGC an effective way to build trust and credibility. Businesses that leverage and promote UGC in their advertising campaigns can create a sense of authenticity and community, leading to stronger customer relationships and loyalty.

The need for agile and adaptive advertising strategies

In the rapidly changing digital landscape, businesses must adopt agile and adaptive advertising strategies to stay relevant and competitive. This involves continually monitoring performance metrics, analyzing market trends, and adjusting campaigns as needed to optimize results. Companies that prioritize agility and adaptability in their advertising efforts can respond more effectively to changes in consumer behavior, industry developments, and technological advancements.

The convergence of online and offline advertising

As the lines between online and offline worlds continue to blur, businesses must adopt advertising strategies that seamlessly integrate both digital and traditional channels. This could involve using QR codes in print ads to direct consumers to a brand’s website or leveraging location-based advertising to drive foot traffic to brick-and-mortar stores. By creating a cohesive advertising experience across various touchpoints, businesses can effectively engage their target audience and maximize the impact of their campaigns.

The importance of measuring advertising ROI

With an increasingly competitive advertising landscape and growing marketing budgets, it is crucial for businesses to measure the return on investment (ROI) of their advertising efforts. This involves tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and customer acquisition costs, and adjusting campaigns accordingly to optimize results. Companies that prioritize data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement in their advertising strategies can ensure that their marketing dollars are being spent effectively and efficiently.

The role of storytelling in advertising

Storytelling has long been recognized as a powerful tool in advertising, as it enables businesses to forge emotional connections with their target audience and create lasting brand impressions. As consumers increasingly seek authentic and meaningful brand experiences, businesses must prioritize storytelling in their advertising campaigns. This could involve crafting compelling narratives that showcase the brand’s mission, values, or customer success stories, or leveraging interactive content formats, such as video or interactive infographics, to engage consumers and bring their brand story to life.

The importance of advertising in the modern business landscape cannot be understated. It plays a pivotal role in driving brand awareness, customer acquisition, revenue generation, and market expansion, while also serving as a key differentiator in an increasingly competitive marketplace. As new trends and technologies continue to emerge, businesses must stay informed and agile, adopting innovative and adaptive advertising strategies to engage their target audience and drive long-term growth and success.

From leveraging AI and machine learning to prioritizing data privacy, sustainability, and storytelling, the future of advertising presents both challenges and opportunities for businesses. By embracing these developments and maintaining a forward-thinking approach to their advertising efforts, companies can create impactful campaigns that resonate with their audience and ultimately contribute to their overall business success. In a constantly evolving advertising landscape, the ability to adapt and innovate will be essential for businesses to thrive and maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace.

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12.1 Advertising

Learning objectives.

• Describe important eras in the history of American advertising.
• Analyze the overall effects of government regulation on advertising.
• Identify the types of advertising used today.
• Describe the impact of advertising on American consumerism and cultural values.

Advertising is defined as promoting a product or service through the use of paid announcements (Dictionary). These announcements have had an enormous effect on modern culture, and thus deserve a great deal of attention in any treatment of the media’s influence on culture.

History of Advertising

Figure 12.1

Wikimedia Commons – CC BY-SA 3.0; Wikimedia Commons – CC BY-SA 3.0; Wikimedia Commons – public domain; Vanguard Visions – Search Engine Online Advertising – CC BY 2.0.

Advertising dates back to ancient Rome’s public markets and forums and continues into the modern era in most homes around the world. Contemporary consumers relate to and identify with brands and products. Advertising has inspired an independent press and conspired to encourage carcinogenic addictions. An exceedingly human invention, advertising is an unavoidable aspect of the shared modern experience.

Ancient and Medieval Advertising

In 79 CE, the eruption of Italy’s Mount Vesuvius destroyed and, ultimately, preserved the ancient city of Pompeii. Historians have used the city’s archaeological evidence to piece together many aspects of ancient life. Pompeii’s ruins reveal a world in which the fundamental tenets of commerce and advertising were already in place. Merchants offered different brands of fish sauces identified by various names such as “Scaurus’ tunny jelly.” Wines were branded as well, and their manufacturers sought to position them by making claims about their prestige and quality. Toys and other merchandise found in the city bear the names of famous athletes, providing, perhaps, the first example of endorsement techniques (Hood, 2005).

The invention of the printing press in 1440 made it possible to print advertisements that could be put up on walls and handed out to individuals. By the 1600s, newspapers had begun to include advertisements on their pages. Advertising revenue allowed newspapers to print independently of secular or clerical authority, eventually achieving daily circulation. By the end of the 16th century, most newspapers contained at least some advertisements (O’Barr, 2005).

Selling the New World

European colonization of the Americas during the 1600s brought about one of the first large-scale advertising campaigns. When European trading companies realized that the Americas held economic potential as a source of natural resources such as timber, fur, and tobacco, they attempted to convince others to cross the Atlantic Ocean and work to harvest this bounty. The advertisements for this venture described a paradise without beggars and with plenty of land for those who made the trip. The advertisements convinced many poor Europeans to become indentured servants to pay for the voyage (Mierau, 2000).

Nineteenth-Century Roots of Modern Advertising

Figure 12.2

Early penny press papers such as the New York Sun took advantage of advertisements, which allowed them to sell their issues for a penny or two.

Wikimedia Commons – public domain.

The rise of the penny press during the 1800s had a profound effect on advertising. The New York Sun embraced a novel advertising model in 1833 that allowed it to sell issues of the paper for a trifling amount of money, ensuring a higher circulation and a wider audience. This larger audience in turn justified greater prices for advertisements, allowing the paper to make a profit from its ads rather than from direct sales (Vance).

P. T. Barnum and Advertising

The career of P. T. Barnum, cofounder of the famed Barnum & Bailey circus, gives a sense of the uncontrolled nature of advertising during the 1800s. He began his career in the 1840s writing ads for a theater, and soon after, he began promoting his own shows. He advertised these shows any way he could, using not only interesting newspaper ads but also bands of musicians, paintings on the outside of his buildings, and street-spanning banners.

Barnum also learned the effectiveness of using the media to gain attention. In an early publicity stunt, Barnum hired a man to wordlessly stack bricks at various corners near his museum during the hours preceding a show. When this activity drew a crowd, the man went to the museum and bought a ticket for the show. This stunt drew such large crowds over the next 2 days, that the police made Barnum put a halt to it, gaining it even wider media attention. Barnum was sued for fraud over a bearded woman featured in one of his shows; the plaintiffs claimed that she was, in fact, a man. Rather than trying to keep the trial quiet, Barnum drew attention to it by parading a crowd of witnesses attesting to the bearded woman’s gender, drawing more media attention—and more customers.

Figure 12.3

P. T. Barnum used the press to spark interest in his shows.

trialsanderrors – The marvelous foot-ball dogs, poster for Barnum & Bailey, 1900 – CC BY 2.0.

Barnum aimed to make his audience think about what they had seen for an extended time. His Feejee mermaid—actually a mummified monkey and fish sewn together—was not necessarily interesting because viewers thought the creation was really a mermaid, but because they weren’t sure if it was or not. Such marketing tactics brought Barnum’s shows out of his establishments and into social conversations and newspapers (Applegate, 1998). Although most companies today would eschew Barnum’s outrageous style, many have used the media and a similar sense of mystery to promote their products. Apple, for example, famously keeps its products such as the iPhone and iPad under wraps, building media anticipation and coverage.

In 1843, a salesman named Volney Palmer founded the first U.S. advertising agency in Philadelphia. The agency made money by linking potential advertisers with newspapers. By 1867, other agencies had formed, and advertisements were being marketed at the national level. During this time, George Rowell, who made a living buying bulk advertising space in newspapers to subdivide and sell to advertisers, began conducting market research in its modern recognizable form. He used surveys and circulation counts to estimate numbers of readers and anticipate effective advertising techniques. His agency gained an advantage over other agencies by offering advertising space most suited for a particular product. This trend quickly caught on with other agencies. In 1888, Rowell started the first advertising trade magazine, Printers’ Ink (Gartrell).

In Chapter 5 “Magazines” , you read about McClure’s success in 1893 thanks to an advertising model: selling issues for nearly half the price of other magazines and depending on advertising revenues to make up the difference between cost and sales price. Magazines such as Ladies’ Home Journal focused on specific audiences, so they allowed advertisers to market products designed for a specific demographic. By 1900, Harper’s Weekly , once known for refusing advertising, featured ads on half of its pages (All Classic Ads).

The Rise of Brand Names

Figure 12.4

In the early 1900s, brand-name food items, such as this one, began making a household name for themselves.

Stuart Rankin – Payn’s Sure-Raising Flour – CC BY-NC 2.0.

Another ubiquitous aspect of advertising developed around this time: brands. During most of the 19th century, consumers purchased goods in bulk, weighing out scoops of flour or sugar from large store barrels and paying for them by the pound. Innovations in industrial packaging allowed companies to mass produce bags, tins, and cartons with brand names on them. Although brands existed before this time, they were generally reserved for goods that were inherently recognizable, such as china or furniture. Advertising a particular kind of honey or flour made it possible for customers to ask for that product by name, giving it an edge over the unnamed competition. 1

Figure 12.5

Department stores such as Sears, Roebuck and Co. reached consumers outside of the city through mail-order catalogs.

Nesster – 1961 Sears: Mail Order Envelope – CC BY 2.0.

The rise of department stores during the late 1800s also gave brands a push. Nationwide outlets such as Sears, Roebuck & Company and Montgomery Ward sold many of the same items to consumers all over the country. A particular item spotted in a big-city storefront could come to a small-town shopper’s home thanks to mail-order catalogs. Customers made associations with the stores, trusting them to have a particular kind of item and to provide quality wares. Essentially, consumers came to trust the store’s name rather than its specific products. 2

Advertising Gains Stature During the 20th Century

Although advertising was becoming increasingly accepted as an element of mass media, many still regarded it as an unseemly occupation. This attitude began to change during the early 20th century. As magazines—widely considered a highbrow medium—began using more advertising, the advertising profession began attracting more artists and writers. Writers used verse and artists produced illustrations to embellish advertisements. Not surprisingly, this era gave rise to commercial jingles and iconic brand characters such as the Jolly Green Giant and the Pillsbury Doughboy.

The household cleaner Sapolio produced advertisements that made the most of the artistic advertising trend. Sapolio’s ads featured various drawings of the residents of “Spotless Town” along with a rhymed verse celebrating the virtues of this fictional haven of cleanliness. The public anticipated each new ad in much the same way people today anticipate new TV episodes. In fact, the ads became so popular that citizens passed “Spotless Town” resolutions to clean up their own jurisdictions. Advertising trends later moved away from flowery writing and artistry, but the lessons of those memorable campaigns continued to influence the advertising profession for years to come (Fox, 1984).

Advertising Makes Itself Useful

World War I fueled an advertising and propaganda boom. Corporations that had switched to manufacturing wartime goods wanted to stay in the public eye by advertising their patriotism. Equally, the government needed to encourage public support for the war, employing such techniques as the famous Uncle Sam recruiting poster. President Woodrow Wilson established the advertiser-run Committee on Public Information to make movies and posters, write speeches, and generally sell the war to the public. Advertising helped popularize World War I on the home front, and the war in turn gave advertising a much-needed boost in stature. The postwar return to regular manufacturing initiated the 1920s as an era of unprecedented advertising. 3

The rising film industry made celebrity testimonials, or product endorsements , an important aspect of advertising during the 1920s. Film stars including Clara Bow and Joan Crawford endorsed products such as Lux toilet soap. In these early days of mass-media consumer culture, film actors and actresses gave the public figures to emulate as they began participating in popular culture. 4

As discussed in Chapter 7 “Radio” , radio became an accepted commercial medium during the 1920s. Although many initially thought radio was too intrusive a medium to allow advertising, as it entered people’s homes by the end of the decade, advertising had become an integral aspect of programming. Advertising agencies often created their own programs that networks then distributed. As advertisers conducted surveys and researched prime time slots, radio programming changed to appeal to their target demographics. The famous Lux Radio Theater , for example, was named for and sponsored by a brand of soap. Product placement was an important part of these early radio programs. Ads for Jell-O appeared during the course of the Jack Benny Show (JackBennyShow.com), and Fibber McGee and Molly scripts often involved their sponsor’s floor wax (Burgan, 1996). The relationship between a sponsor and a show’s producers was not always harmonious; the producers of radio programs were constrained from broadcasting any content that might reflect badly on their sponsor.

The Great Depression and Backlash

Unsurprisingly, the Great Depression, with its widespread decreases in levels of income and buying power, had a negative effect on advertising. Spending on ads dropped to a mere 38 percent of its previous level. Social reformers added to revenue woes by again questioning the moral standing of the advertising profession. Books such as Through Many Windows and Our Master’s Voice portrayed advertisers as dishonest and cynical, willing to say anything to make a profit and unconcerned about their influence on society. Humorists also questioned advertising’s authority. The Depression-era magazine Ballyhoo regularly featured parodies of ads, similar to those seen later on Saturday Night Live or in The Onion . These ads mocked the claims that had been made throughout the 1920s, further reducing advertising’s public standing. 5

This advertising downturn lasted only as long as the Depression. As the United States entered World War II, advertising again returned to encourage public support and improve the image of businesses. 6 However, there was one lasting effect of the Depression. The rising consumer movement made false and misleading advertising a major public policy issue. At the time, companies such as Fleischmann’s (which claimed its yeast could cure crooked teeth) were using advertisements to pitch misleading assertions. Only business owners’ personal morals stood in the way of such claims until 1938, when the federal government created the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and gave it the authority to halt false advertising.

In 1955, TV outpaced all other media for advertising. TV provided advertisers with unique, geographically oriented mass markets that could be targeted with regionally appropriate ads (Samuel, 2006). The 1950s saw a 75 percent increase in advertising spending, faster than any other economic indicator at the time. 7

Single sponsors created early TV programs. These sponsors had total control over programs such as Goodyear TV Playhouse and Kraft Television Theatre . Some sponsors went as far as to manipulate various aspects of the programs. In one instance, a program run by the DeSoto car company asked a contestant to use a false name rather than his given name, Ford. The present-day network model of TV advertising took hold during the 1950s as the costs of TV production made sole sponsorship of a show prohibitive for most companies. Rather than having a single sponsor, the networks began producing their own shows, paying for them through ads sold to a number of different sponsors. 8 Under the new model of advertising, TV producers had much more creative control than they had under the sole-sponsorship model.

The quiz shows of the 1950s were the last of the single-sponsor–produced programs. In 1958, when allegations of quiz show fraud became national news, advertisers moved out of programming entirely. The quiz show scandals also added to an increasing skepticism of ads and consumer culture (Boddy, 1990).

Advertising research during the 1950s had used scientifically driven techniques to attempt to influence consumer opinion. Although the effectiveness of this type of advertising is questionable, the idea of consumer manipulation through scientific methods became an issue for many Americans. Vance Packard’s best-selling 1957 book The Hidden Persuaders targeted this style of advertising. The Hidden Persuaders and other books like it were part of a growing critique of 1950s consumer culture. The U.S. public was becoming increasingly wary of advertising claims—not to mention increasingly weary of ads themselves. A few adventurous ad agencies used this consumer fatigue to usher in a new era of advertising and American culture (Frank, 1998).

The Creative Revolution

Burdened by association with Nazi Germany, where the company had originated, Volkswagen took a daring risk during the 1950s. In 1959, the Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) agency initiated an ad campaign for the company that targeted skeptics of contemporary culture. Using a frank personal tone with the audience and making fun of the planned obsolescence that was the hallmark of Detroit automakers, the campaign stood apart from other advertisements of the time. It used many of the consumer icons of the 1950s, such as suburbia and game shows, in a satirical way, pitting Volkswagen against mainstream conformity and placing it strongly on the side of the consumer. By the end of the 1960s, the campaign had become an icon of American anticonformity. In fact, it was such a success that other automakers quickly emulated it. Ads for the Dodge Fever, for example, mocked corporate values and championed rebellion. 9

This era of advertising became known as the creative revolution for its emphasis on creativity over straight salesmanship. The creative revolution reflected the values of the growing anticonformist movement that culminated in the countercultural revolution of the 1960s. The creativity and anticonformity of 1960s advertising quickly gave way to more product-oriented conventional ads during the 1970s. Agency conglomeration, a recession, and cultural fallout were all factors in the recycling of older ad techniques. Major TV networks dropped their long-standing ban on comparative advertising early in the decade, leading to a new trend in positioning ads that compared products. Advertising wars such as Coke versus Pepsi and, later, Microsoft versus Apple were products of this trend. 10

Innovations in the 1980s stemmed from a new TV channel: MTV. Producers of youth-oriented products created ads featuring music and focusing on stylistic effects, mirroring the look and feel of music videos. By the end of the decade, this style had extended to more mainstream products. Campaigns for the pain reliever Nuprin featured black-and-white footage with bright yellow pills, whereas ads for Michelob used grainy atmospheric effects (New York Times, 1989).

Advertising Stumbles

During the late 1980s, studies showed that consumers were trending away from brands and brand loyalty. A recession coupled with general consumer fatigue led to an increase in generic brand purchases and a decrease in advertising. In 1983, marketing budgets allocated 70 percent of their expenditures to ads and the remaining 30 percent to other forms of promotion. By 1993, only 25 percent of marketing budgets were dedicated to ads (Klein, 2002).

These developments resulted in the rise of big-box stores such as Wal-Mart that focused on low prices rather than expensive name brands. Large brands remade themselves during this period to focus less on their products and more on the ideas behind the brand. Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign, endorsed by basketball star Michael Jordan, gave the company a new direction and a new means of promotion. Nike representatives have stated they have become more of a “marketing-oriented company” as opposed to a product manufacturer. 11

Figure 12.7

In the 1990s, Nike was the target of protests due to its questionable labor practices.

WBUR Boston’s NPR News Station – Protest – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

As large brands became more popular, they also attracted the attention of reformers. Companies such as Starbucks and Nike bore the brunt of late 1990s sweatshop and labor protests. As these brands attempted to incorporate ideas outside of the scope of their products, they also came to represent larger global commerce forces (Hornblower, 2000). This type of branding increasingly incorporated public relations techniques that will be discussed later in this chapter.

The Rise of Digital Media

Twenty-first-century advertising has adapted to new forms of digital media. Internet outlets such as blogs, social media forums, and other online spaces have created new possibilities for advertisers, and shifts in broadcasting toward Internet formats have threatened older forms of advertising. Video games, smartphones, and other technologies also present new possibilities. Specific new media advertising techniques will be covered in the next section.

Types of Advertising

Despite the rise of digital media, many types of traditional advertising have proven their enduring effectiveness. Local advertisers and large corporations continue to rely on billboards and direct-mail fliers. In 2009, Google initiated a billboard campaign for its Google Apps products that targeted business commuters. The billboards featured a different message every day for an entire month, using simple computer text messages portraying a fictitious executive learning about the product. Although this campaign was integrated with social media sites such as Twitter, its main thrust employed the basic billboard (Ionescu, 2009).

Figure 12.8

Google billboards targeted commuters, creating a story that spanned the course of a month.

Danny Sullivan – Ask Versus Google In Billboards – CC BY 2.0.

Newspapers and Magazines

Although print ads have been around for centuries, Internet growth has hit newspaper advertising hard. A 45 percent drop in ad revenue between 2007 and 2010 signaled a catastrophic decline for the newspaper industry (Sterling, 2010). Traditionally, newspapers have made money through commercial and classified advertising. Commercial advertisers, however, have moved to electronic media forms, and classified ad websites such as Craigslist offer greater geographic coverage for free. The future of newspaper advertising—and of the newspaper industry as a whole—is up in the air.

Print magazines have suffered from many of the same difficulties as newspapers. Declining advertising revenue has contributed to the end of popular magazines such as Gourmet and to the introduction of new magazines that cross over into other media formats, such as Food Network Magazine . Until a new, effective model is developed, the future of magazine advertising will continue to be in doubt.

Compared to newspapers and magazines, radio’s advertising revenue has done well. Radio’s easy adaptation to new forms of communication has made it an easy sell to advertisers. Unlike newspapers, radio ads target specific consumers. Advertisers can also pay to have radio personalities read their ads live in the studio, adding a sense of personal endorsement to the business or product. Because newer forms of radio such as satellite and Internet stations have continued to use this model, the industry has not had as much trouble adapting as print media have.

TV advertisement relies on verbal as well as visual cues to sell items. Promotional ad time is purchased by the advertiser, and a spot usually runs 15 to 30 seconds. Longer ads, known as infomercials, run like a TV show and usually aim for direct viewer response. New technologies such as DVR allow TV watchers to skip through commercials; however, studies have shown that these technologies do not have a negative effect on advertising (Gallagher, 2010). This is partly due to product placement. Product placement is an important aspect of TV advertising, because it incorporates products into the plots of shows. Although product placement has been around since the 1890s, when the Lumière brothers first placed Lever soap in their movies, the big boom in product placement began with the reality TV show Survivor in 2000 (Anderson, 2006). Since then, product placement has been a staple of prime-time entertainment. Reality TV shows such as Project Runway and American Idol are known for exhibiting products on screen, and talk-show host Oprah Winfrey made news in 2004 when she gave away new Pontiacs to her audience members (Stansky, 2008). Even children’s shows are known to hock products; a new cartoon series recently began on Nickelodeon featuring characters that represent different Sketchers sneakers (Freidman, 2010).

Digital Media

Emerging digital media platforms such as the Internet and mobile phones have created many new advertising possibilities. The Internet, like TV and radio, offers free services in exchange for advertising exposure. However, unlike radio or TV, the Internet is a highly personalized experience that shares private information.

As you read in Chapter 11 “The Internet and Social Media” , new advertising techniques have become popular on the Internet. Advertisers have tried to capitalize on the shared-media phenomenon by creating viral ads that achieve spontaneous success online. Fewer than one in six ads that are intended to go viral actually succeed, so marketers have developed strategies to encourage an advertisement’s viral potential. Successful spots focus on creativity rather than a hard-selling strategy and generally target a specific audience (Fox Business, 2010). Recent Old Spice ads featured former NFL player Isaiah Mustafa in a set of continuous scenes, from a shower room to a yacht. The commercial ends with the actor on horseback, a theatrical trick that left viewers wondering how the stunt was pulled off. As of July 2010, the ad was the most popular video on YouTube with more than 94 million views, and Old Spice sales had risen 106 percent (Neff, 2010).

Social Media

Social media sites such as Facebook use the information users provide on their profiles to generate targeted advertisements. For instance, if a person is a fan of Mariah Carey or joined a group associated with the singer, he or she might see announcements advertising her new CD or a local concert. While this may seem harmless, clicking on an ad sends user data to the advertising company, including name and user ID. Many people have raised privacy concerns over this practice, yet it remains in use. Free e-mail services such as Gmail also depend on targeted advertising for their survival. Indeed, advertising is the only way such services could continue. Given the ongoing privacy debates concerning targeted Internet advertising, a balance between a user’s privacy and accessibility of services will have to be settled in the near future.

Mobile Phones

Mobile phones provide several different avenues for advertisers. The growing use of Internet radio through mobile-phone platforms has created a market for advertisements tapped by radio advertising networks such as TargetSpot. By using the radio advertising model for mobile phones, users receive increased radio broadcast options and advertisers reach new targeted markets (Marketwire, 2010).

Another development in the mobile-phone market is the use of advertising in smartphone apps. Free versions of mobile-phone applications often include advertising to pay for the service. Popular apps such as WeatherBug and Angry Birds offer free versions with ads in the margins; however, users can avoid these ads by paying a few dollars to upgrade to “Pro” versions. Other apps such as Foursquare access a user’s geographic location and offer ads for businesses within walking distance (Fairlee, 2010).

Figure 12.9

Free smartphone apps often contain ads to help pay for the service.

David Berkowitz – Beck’s Campaign on Pandora iPhone App – Music Screen – CC BY 2.0.

Government Regulation of Advertising

Advertising regulation has played an important role in advertising’s history and cultural influence. One of the earliest federal laws addressing advertising was the Pure Food and Drug Law of 1906. A reaction to public outcry over the false claims of patent medicines, this law required informational labels to be placed on these products. It did not, however, address the questionable aspects of the advertisements, so it did not truly delve into the issue of false advertising. 12

The Formation of the FTC

Founded in 1914, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) became responsible for regulating false advertising claims. Although federal laws concerning these practices made plaintiffs prove that actual harm was done by the advertisement, state laws passed during the early 1920s allowed prosecution of misleading advertisements regardless of harm done. 13 The National Association of Attorneys General has helped states remain an important part of advertising regulation. In 1995, 13 states passed laws that required sweepstakes companies to provide full disclosure of rules and details of contests (O’Guinn, et. al., 2009).

During the Great Depression, New Deal legislation threatened to outlaw any misleading advertising, a result of the burgeoning consumer movement and the public outcry against advertising during the period (Time, 1941). The reformers did not fully achieve their goals, but they did make a permanent mark on advertising history. The 1938 Wheeler-Lea Amendment expanded the FTC’s role to protect consumers from deceptive advertising. Until this point, the FTC was responsible for addressing false advertising complaints from competitors. With this legislation, the agency also became an important resource for the consumer movement.

Truth in Advertising

In 1971, the FTC began the Advertising Substantiation Program to force advertisers to provide evidence for the claims in their advertisements. Under this program, the FTC gained the power to issue cease-and-desist orders to advertisers regarding specific ads in question and to order corrective advertising. Under this provision, the FTC can force a company to issue an advertisement acknowledging and correcting an earlier misleading ad. Regulations under this program established that supposed experts used in advertisements must be qualified experts in their field, and celebrities must actually use the products they endorse. 14 In 2006, Sunny Health Nutrition was brought to court for advertising height-enhancing pills called HeightMax. The FTC found the company had hired an actor to appear as an expert in its ads, and that the pills did not live up to their claim. Sunny Health Nutrition was forced to pay $375,000 to consumers for misrepresenting its product (Consumer Affairs, 2006).

In 1992, the FTC introduced guidelines defining terms such as biodegradable and recyclable . The growth of the environmental movement in the early 1990s led to an upsurge in environmental claims by manufacturers and advertisers. For example, Mobil Oil claimed their Hefty trash bags were biodegradable. While technically this statement is true, a 500- to 1,000-year decomposition cycle does not meet most people’s definitions of the term (Lapidos, 2007). The FTC guidelines made such claims false by law (Schneider, 1992).

Regulation of the Internet

The FTC has also turned its attention to online advertising. The Children’s Online Privacy Act of 1998 was passed to prohibit companies from obtaining the personal information of children who access websites or other online resources. Because of the youth orientation of the Internet, newer advertising techniques have drawn increasing criticism. Alcohol companies in particular have come under scrutiny. Beer manufacturer Heineken’s online presence includes a virtual city in which users can own an apartment and use services such as e-mail. This practice mirrors that of children’s advertising, in which companies often create virtual worlds to immerse children in their products. However, the age-verification requirements to participate in this type of environment are easily falsified and can lead to young children being exposed to more mature content (Gardner, 2010).

Consumer and privacy advocates who are concerned over privacy intrusions by advertisers have also called for Internet ad regulation. In 2009, the FTC acted on complaints against Sears that resulted in an injunction against the company for not providing sufficient disclosure. Sears offered $10 to consumers to download a program that tracked their Internet browsing. The FTC came down on Sears because the downloaded software tracked sensitive information that was not fully disclosed to the consumer. Similar consumer complaints against Facebook and Google for their consumer tracking have, at present, not resulted in FTC actions; however, the growing outcry makes new regulation of Internet advertising likely (Shields, 2010).

Advertising’s Influence on Culture

Discussing advertising’s influence on culture raises a long-standing debate. One opinion states that advertising simply reflects the trends inherent in a culture, the other claims advertising takes an active role in shaping culture. Both ideas have merit and are most likely true to varying degrees.

Advertising and the Rise of Consumer Culture

George Babbitt, the protagonist of Sinclair Lewis’s 1922 novel Babbitt , was a true believer in the growing American consumer culture:

Just as the priests of the Presbyterian Church determined his every religious belief…so did the national advertisers fix the surface of his life, fix what he believed to be his individuality. These standard advertised wares—toothpastes, socks, tires, cameras, instantaneous hot-water heaters—were his symbols and proofs of excellence; at first the signs, and then the substitutes, for joy and passion and wisdom (Lewis, 1922).

Although Lewis’s fictional representation of a 1920s-era consumer may not be an actual person, it indicates the national consumer culture that was taking shape at the time. As it had always done, advertising sought to attach products to larger ideas and symbols of worth and cultural values. However, the rise of mass media and of the advertising models that these media embraced made advertising take on an increasingly influential cultural role.

Automobile ads of the 1920s portrayed cars as a new, free way of life rather than simply a means of transportation. Advertisers used new ideas about personal hygiene to sell products and ended up breaking taboos about public discussion of the body. The newly acknowledged epidemics of halitosis and body odor brought about products such as mouthwash and deodorant. A Listerine campaign of the era transformed bad breath from a nuisance into the mark of a sociopath (Ashenburg, 2008). Women’s underwear and menstruation went from being topics unsuitable for most family conversations to being fodder for the pages of national magazines. 15

Figure 12.10

Advertisements for deodorants and other hygiene products broke social taboos about public discussion of hygiene.

Classic Film – 1964 Beauty Ad, Yodora Deodorant – CC BY-NC 2.0.

Creating the Modern World

World War I bond campaigns had made it clear that advertising could be used to influence public beliefs and values. Advertising focused on the new—making new products and ideas seem better than older ones and ushering in a sense of the modernity. In an address to the American Association of Advertising Agencies in 1926, President Coolidge went as far as to hold advertisers responsible for the “regeneration and redemption of mankind (Marchand, 1985).”

Up through the 1960s, most advertising agencies were owned and staffed by affluent white men, and advertising’s portrayals of typical American families reflected this status quo. Mainstream culture as propagated by magazine, radio, and newspaper advertising was that of middle- or upper-class White suburban families (Marchand, 1985). This sanitized image of the suburban family, popularized in such TV programs as Leave It to Beaver , has been mercilessly satirized since the cultural backlash of the 1960s.

A great deal of that era’s cultural criticism targeted the image of the advertiser as a manipulator and promulgator of superficial consumerism. When advertisers for Volkswagen picked up on this criticism, turned it to their advantage, and created a new set of consumer symbols that would come to represent an age of rebellion, they neatly co-opted the arguments against advertising for their own purposes. In many instances, advertising has functioned as a codifier of its own ideals by taking new cultural values and turning them into symbols of a new phase of consumerism. This is the goal of effective advertising.

Apple’s 1984 campaign is one of the most well-known examples of defining a product in terms of new cultural trends. A fledgling company compared to computer giants IBM and Xerox, Apple spent nearly $2 million on a commercial that would end up only being aired once (McAloney, 1984). During the third quarter of the 1984 Super Bowl, viewers across the United States watched in amazement as an ad unlike any other at the time appeared on their TV screens. The commercial showed a drab gray auditorium where identical individuals sat in front of a large screen. On the screen was a man, addressing the audience with an eerily captivating voice. “We are one people, with one will,” he droned. “Our enemies shall talk themselves to death. And we will bury them with their own confusion. We shall prevail (McAloney, 1984)!” While the audience sat motionlessly, one woman ran forward with a sledgehammer and threw it at the screen, causing it to explode in a flash of light and smoke. As the scene faded out, a narrator announced the product. “On January 24, Apple Computer will introduce the Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like 1984 (Freidman, 1984).” With this commercial, Apple defined itself as a pioneer of the new generation. Instead of marketing its products as utilitarian tools, it advertised them as devices for combating conformity (Freidman, 1984). Over the next few decades, other companies imitated this approach, presenting their products as symbols of cultural values.

In his study of advertising’s cultural impact, The Conquest of Cool , Thomas Frank compares the advertising of the 1960s with that of the early 1990s:

How [advertisers] must have rejoiced when the leading minds of the culture industry announced the discovery of an all-new angry generation, the “Twenty-Somethings,” complete with a panoply of musical styles, hairdos, and verbal signifiers ready-made to rejuvenate advertising’s sagging credibility…. The strangest aspect of what followed wasn’t the immediate onslaught of even hipper advertising, but that the entire “Generation X” discourse repeated…the discussions of youth culture that had appeared in Advertising Age , Madison Avenue , and on all those youth-market panel discussions back in the sixties. 16

To be clear, advertisers have not set out to consciously manipulate the public in the name of consumer culture. Rather, advertisers are simply doing their job—one that has had an enormous influence on culture.

Advertising Stereotypes

The White, middle-class composition of ad agencies contributed to advertisements’ rare depictions of minority populations. DDB—the agency responsible for the Volkswagen ads of the 1960s—was an anomaly in this regard. One of its more popular ads was for Levy’s rye bread. Most conventional advertisers would have ignored the ethnic aspects of this product and simply marketed it to a mainstream White audience. Instead, the innovative agency created an ad campaign that made ethnic diversity a selling point, with spots featuring individuals from a variety of racial backgrounds eating the bread with the headline “You don’t have to be Jewish to love Levy’s.”

During the 1950s, stereotypical images of African Americans promulgated by advertisers began to draw criticism from civil rights leaders. Icons such as Aunt Jemima, the Cream of Wheat chef, and the Hiram Walker butler were some of the most recognizable black figures in U.S. culture. Unlike the African Americans who had gained fame through their artistry, scholarship, and athleticism, however, these advertising characters were famous for being domestic servants.

During the 1960s, meetings of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) hosted civil rights leaders, and agencies began to respond to the criticisms of bias. A New York survey in the mid-1960s discovered that Blacks were underrepresented at advertising agencies. Many agencies responded by hiring new African American employees, and a number of Black-owned agencies started in the 1970s. 17

Early advertising frequently reached out to women because they made approximately 80 percent of all consumer purchases. Thus, women were well represented in advertising. However, those depictions presented women in extremely narrow roles. Through the 1960s, ads targeting women generally showed them performing domestic duties such as cooking or cleaning, whereas ads targeting men often placed women in a submissive sexual role even if the product lacked any overt sexual connotation. A National Car Rental ad from the early 1970s featured a disheveled female employee in a chair with the headline “Go Ahead, Take Advantage of Us.” Another ad from the 1970s pictured a man with new Dacron slacks standing on top of a woman, proclaiming, “It’s nice to have a girl around the house (Frauenfelder, 2008).”

An advertising profile printed in Advertising Age magazine gave a typical advertiser’s understanding of the housewife at the time:

She likes to watch TV and she does not enjoy reading a great deal. She is most easily reached through TV and the simple down-to-earth magazines…. Mental activity is arduous for her…. She is a person who wants to have things she can believe in rather than things she can think about (Rodnitzky, 1999).

The National Organization for Women (NOW) created a campaign during the early 1970s targeting the role of women in advertisements. Participants complained about the ads to networks and companies and even spray-painted slogans on offensive billboards in protest.

Representation of minorities and women in advertising has improved since the 1960s and ’70s, but it still remains a problem. The 2010 Super Bowl drew one of the most diverse audiences ever recorded for the event, including a 45 percent female audience. Yet the commercials remained focused strictly on men. And of 67 ads shown during the game, only four showed minority actors in a lead role. Despite the obvious economic benefit of diversity in marketing, advertising practices have resisted change (Ali, 2010).

Advertising to Children

The majority of advertisements that target children feature either toys or junk food. Children under the age of eight typically lack the ability to distinguish between fantasy and reality, and many advertisers use this to their advantage. Studies have shown that most children-focused food advertisements feature high-calorie, low-nutrition foods such as sugary cereals. Although the government regulates advertising to children to a degree, the Internet has introduced new means of marketing to youth that have not been addressed. Online video games called advergames feature famous child-oriented products. The games differ from traditional advertising, however, because the children playing them will experience a much longer period of product exposure than they do from the typical 30-second TV commercial. Child advocacy groups have been pushing for increased regulation of advertising to children, but it remains to be seen whether this will take place (Calvert, 2008).

Positive Effects of Advertising

Although many people focus on advertising’s negative outcomes, the medium has provided unique benefits over time. Early newspaper advertising allowed newspapers to become independent of church and government control, encouraging the development of a free press with the ability to criticize powerful interests. When newspapers and magazines moved to an advertising model, these publications became accessible to large groups of people who previously could not afford them. Advertising also contributed to radio’s and TV’s most successful eras. Radio’s golden age in the 1940s and TV’s golden age in the 1950s both took place when advertisers were creating or heavily involved with the production of most of the programs.

Advertising also makes newer forms of media both useful and accessible. Many Internet services, such as e-mail and smartphone applications, are only free because they feature advertising. Advertising allows promoters and service providers to reduce and sometimes eliminate the upfront purchase price, making these services available to a greater number of people and allowing lower economic classes to take part in mass culture.

Advertising has also been a longtime promoter of the arts. During the Renaissance, painters and composers often relied on wealthy patrons or governments to promote their work. Corporate advertising has given artists new means to fund their creative efforts. In addition, many artists and writers have been able to support themselves by working for advertisers. The use of music in commercials, particularly in recent years, has provided musicians with notoriety and income. Indeed, it is hard to imagine the cultural landscape of the United States without advertising.

Key Takeaways

• Advertising has existed since ancient times but began to take on its modern form during the Age of Exploration. By the 19th century, newspapers and magazines had begun printing advertising to generate needed revenues.
• Although many considered advertising to be lowbrow or immoral up to the early 20th century, it saw greater acceptance after its use during World War I to encourage support for the war.
• Up to the mid-20th century, advertising featured stereotypical affluent White families and was sale driven. Criticism of advertiser manipulation became the basis of a new style of advertising during the creative revolution of the 1960s.
• The rise of the Internet has caused print advertising revenues to decline but allows for personally targeted ads. Such tracking practices have aroused concern from privacy groups.
• The Federal Trade Commission is charged with ensuring that advertisements make verifiable claims and do not overtly mislead consumers.
• Advertising has infused American culture with mass images and ideas, creating a nation of consumers and shaping how people view themselves and others.

Please answer the following short-answer questions. Each response should be a minimum of one paragraph.

• What are the important eras in the history of American advertising?
• How does government regulation affect advertising?
• What types of advertising are in use today?
• What influence does advertising have on American consumerism and culture?
• How has advertising affected newspapers?

1 Mierau, 42.

2 Hood, 28–51.

3 Fox, 74–77.

5 Fox, 121–124.

6 Fox, 168.

7 Fox, 173.

8 Fox, 210–215.

9 Frank, 60–67, 159.

10 Fox, 324–325.

11 Klein, 12–22.

12 Fox, 65–66.

13 Hood, 74–75.

14 O’Guinn, Allen, and Semenik, 131–137.

15 Fox, 95–96.

16 Frank, 233–235.

17 Fox, 278–284.

Ali, Sam. “New Study: Super Bowl Ads Created by White Men,” DiversityInc.com , May 10, 2010., http://www.diversityinc.com/article/7566/New-Study-Super-Bowl-Ads-Created-by-White-Men/ .

All Classic Ads, “Advertising Timeline,” Vintage Collection, All Classic Ads, http://www.allclassicads.com/advertising-timeline.html .

Anderson, Nate. “Product placement in the DVR era,” Ars Technica (blog), March 19, 2006, http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2006/03/productplacement.ars .

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Ashenburg, Katherine. The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History (Toronto: Vintage Canada, 2008), 245–247.

Boddy, William. “The Seven Dwarfs and the Money Grubbers: The Public Relations Crisis of US Television in the Late 1950s,” in Logics of Television: Essays in Cultural Criticism , ed. Patricia Mellencamp (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1990), 110.

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Understanding Media and Culture Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Chapter 11: Advertising Industry

61 The role of advertising in society

Advertising is the paid promotion that uses strategy and messaging about the benefits of a product or service to influence a target audience’s attitudes and/or behaviors. Between online, television, radio, and print platforms, the average American sees hundreds, even thousands of advertisements daily.

Although many consumers find them annoying, advertisements play a prominent role in shaping opinions about everything from products to politics. A Forbes article (2012) stated: “Advertising plays the same role in your media diet that vegetables play in your regular diet; most of us would prefer to skip that course and go straight to dessert. But, just like veggies, advertising plays an important role in sustaining a body; in this case, a diverse body of content” (para. 1). Advertising heavily supports many institutions, including news media outlets, the television industry, search engine companies, and social media websites. For example, advertising contributes up to 80 percent of revenue for newspapers and therefore is critical to maintaining the circulation of the press (Newspaper Association of America, 2014).

The advertising industry is also lucrative. According to eMarketer (2016), the United States spent approximately $190 billion on advertising in 2015. About a third of that figure went to television advertisements, and another third went to digital advertising. With its economic and cultural function in society, the advertising industry has an expansive reach.

Writing for Strategic Communication Industries Copyright © 2016 by Jasmine Roberts is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Ethics in Advertising and Its Importance Essay

Introduction, the essence of ethics in advertisement, types of advertising and the benefits of advertising.

Ethics refers to a set of moral standards governing human behaviors and actions. As a result, ethical principles facilitate human understanding and enable individuals to achieve a common ground when interacting and carrying out their activities. However, ethical obligations also apply to forces that can interfere with the development and well-being of individuals, thus stretching its tenets to inanimate factors like the implications of organizations and businesses. On that account, ethics in advertising is a topic that has gained media attention over the past decades due to numerous concerns about the truthfulness and reliability of advertisements aired to the public. Therefore, the following essay describes why ethics in advertising is an issue that requires increased attention, the types of advertising, and the benefits of advertising.

The advertising industry hosts some of the most established and successful organizations globally due to its high demand and lucrative returns. However, advertisements pose a significant threat to human beings because individuals tend to believe what they see and hear from authoritative TV channels and media personalities. Research by Kosnik (2018) suggests that most individuals, especially millennials, have an intrinsic need to belong to a community. As a result, they depend on advertisements to inform their product preferences and purchasing behaviors. In other words, when consumers learn of a product that everyone else is using and praising for its beneficial values, they are inclined to purchase these products to avoid feeling left out. Hence, misinformation can come as a huge blow and result in adversities in the case of hazardous products.

Although many individuals know of the power of media houses in creating awareness and mobilizing the public, individuals have turned a deaf ear to the quality and reliability of advertising for decades. On the other hand, some people refute that advertising can be hazardous to individuals as long as they know the terms of the contract they are getting into. Malthouse et al. (2018) suggest that advertising is a transaction between two parties, an advertiser and its audience. As a result, both parties have the right to make buying and selling decisions based on the information they receive. Nonetheless, the information should be representative, appropriate, and adequate to support informed decision-making. Hence, it is evident that most organizations do not hold their end of the bargain because they use advertising platforms to take advantage of consumers.

Ethical misdemeanors in advertising are not a strange phenomenon. Several media houses and business corporations have been held accountable for misleading individuals into purchasing products and spearheading initiatives that do not assure consumer benefits. The advertising industry thrives with messages that urge consumers to try out new products by virtue, but they can easily distort information without raising eyebrows and lead consumers to purchase products they don’t need (Drumwright, 2019). For example, pharmaceutical companies have been in the limelight over the past few years for misleading individuals by alienating specific lifestyle conditions and tricking people into buying drugs and supplements that do not necessarily add value to their life. Sadly, some of these drugs have notable side effects after prolonged use, thus risking the lives of millions of unaware consumers. From this viewpoint, some forms of advertising are morally inappropriate because they interfere with individuals’ rationality, course of action, product choices, and life quality.

Ethics are as important in advertising as they are in individuals’ lives. Thus, practicing ethics in advertisements is healthy because it gives consumers satisfaction with products whether they require them or want them. Ethics are important in advertising because they give customers the knowledge they need to decide on what product they will buy and how it will enhance their living standards. Therefore, ethical advertising promotes a just business environment because it enables consumers to make valuable product choices (Drumwright, 2019). Ethics are also important in advertising because they inform customers of their value to business corporations, suppliers, and product manufacturers. When consumers notice moral standards in their advertisements, they will establish their trust in the brand, thus promoting the business.

Ethical advertising also allows business organizations to foster long-lasting relationships with customers by sharing their goals, objectives, ambitions, and where they plan to be in the coming years. Businesses achieve this by providing consumers with adequate knowledge of what they are selling and how it can change people’s lives. Consequently, ethical advertising encourages consumers and members of society to support business initiatives and establish an environment that is beneficial to all parties (Wang et al., 2018). However, moral advertising is a critical component of success that is more effective when an organization adopts a suitable advertising solution for its business. On that account, it is crucial to ensure that the advertising approach aligns with the business goals.

Advertising techniques are divided into three broad categories depending on the media used to portray the message. The three different types of advertising solutions include television or radio advertising, newspaper or magazine advertising, and online advertising. Although magazines and newspapers leave a long-lasting impression, they do not reach a lot of individuals compared to radio, TV, and online solutions. Similarly, radio and television advertisements reach a broader consumer base but are not cost-effective (Wang et al., 2018). Therefore, they might not ensure a return on investment. Finally, online solutions offer the most versatile advertising platform due to their reliability, cost efficiency, and convenience. However, all these options are viable depending on the purpose of the advertising initiatives and the target market.

Advertising has several benefits to businesses and the community since it aids in knowledge transfer and sharing of information. Moreover, it eliminates middlemen who buy products from producers at low prices and sell them at hiked prices. Additionally, business organizations can warn their consumers about counterfeited products through advertising, resulting in higher consumer satisfaction and the purchase of high-quality products. Thus, advertising educates the general public about what is on the market and whether these products require purchasing. Subsequently, when a business advertises its product, it will gain more customers than those that do not advertise (Rodgers, & Nguyen, 2022). Hence, advertising is beneficial to organizations seeking to expand and thrive in new territories.

Media advertising is an activity that holds notable power since it can influence individuals toward a specific direction or away from a particular product. As a result, product manufacturers, business organizations, and shareholders in the advertising industry should limit sending the wrong information to individuals since it can lead to adversities. Ethics in advertising guides media houses and advertisers on the moral standards to adhere to when providing consumers with information about a product. If carried out appropriately, advertising can have a significant impact on consumer trust, loyalty, and product promotion, thus the growth and development of businesses. Therefore, it is critical to observe all the tenets of ethics and their application in advertising for the best outcomes.

Drumwright, M. E. (2019). Ethics and advertising theory. In Advertising theory (pp. 503-522). Routledge.

Kosnik, E. (2018). Production for consumption: Prosumer, citizen‐consumer, and ethical consumption in a post-growth context. Economic Anthropology , 5 (1), 123-134.

Malthouse, E. C., Maslowska, E., & Franks, J. U. (2018). Understanding programmatic TV advertising. international Journal of Advertising , 37 (5), 769-784.

Rodgers, W., & Nguyen, T. (2022). Advertising benefits from ethical artificial intelligence algorithmic purchase decision pathways. Journal of Business Ethics , 1-19.

Wang, G., Zhuo, L., Li, J., Ren, D., & Zhang, J. (2018). An efficient method of content-targeted online video advertising. Journal of visual communication and image representation , 50, 40-48.

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IvyPanda. (2023, March 20). Ethics in Advertising and Its Importance. https://ivypanda.com/essays/ethics-in-advertising-and-its-importance/

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IvyPanda . 2023. "Ethics in Advertising and Its Importance." March 20, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/ethics-in-advertising-and-its-importance/.

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IvyPanda . "Ethics in Advertising and Its Importance." March 20, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/ethics-in-advertising-and-its-importance/.

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Why Media? What Do Media Do for Us?

Even a brief history of media can leave one breathless. The speed, reach, and power of the technology are humbling. The evolution can seem almost natural and inevitable, but it is important to stop and ask a basic question: Why? Why do media seem to play such an important role in our lives and our culture? With reflection, we can see that media fulfill several basic roles.

One obvious role is entertainment . Media can act as a springboard for our imaginations, a source of fantasy, and an outlet for escapism. In the 19th century, Victorian readers, disillusioned by the grimness of the Industrial Revolution, found themselves drawn into books that offered fantastic worlds of fairies and other unreal beings. In the first decade of the 21st century, American television viewers could relax at the end of a day by watching singers, both wonderful and terrible, compete to be idols or watch two football teams do battle. Media entertain and distract us in the midst of busy and hard lives.

Media can also provide information and education . Information can come in many forms, and often blurs the line with entertainment. Today, newspapers and news-oriented television and radio programs make available stories from across the globe, allowing readers or viewers in London to have access to voices and videos from Baghdad, Tokyo, or Buenos Aires. Books and magazines provide a more in-depth look at a wide range of subjects. Online encyclopedias have articles on topics from presidential nicknames to child prodigies to tongue-twisters in various languages. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has posted free lecture notes, exams, and audio and video recordings of classes on its OpenCourseWare website, allowing anyone with an Internet connection access to world-class professors.

Another useful aspect of media is its ability to act as a public forum for the discussion of important issues. In newspapers or other periodicals, letters to the editor allow readers to respond to journalists, or voice their opinions on the issues of the day. These letters have been an important part of U.S. newspapers even when the nation was a British colony, and they have served as a means of public discourse ever since. Blogs, discussion boards, and online comments are modern forums. Indeed, the Internet can be seen as a fundamentally democratic medium that allows people who can get online the ability to put their voices out there—though whether anyone will hear is another question.

Media can also serve to monitor government, business, and other institutions . Upton Sinclair’s 1906 novel The Jungle exposed the miserable conditions in the turn-of-the-century meatpacking industry. In the early 1970s, Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncovered evidence of the Watergate break-in and subsequent cover-up, which eventually led to the resignation of then-president Richard Nixon. Online journalists today try to uphold the “watchdog” role of the media.

Thinking more deeply, we can recognize that certain media are better at certain roles. Media have characteristics that influence how we use them. While some forms of mass media are better suited to entertainment, others make more sense as a venue for spreading information. For example, in terms of print media, books are durable and able to contain lots of information, but are relatively slow and expensive to produce. In contrast, newspapers are comparatively cheaper and quicker to create, making them a better medium for the quick turnover of daily news. Television provides vastly more visual information than radio, and is more dynamic than a static printed page; it can also be used to broadcast live events to a nationwide audience, as in the annual State of the Union addresses given by the U.S. president. However, it is also a one-way medium—that is, it allows for very little direct person-to-person communication. In contrast, the Internet encourages public discussion of issues and allows nearly everyone who wants a voice to have one. However, the Internet is also largely unmoderated and uncurated. Users may have to wade through thousands of inane comments or misinformed amateur opinions in order to find quality information.

In the 1960s media theorist Marshall McLuhan took these ideas one step further, with the phrase “the medium is the message.” McLuhan emphasized that each medium delivers information in a different way and that content is fundamentally shaped by that medium. For example, although television news has the advantage of offering video and live coverage, making a story come vividly alive, it is also a faster-paced medium. That means stories get reported in different ways than print. A story told on television will often be more visual, have less information, and be able to offer less history and context than the same story covered in a monthly magazine. This feature of media technology leads to interesting arguments. For example, some people claim that television presents “dumbed down” information. Others disagree. In an essay about television’s effects on contemporary fiction, writer David Foster Wallace scoffed at the “reactionaries who regard TV as some malignancy visited on an innocent populace, sapping IQs and compromising SAT scores while we all sit there on ever fatter bottoms with little mesmerized spirals revolving in our eyes…Treating television as evil is just as reductive and silly as treating it like a toaster with pictures.” David Foster Wallace, A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again (New York: Little Brown, 1997).

We do not have to cast value judgments but can affirm: People who get the majority of their news from a particular medium will have a particular view of the world shaped not just by the content of what they watch but also by its medium . Or, as computer scientist Alan Kay put it, “Each medium has a special way of representing ideas that emphasize particular ways of thinking and de-emphasize others” (Alan Kay, “The Infobahn is Not the Answer,” Wired , May 1994). The Internet has made this discussion even richer because it seems to hold all other media within it—print, radio, film, television and more. If indeed the medium is the message, the Internet provides us with an extremely interesting message to consider.

Media Communication, Convergence and Literacy Copyright © by Enyonam Osei-Hwere and Patrick Osei-Hwere is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Feb 15, 2023

6 Example Essays on Social Media | Advantages, Effects, and Outlines

Got an essay assignment about the effects of social media we got you covered check out our examples and outlines below.

Social media has become one of our society's most prominent ways of communication and information sharing in a very short time. It has changed how we communicate and has given us a platform to express our views and opinions and connect with others. It keeps us informed about the world around us. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn have brought individuals from all over the world together, breaking down geographical borders and fostering a genuinely global community.

However, social media comes with its difficulties. With the rise of misinformation, cyberbullying, and privacy problems, it's critical to utilize these platforms properly and be aware of the risks. Students in the academic world are frequently assigned essays about the impact of social media on numerous elements of our lives, such as relationships, politics, and culture. These essays necessitate a thorough comprehension of the subject matter, critical thinking, and the ability to synthesize and convey information clearly and succinctly.

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So, whether you're a student looking to better your essay writing skills or want to remain up to date on the latest social media advancements, Jenni.ai is here to help. Jenni.ai is the ideal tool for helping you write your finest essay ever, thanks to its simple design, an extensive database of example essays, and cutting-edge AI technology. So, why delay? Sign up for a free trial of Jenni.ai today and begin exploring the worlds of social networking and essay writing!

Want to learn how to write an argumentative essay? Check out these inspiring examples!

We will provide various examples of social media essays so you may get a feel for the genre.

6 Examples of Social Media Essays

Here are 6 examples of Social Media Essays:

The Impact of Social Media on Relationships and Communication

Introduction:.

The way we share information and build relationships has evolved as a direct result of the prevalence of social media in our daily lives. The influence of social media on interpersonal connections and conversation is a hot topic. Although social media has many positive effects, such as bringing people together regardless of physical proximity and making communication quicker and more accessible, it also has a dark side that can affect interpersonal connections and dialogue.

Positive Effects:

Connecting People Across Distances

One of social media's most significant benefits is its ability to connect individuals across long distances. People can use social media platforms to interact and stay in touch with friends and family far away. People can now maintain intimate relationships with those they care about, even when physically separated.

Improved Communication Speed and Efficiency

Additionally, the proliferation of social media sites has accelerated and simplified communication. Thanks to instant messaging, users can have short, timely conversations rather than lengthy ones via email. Furthermore, social media facilitates group communication, such as with classmates or employees, by providing a unified forum for such activities.

Negative Effects:

Decreased Face-to-Face Communication

The decline in in-person interaction is one of social media's most pernicious consequences on interpersonal connections and dialogue. People's reliance on digital communication over in-person contact has increased along with the popularity of social media. Face-to-face interaction has suffered as a result, which has adverse effects on interpersonal relationships and the development of social skills.

Decreased Emotional Intimacy

Another adverse effect of social media on relationships and communication is decreased emotional intimacy. Digital communication lacks the nonverbal cues and facial expressions critical in building emotional connections with others. This can make it more difficult for people to develop close and meaningful relationships, leading to increased loneliness and isolation.

Increased Conflict and Miscommunication

Finally, social media can also lead to increased conflict and miscommunication. The anonymity and distance provided by digital communication can lead to misunderstandings and hurtful comments that might not have been made face-to-face. Additionally, social media can provide a platform for cyberbullying , which can have severe consequences for the victim's mental health and well-being.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the impact of social media on relationships and communication is a complex issue with both positive and negative effects. While social media platforms offer many benefits, such as connecting people across distances and enabling faster and more accessible communication, they also have a dark side that can negatively affect relationships and communication. It is up to individuals to use social media responsibly and to prioritize in-person communication in their relationships and interactions with others.

The Role of Social Media in the Spread of Misinformation and Fake News

Social media has revolutionized the way information is shared and disseminated. However, the ease and speed at which data can be spread on social media also make it a powerful tool for spreading misinformation and fake news. Misinformation and fake news can seriously affect public opinion, influence political decisions, and even cause harm to individuals and communities.

The Pervasiveness of Misinformation and Fake News on Social Media

Misinformation and fake news are prevalent on social media platforms, where they can spread quickly and reach a large audience. This is partly due to the way social media algorithms work, which prioritizes content likely to generate engagement, such as sensational or controversial stories. As a result, false information can spread rapidly and be widely shared before it is fact-checked or debunked.

The Influence of Social Media on Public Opinion

Social media can significantly impact public opinion, as people are likelier to believe the information they see shared by their friends and followers. This can lead to a self-reinforcing cycle, where misinformation and fake news are spread and reinforced, even in the face of evidence to the contrary.

The Challenge of Correcting Misinformation and Fake News

Correcting misinformation and fake news on social media can be a challenging task. This is partly due to the speed at which false information can spread and the difficulty of reaching the same audience exposed to the wrong information in the first place. Additionally, some individuals may be resistant to accepting correction, primarily if the incorrect information supports their beliefs or biases.

In conclusion, the function of social media in disseminating misinformation and fake news is complex and urgent. While social media has revolutionized the sharing of information, it has also made it simpler for false information to propagate and be widely believed. Individuals must be accountable for the information they share and consume, and social media firms must take measures to prevent the spread of disinformation and fake news on their platforms.

The Effects of Social Media on Mental Health and Well-Being

Social media has become an integral part of modern life, with billions of people around the world using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay connected with others and access information. However, while social media has many benefits, it can also negatively affect mental health and well-being.

Comparison and Low Self-Esteem

One of the key ways that social media can affect mental health is by promoting feelings of comparison and low self-esteem. People often present a curated version of their lives on social media, highlighting their successes and hiding their struggles. This can lead others to compare themselves unfavorably, leading to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.

Cyberbullying and Online Harassment

Another way that social media can negatively impact mental health is through cyberbullying and online harassment. Social media provides a platform for anonymous individuals to harass and abuse others, leading to feelings of anxiety, fear, and depression.

Social Isolation

Despite its name, social media can also contribute to feelings of isolation. At the same time, people may have many online friends but need more meaningful in-person connections and support. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and depression.

Addiction and Overuse

Finally, social media can be addictive, leading to overuse and negatively impacting mental health and well-being. People may spend hours each day scrolling through their feeds, neglecting other important areas of their lives, such as work, family, and self-care.

In sum, social media has positive and negative consequences on one's psychological and emotional well-being. Realizing this, and taking measures like reducing one's social media use, reaching out to loved ones for help, and prioritizing one's well-being, are crucial. In addition, it's vital that social media giants take ownership of their platforms and actively encourage excellent mental health and well-being.

The Use of Social Media in Political Activism and Social Movements

Social media has recently become increasingly crucial in political action and social movements. Platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have given people new ways to express themselves, organize protests, and raise awareness about social and political issues.

Raising Awareness and Mobilizing Action

One of the most important uses of social media in political activity and social movements has been to raise awareness about important issues and mobilize action. Hashtags such as #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, for example, have brought attention to sexual harassment and racial injustice, respectively. Similarly, social media has been used to organize protests and other political actions, allowing people to band together and express themselves on a bigger scale.

Connecting with like-minded individuals

A second method in that social media has been utilized in political activity and social movements is to unite like-minded individuals. Through social media, individuals can join online groups, share knowledge and resources, and work with others to accomplish shared objectives. This has been especially significant for geographically scattered individuals or those without access to traditional means of political organizing.

Challenges and Limitations

As a vehicle for political action and social movements, social media has faced many obstacles and restrictions despite its many advantages. For instance, the propagation of misinformation and fake news on social media can impede attempts to disseminate accurate and reliable information. In addition, social media corporations have been condemned for censorship and insufficient protection of user rights.

In conclusion, social media has emerged as a potent instrument for political activism and social movements, giving voice to previously unheard communities and galvanizing support for change. Social media presents many opportunities for communication and collaboration. Still, users and institutions must be conscious of the risks and limitations of these tools to promote their responsible and productive usage.

The Potential Privacy Concerns Raised by Social Media Use and Data Collection Practices

With billions of users each day on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, social media has ingrained itself into every aspect of our lives. While these platforms offer a straightforward method to communicate with others and exchange information, they also raise significant concerns over data collecting and privacy. This article will examine the possible privacy issues posed by social media use and data-gathering techniques.

Data Collection and Sharing

The gathering and sharing of personal data are significant privacy issues brought up by social media use. Social networking sites gather user data, including details about their relationships, hobbies, and routines. This information is made available to third-party businesses for various uses, such as marketing and advertising. This can lead to serious concerns about who has access to and uses our personal information.

Lack of Control Over Personal Information

The absence of user control over personal information is a significant privacy issue brought up by social media usage. Social media makes it challenging to limit who has access to and how data is utilized once it has been posted. Sensitive information may end up being extensively disseminated and may be used maliciously as a result.

Personalized Marketing

Social media companies utilize the information they gather about users to target them with adverts relevant to their interests and usage patterns. Although this could be useful, it might also cause consumers to worry about their privacy since they might feel that their personal information is being used without their permission. Furthermore, there are issues with the integrity of the data being used to target users and the possibility of prejudice based on individual traits.

Government Surveillance

Using social media might spark worries about government surveillance. There are significant concerns regarding privacy and free expression when governments in some nations utilize social media platforms to follow and monitor residents.

In conclusion, social media use raises significant concerns regarding data collecting and privacy. While these platforms make it easy to interact with people and exchange information, they also gather a lot of personal information, which raises questions about who may access it and how it will be used. Users should be aware of these privacy issues and take precautions to safeguard their personal information, such as exercising caution when choosing what details to disclose on social media and keeping their information sharing with other firms to a minimum.

The Ethical and Privacy Concerns Surrounding Social Media Use And Data Collection

Our use of social media to communicate with loved ones, acquire information, and even conduct business has become a crucial part of our everyday lives. The extensive use of social media does, however, raise some ethical and privacy issues that must be resolved. The influence of social media use and data collecting on user rights, the accountability of social media businesses, and the need for improved regulation are all topics that will be covered in this article.

Effect on Individual Privacy:

Social networking sites gather tons of personal data from their users, including delicate information like search history, location data, and even health data. Each user's detailed profile may be created with this data and sold to advertising or used for other reasons. Concerns regarding the privacy of personal information might arise because social media businesses can use this data to target users with customized adverts.

Additionally, individuals might need to know how much their personal information is being gathered and exploited. Data breaches or the unauthorized sharing of personal information with other parties may result in instances where sensitive information is exposed. Users should be aware of the privacy rules of social media firms and take precautions to secure their data.

Responsibility of Social Media Companies:

Social media firms should ensure that they responsibly and ethically gather and use user information. This entails establishing strong security measures to safeguard sensitive information and ensuring users are informed of what information is being collected and how it is used.

Many social media businesses, nevertheless, have come under fire for not upholding these obligations. For instance, the Cambridge Analytica incident highlighted how Facebook users' personal information was exploited for political objectives without their knowledge. This demonstrates the necessity of social media corporations being held responsible for their deeds and ensuring that they are safeguarding the security and privacy of their users.

Better Regulation Is Needed

There is a need for tighter regulation in this field, given the effect, social media has on individual privacy as well as the obligations of social media firms. The creation of laws and regulations that ensure social media companies are gathering and using user information ethically and responsibly, as well as making sure users are aware of their rights and have the ability to control the information that is being collected about them, are all part of this.

Additionally, legislation should ensure that social media businesses are held responsible for their behavior, for example, by levying fines for data breaches or the unauthorized use of personal data. This will provide social media businesses with a significant incentive to prioritize their users' privacy and security and ensure they are upholding their obligations.

In conclusion, social media has fundamentally changed how we engage and communicate with one another, but this increased convenience also raises several ethical and privacy issues. Essential concerns that need to be addressed include the effect of social media on individual privacy, the accountability of social media businesses, and the requirement for greater regulation to safeguard user rights. We can make everyone's online experience safer and more secure by looking more closely at these issues.

In conclusion, social media is a complex and multifaceted topic that has recently captured the world's attention. With its ever-growing influence on our lives, it's no surprise that it has become a popular subject for students to explore in their writing. Whether you are writing an argumentative essay on the impact of social media on privacy, a persuasive essay on the role of social media in politics, or a descriptive essay on the changes social media has brought to the way we communicate, there are countless angles to approach this subject.

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Home — Essay Samples — Information Science and Technology — Digital Literacy — The Importance of Media Literacy: Navigating a Digital Society

The Importance of Media Literacy: Navigating a Digital Society

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Published: Sep 1, 2023

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