Advertisements cheat consumers; hence they should be banned.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
According to Wikipedia Advertisement is defined as a particular type of communication that pursues people to purchase or consume more of a particular brand of product or service.
In process of pursuing consumer advertisement cross the limit and start luring consumer with advertisement which are inaccurate and in effect cheat the consumer. Thus there is a viewpoint that advertisement should be banned.
Lets first inspect that why do we need advertisements at all? Advertisement are used by producers to inform them of the existence of their product. Pursue them to purchase and consume it. This way advertisement helps the economy by enticing people to spend. Consumers benefit because they get an option to chose. Besides this advertisement provide revenue to the medium thus benefiting them as well. So theoretically it is a win-win proposition for all. Yet people want them banned. It is because advertisers have been guilty of promoting illicit, obscene and dishonest adds.
In 2006 expenditure on advertisement was $ 155 billion in US alone and $385 billion worldwide. The later figure is expected to rise to $450 billion by 2010. As the figure suggests advertisement have become a major part of our economy and any attempt to ban them would result in loss of revenue to the government. Besides this a lot of people are employed by the advertisement whose source of earning would be threatened.
Advertisements in one form or other have been a part of our society from ancient time. Egyptians used papyrus to make sale messages & wall posters. Lost & Found posters were common in ancient Rome & Greece. We had known the benefits of advertisement even then. But when did advertisement first became a nuisance. In 17th century advertisement started to appear in weekly newspaper. Soon 'false adds' or 'quack adds' became a problem and demand rose to regulate them.
Advertisement benefit the consumer in another not intended way. When producers advertise in any medium like newspaper, radio, TV or internet they provide an extra source of income for the medium and thus reduce the cost that the end consumer has to bear.
Having given a plethora of reason as to positive side of advertisement. Let me check its dark underbelly. Advertisers are accused outright cheating. We have all seen adds which say flat 80% off and all of us have got used to look for the tiny star which indicates condition apply. This is cheating, but some advertisement go a step further in claiming unsubstantiated facts. Like "become fair in 10 days" and "loose 20 kg in 4 hours". No one in his senses can ever defend such adds and it is here where I feel government should step in. Instead of blanket ban regulated would be a better word. Make sure that if an add claims something which they cannot substantiate they end up giving a mammoth fine.
Another aspect of advertisement that need to be regulated is adds directed at the impressionable mind of little children. A recent survey concluded that obesity in children in US is directly related to the fast food adds that they were exposed too. Many European countries have banned advertisement directed at people less that 12 year old.
In process of pursuing consumer advertisement cross the limit and start luring consumer with advertisement which are inaccurate and in effect cheat the consumer. Thus there is a viewpoint that advertisement should be banned.
Lets first inspect that why do we need advertisements at all? Advertisement are used by producers to inform them of the existence of their product. Pursue them to purchase and consume it. This way advertisement helps the economy by enticing people to spend. Consumers benefit because they get an option to chose. Besides this advertisement provide revenue to the medium thus benefiting them as well. So theoretically it is a win-win proposition for all. Yet people want them banned. It is because advertisers have been guilty of promoting illicit, obscene and dishonest adds.
In 2006 expenditure on advertisement was $ 155 billion in US alone and $385 billion worldwide. The later figure is expected to rise to $450 billion by 2010. As the figure suggests advertisement have become a major part of our economy and any attempt to ban them would result in loss of revenue to the government. Besides this a lot of people are employed by the advertisement whose source of earning would be threatened.
Advertisements in one form or other have been a part of our society from ancient time. Egyptians used papyrus to make sale messages & wall posters. Lost & Found posters were common in ancient Rome & Greece. We had known the benefits of advertisement even then. But when did advertisement first became a nuisance. In 17th century advertisement started to appear in weekly newspaper. Soon 'false adds' or 'quack adds' became a problem and demand rose to regulate them.
Advertisement benefit the consumer in another not intended way. When producers advertise in any medium like newspaper, radio, TV or internet they provide an extra source of income for the medium and thus reduce the cost that the end consumer has to bear.
Having given a plethora of reason as to positive side of advertisement. Let me check its dark underbelly. Advertisers are accused outright cheating. We have all seen adds which say flat 80% off and all of us have got used to look for the tiny star which indicates condition apply. This is cheating, but some advertisement go a step further in claiming unsubstantiated facts. Like "become fair in 10 days" and "loose 20 kg in 4 hours". No one in his senses can ever defend such adds and it is here where I feel government should step in. Instead of blanket ban regulated would be a better word. Make sure that if an add claims something which they cannot substantiate they end up giving a mammoth fine.
Another aspect of advertisement that need to be regulated is adds directed at the impressionable mind of little children. A recent survey concluded that obesity in children in US is directly related to the fast food adds that they were exposed too. Many European countries have banned advertisement directed at people less that 12 year old.
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great article!
very helpful
must be more written