The Influences of Advertising on Society

by Victoria L. Carroll

Over the years, Advertising has come to play an essential part in American society. The people/consumers of America depend a great deal on advertising to influence their decisions and enhance their way of life. Our society has become known as the nation composed primarily of brand names for advertising is everywhere. This is proved by “12 billion and 3 million: the number of display ads and broadcast ads that Americans are collectively exposed to each day” (Landay 1998). Advertisers use salespeak to appeal to a consumer’s emotions. Their effective use makes the consumer believe that advertisers care for their well-being by convincing them; through advertisements, that what they desire is actually what they need. Of these numerous ads that people are exposed to, a majority are directed at advertisings prime demographic: teenagers. According to (Ferle 2001), Teens in the United States are an increasingly important segment of the consumer market because of their size, available disposable income, influence on family spending, lifestyle and the potential for lifetime brand loyalty (p.7).
Advertising is a natural part of our society’s everyday life. It is now widespread that our identities are comprised of what appeals to us in advertising. Consumers rely on advertisements to inform them about the newest item they do not truly need, but desire nonetheless. It is deemed unacceptable for people not to be up to date with the latest brands; for nothing less than brand name products will suffice. Advertisements appear everywhere we look on: TV, magazines, radio, the internet, billboards, and shop windows. It is impossible to escape them in this day and age. Our society is all about having the newest trends and imitating others just to fit in. There is a massive amount of pressure that people put on themselves to feel important. Advertisers hone in on this yearning to “belong” and use it to their advantage, promoting advertisements that show us how to “belong”. We have instigated our society has molding itself around the brands depicted in advertisements and we continue to do so for future generations by giving in to the salespeak of advertisements.
Salespeak infiltrates all aspects of our lives; filling our eyes and ears with information designed to sell not just a product, but a lifestyle. “It is any type of message surrounding a transaction between people” (Fox, 2007, p.58). First, it is very persuasive in nature and influences the viewer to buy into a product. This persuasion occurs through the guise of messages or facts that are crafted in such a way as to target a specific audience. Secondly, for the average consumer, salespeak functions as an escape. It illustrates a source of entertainment where it is more appealing to look at a product than to actually purchase it. Hidden within the advertisement is a proposal to procure a lifestyle of brand names and brand loyalty. Finally, salepseak is especially efficient in marking its unique audience for its merchandise. Catering to the desire of a specific demographic, allows salespeak to have a deeper influence and control over what consumers purchase. Before salespeak can be initiated, companies extract information from viewers; often under the semblance of clubs and contests to tailor their advertisements to an objective group. Advertisers employ salespeak to use subconscious appeals to communicate, such as: the need for attention, prominence, to achieve, to dominate, to satisfy curiosity, and the need for aesthetic sensations. Salespeak mainly establishes the connection between the consumer and the advertiser and also the consumer’s tie to the depictions in a particular brand’s advertisement.
As consumers, we have an interesting relationship with advertisers and their advertisements. “We pay their ad bills, we provide their profits, and we pay for their total tax write-off on the ads they place” (landay 1998). Consumers do not realize that advertisers are trying to sell a product and will do so by any means rendered effective enough to attract sales. They have profits to make to keep their business afloat. For, $150 billion is amount spent by American advertisers each year, a cost that is passed on to the consumers in higher prices. Advertisers convince consumers that they truly care about their well-being by using such tactics as filling their advertisements with vital, health related information detailing how the product will lend assistance or prevent some sort of ailment or educating and making you aware of certain substances. The willingness of a consumer to accept that advertisements are created for the sole purpose of ensuring their well-being adds ample support for Fox’s argument.
Fox’s argument that we are steadily approaching the “Pepsi Generation” is completely justified. The “Pepsi Generation is when nearly every facet of life is somehow linked to sales. On the road American society is on, Fox says we are closer to it than we think, and I agree. We are a very materialistic society in that, buying things for instant gratification will bring us satisfaction. The way people depend on advertisements to keep in touch with the newest advancements in brand names consistently fuels the longevity and control of advertisements in their lives. The depiction of role models and celebrities in an advertisement endorsing a product also lends a hand in our dependence on advertising. The incessant need to resemble and compete with them brings us closer to a future that seems inevitable. We will know we are in this “Pepsi Generation” when all parts of our society have to do with brand names in some fashion. The catalyst for the “Pepsi Generation” is the fact that advertisers focus on what consumers secretly desire since, the more affluent Americans become, the fewer “true needs” we possess. This fact causes advertisers to develop alternative means of appealing to consumers. As many advertisers are discovering, teenagers are the new demographic that desires appeal to.
Current boost in teen programming across major television networks has been successful in attracting teen viewership and outlining a substantial market for advertisers. They appeal to teenagers since they have a disposable income. “36 billion is the amount of money spent by kids and young adults in 1992 (ages 4-19) that belonged to their parents” (Bowen 1995). The items they buy are primarily items they desire, such as clothing, electronics, and movies. They have significant influence on family purchases. Most notably, advertisers believe that once they have attracted a teenager, he or she is likely to be a customer for life. “Advertisers know how to take advantage of critical teenage issues and anxieties, like body image, peer acceptance, and a need for power” (Carney 2007). A teenager’s lifestyle provides numerous areas for advertisers to choose from to produce an advertisement focused on one of the most substantial demographics in the United States. Carney (2007) states that, advertisements convince teenagers that there is something that needs to be fixed and subconsciously teens buy into the message. They use these themes continually in advertising targeted towards teenagers. Advertisers also often hone in on subject matter and attitudes that parents might find unsuitable or insulting, like sex or alcohol and drug use, further escalating the “coolness factor” of the product.
American society highly depends on advertising to influence their judgments and improve their materialistic lifestyle. Advertisements promote brands that “we” as consumers have shaped our society around. Salespeak is employed by advertisers to tap into society’s desires and subconsciously pitch their product through emotional appeals. Consumers have a manipulative relationship with advertisers and their advertisements because they convince us that they care, when all the while the advertisement is just selling a product. Our actions continue to validate Fox’s argument that the United States is on the path to the “Pepsi Generation”. As our true needs” diminish, advertisers target our desires. They appeal primarily to teenagers to accomplish this task because of their lifestyle. As generations pass, our society becomes more materialistic and obsessed with instant gratification. These factors will ensure a self-perpetuating dependence on advertisements since we will continue to be exposed to and expose others to the appealing messages in advertisements.




List of References
Carney, Susan (2007, Feb, 23). Advertising to Teens How and Why Marketers Target Kids. Suite 101, Retrieved Sept. 17, 2008, from http://youthdevelopment.suite101.com/article.cfm/advertising_to_teens
Ferle, Carrie La, Li, Hairong, Edwards, Steven M. (2001). An Overview of Teenagers and Television Advertising in the United States. International Communication Gazette 63: 7-24, retrieved Sept. 18, 2008, from http://gaz.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/63/1/7
Fox, Roy (2001). Mediaspeak: Three American Voices. Westport, Ct: Praeger.