Techniques Used By Advertisers To Influence Consumer Behaviours Media Essay

Techniques Used By Advertisers To Influence Consumer Behaviours Media EssayThe development of modern announce from the late nineteenth Century was driven and heavily influenced by psychological advert and the technological changes of the eon. stimulate by World War I propaganda and behavioural psychology, psychological publicizing aimed to build upon consumer fears, needs and desires to incite and sell goods. It is fundamentally the grounds from which modern advertizement was built upon. Technologically, The Depression had ended and with it saw the graduation of mechanized returnion. This led to the insertion of corporate manufacturers who turned to announce to create a demand for their products and services. another(prenominal) influences that advertisers used to call forth consumerism were the use of the break follow up of social barriers, building on and creating needs for consumers (whether this be somatic or social), creating images and ideals related to product s and market targeting. It was a time of social change influenced by these rude(a) technologies and forms of ad which saw traditionalistic standards and morals be replaced by a materialistic and consumer driven culture peculiarly in womens role in society.Of all the forms of advertising the insurgences of nationally branded goods have had the most encounter in shaping a consumer driven culture. subsequently the depression, which spanned between 1870 the late 1890s production became mechanised which inturn allowed for the mass production of goods. The changing nature and signifi tince of consumption grew not from the autonomous changes in the action of the citizen or the family but from the intersection of such changes with the emergence of large sub repayable consumer goods industries.1However, the industry began to oerproduce and wherefore advertising was required to encourage consumers to buy the products the manufacturers began creating their own demand for their pro ducts. They were the first to have large scale national campaigns with a strong emphasis on branding and product identification and many of the enterprises facilitate maintain strong market domination (in the United States) and continue large-scale advertising campaigns. These include invigilate and Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Campbell Soups and H.J Heinz.2With this influx of branding came a new-made style of advertising, in that location was less(prenominal) emphasis put on informing the consumer it was now about grabbing their attention making them feel like they need your companies product over the competition. As Schudson states eye catching appeal became a more vital attribute of a product, examples of which argon Good morning Have you used Pears Soap? And National Biscuits, Lest you forget, we say it yet, Uneeda Biscuit. Slogans lead to the differentiation of roughly identical products, creating a synonymous relationship in consumers minds.The late nineteenth century saw the introduction of the department store, this was a turning point for consumer industry as people were now shopping in a setting driven by resource and competition - unity simply did not enter a shop and askfor an item. In the department stores, things were displayed and the shopper had a range of things to observe.3Due to this increment in consumer choice it fuelled an influx of advertising in newspapers as the department stores competed for the consumers attention. The need for product differentiation and therefore the advertising industry was evident.From the late 1880s techniques in advertising began to change. Editorial space in newspapers was dropped from seventy percent to fifty percent to allow more space for adverts and of this, twenty three was department store advertising4. Department store advertising was also trusty for pressuring newspapers to adopt new techniques in impressing processes force from the poster. From 1867 large lithograph could be printed, allowin g for larger type, illustrations and colour to be used in advertisements. Eventually they gave in and at the turn of the nineteenth century newspapers began dropping their column limitations allowing for the introduction of pictorial advertisements. This caused traditionalistic standards of advertising to disappear and give way to the vigorous inventiveness of advertisers as they sought new ways to promote goods and services.5One of these new ways of promotion was that of radio receiver advertising. Radio had a strong presence in Britain due to the popularity of the BBC. However advertising through this medium had a negative stigma attached to it due to radio being viewed as a fundamentally cultural and socialize medium. Radio advertising in Britain had begun with subliminal or sponsorship advertising in its cultural and entertaining programs with products and services being introduced through its radio dramas and entertainment (much like product placement in modern day television and films.)6Advertisers feared that there would be a negative reaction by the radio listeners for intruding in a medium that provided cultural, entertaining and educational resources. However once radio gained national coverage in the United States advertisers could not suffer in the new medium to grab consumers attention. One of the main persuasions was radios ability to override consumers choice in viewing an advertisement, in comparison to print media if the consumer were tuned in to the radio they would hear the advertisement regardless of their arouse in the product or service. The other persuasion was its ability to reach women during daytime programs. During this time, in the earlyish 20th Century women were the decision makers when it came to consumer choices, they carried out the household shopping, and so there was an influx of advertisements appealing to the typical housewife. Radio as an advertising medium began to flourish during the 1920s and many of the large com panies assisted their print ads with radio advertisements. Once advertising in radio was established there was now no media that was apologise of advertisings influence driving the notion of the 1920s as a consumer driven culture.Advertising techniques also include the endorsements of products by industry professionals. These advertisements normally featured some kind of medical professional or ministers testimony and they played on the idea of influencing the consumers emotions, creating an idea in their mind of the need for the product. At the turn of the 19th century patent music, like department stores were a fundamental part of the advertising. Essentially patent medicine advertising sought out to establish a comprehensible and memorable name for their product one which the consumer could remember and feel comfortable with. Secondly was the promise that the medicine was intended for, for example they promised to cure womens illnesses, colds and flues and different sexual ailments.7However, almost all of these products were unreliable and did not follow through with their promise and so advertising was needed in order for the products to be successful.Transportation, particularly the introduction of intraurban rail lines changed the spatial possibilities of daily keep8. It allowed for people to work and shop further aside than walking distance. It was an inexpensive and reliable transportation rule and it caused a breakdown of social barriers the rich and the poor began travelling together.9These social barriers were also broken down through the portrayal of America as an affluent, classless society10in the advertisements of the early 1900s. The ads strived to convey the message that equality could be achieved as the middle-class could purchase the same product or service as that of the very rich. This was emphasised through slogans such as any woman heap and every berth can afford.11Domestic products were portrayed in a luxurious fashion and they borrowed characters and images from that of royalty in Europe.After the establishment of the mechanisation of production and new technologies were being supported, an influx of new inventions was released onto the market. Manufacturers identified that extensive advertising was required in order to create a demand for the products. These advertisements not only had to inform the consumer of the new technologies but they played upon new social standards particularly that of the modern day woman as many of the new inventions were electronic domestic appliances, for example sewing machines, vacuum cleaners, washing machines and electronic stoves and ovens. The manufacturers aimed to demonstrate that by using these appliances more time would be left for the most fulfilling reward leisure time.12And so, advertisers placed less emphasis on the essential product and portrayed the housewife carrying out leisurely activities, as reinstated by Marchand The desirability of the depicted substitute activity was the very essence of the ads appeal.13In most of these types of advertisements the actual product was absent or inferior to the activity that resulted due to the use of the product or service. Evidence of this can be seen in the advertising campaign during the 1920s of the American Laundry Machinery Company. This campaign, which was printed throughout numerous mass-circulation magazines, accentuated the pleasures that would become from sending the family washing to a commercial laundry service. These ads showed women enjoying sociable and entertaining activities as opposed to slaving away with the washing. A quote from an advertisement published by the Association of the Laundry Owners National asks women the question Does the hebdomadal washday take its heavy toll of hours that you could spend so joyously, so profitably in other ways?14Apart from the associations logo, the actual task of washing is not illustrated in the advertisement. The advertisements of this time, in comparison to those previous to the turn of the nineteenth century, emphasised less on factual information and more on the actual consumer.This emphasis on the consumer led to, what academics refer to as a consumer culture. Traditionalistic values of the morals and ethical motive of hard work and self-denial were being replaced by an emphasis on materialism and individual pleasures as the way of leading a happy and fulfilling life and many conservative critics believe that advertising was responsible for this new consumer driven culture.15In 1890 Weber wrote material goods have gained an increasing and finally an inexorable ability over the lives of men as at no previous period in history.16Evidence of this can be noted from the success of the Listerine advertisements of the early 1920s where consumers were persuaded to use Listerine mouthwash to combat the so-called overturn of halitosis. At the time of these ads going to press sales of Listerine dramatically in creased. The advertisements drove the consumer to discover a new need17 something that without the advertisements the consumer would not have strived to fulfil. Therefore it can be concluded that the success of these types of advertisements, whether it be creating a new disorder, as in the Listerine ads, or telling women that wash day will steal their younker and beauty play upon influencing the emotions of the consumer and creating in their minds a false need.18There are many arguments regarding advertisings influence on the society and culture during the first half of the twentieth century. Changes in the market due to new technologies and the increase in production created a need for advertising that prior to the time was not required by manufacturers. Techniques used to sell this influx of merchandise were effective and somewhat immoral in cases. There is no argument however to ignore that on a whole, particularly in the United States that the society of the time had become mor e material dominated and traditional standards of living were becoming less dominant. However there is not enough evidence to suggest that advertising caused a consumer culture but rather twain the technological advancements and the influence of advertising and other mediums of the time drove the social change.