ad
‘Advertising can be defined as any paid form of non personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods or services through mass media such as newspapers, magazines, television or radio by an identified sponsor’. (Philip Kotler, et al., Principles of Marketing, 2002). So basically advertising is a mass communications device through which companies promote or market their product to the consumer, and this enables them to make informed consumption decisions.
Advertising plays an important part in our everyday lives as it enables us to choose between different ranges of products. These products are promoted through different types of advertisements and cater to all types of markets. Dedicated advertising companies exist with enormous budgets running into millions of pounds which make advertisements for their clients. Advertising also plays an important role for the capitalist economies. ‘Advertising enables producers to expand their markets and therefore take advantage of economies of scale to reduce unit production costs’. (Chris Hackley, 2005, Advertising and Promotion).
Through the use of advertising producers are able to sell large stocks of goods that they produce and create demand for new products and offers. Advertising benefits consumers since they enjoy lower prices and a better product quality, since the competition that advertising creates acts in the interests of the consumers. • Advertising has played a major role in consumer marketing, and has enabled companies to meet communication and other marketing objectives. Typically, advertising is used to inform, persuade, and remind consumers. It importantly reinforces their attitudes and perceptions. • Advertising is considered unethical when it degrades rival’s product or substitute product, gives misguiding information, gives false information, conceals information that vitally affects human