Every coin has two sides and similar is the case with advertisements as well. Although it has numerous benefits, but it has certain drawbacks as well. First of all, let us discuss the pros of advertising.
ADVANTAGES OF ADVERTISING
Public Service Advertisements
There are certain advertisements who aim is not to increase the sales of a product, but to spread social awareness regarding a particular health issue or disease or any other societal problem. We see Akshay Kumar promoting the use of sanitary pads instead of simple cloth. This is nothing but public service advertisement. It is one of the main positive effects of advertising on our society. Advertisements related to women empowerment, avoiding cigarette and tobacco are also public service advertisements.
Economic Benefits
Advertisements have numerous economic benefits. First of all, it boosts the overall economy by increasing the consumption rates of consumers. Because of advertising, customers tend to save less and spend more. This facilitates the flow of money in the economy.
Job Creation
The field of advertising creates a lot of jobs every year. Public Relations Manager, Market Research Analyst, Brand Manager and Promotion Manager are some of the jobs under advertising. These jobs pay handsome amounts to individuals and the growth scope in such jobs is immense. In earlier times, very less people chose advertising as a career but with the passage of time, more people are aspiring to become successful in this field.
Company Image
Advertising helps to enhance the image of the company in the market. No consumer wants to buy a product that he/she has never heard of. In addition, distributors and retailers do not want to sell products that have no brand value in the market. The brand value of the product can be developed only through advertising.
Mass Media
The main source of revenue for television, radio, newspapers and magazines is advertising. In the absence of advertising, these mass communication channels might not even exist as it would be difficult for them to cover the costs. Advertising is the reason behind the cheap services we enjoy from mass media. For instance, the cost of a newspaper is around Rs 5. But the fact is that it has around 30 pages and its value is much more than 5 rupees. We get it cheaply only because of the advertisement sections in the newspapers. The newspapers decrease their price so that the advertisements can reach maximum number of people.
DISADVANTAGES OF ADVERTISING
Misleading Advertisements
There are a number of companies that make misleading advertisements to boost the sale of their product. These type of products do not offer the same quality, quantity or satisfaction as advertised. It is an unethical way of earning profit. By cheating the customer, a firm may reap short term profits but it will definitely suffer in the long run.
Unrealistic Expectations
Many products create unrealistic expectations in the minds of customers through advertising. Advertisements like Increase your height in 30 days or loose weight without exercising are simply impractical. These kind of products make false claims that they cannot fulfill in reality. If the customer tries the product, he is disappointed after using it as he does not get the desired results.
Effect on youth
Advertisements are mostly given by popular celebrities who have a strong influence over society. These celebrities are shown with perfect skin, perfect hair, perfect body. After watching such advertisements, youngsters also seek this perfection. They are deviated from the real world and they start living in their own fantasies.
Conclusion
It can be concluded that advertisement has both merits and demerits. It is the duty of the marketers to use advertisements for the true presentation of their product and not for misleading the consumers. Companies should practice ethical advertising and never indulge in unethical advertising.
