How ads influence our everyday lives
Advertising significantly influences consumer behaviour and permeates all parts of our lives. However, are ads Good for us, or are they bad?
How many ads have you observed in your lifetime? Every day, an average person is exposed to around 300-350 advertisements. Advertisements are an excellent method to bring attention to products, causes, and other topics.
Advertising has a bigger impact on daily life than many people think. Because the impacts of advertising are frequently subtle, many individuals do not even know when they are being sold things, or when their behaviour changes in response to adverts.
Advertising is such a potent psychological weapon that an entire field of study has been devoted to uncovering how advertising affects consumer behaviour, and this research is ongoing. Profitable companies are those that can influence people via advertising.
There are numerous types of ads. One such type is direct response ads, which are meant to prompt the viewer to take immediate action. Examples of common direct response advertising terms include – Out Now, Buy Now, Check Here, Try Now, Free Trail, etc.
The element of an advertisement that urges urgent action is known as the call to action. The call to action is essential to any advertisement since it compels the audience to act. A call to action is only effective if the viewer of the commercial believes that taking action is in their best interest. This can be accomplished by employing persuasive language throughout the advertisement.
How advertising influences customer action
To a large extent, advertising's impact on people's lives is based on its ability to affect their attitudes and emotions. An effective advertisement not only piques the viewer's interest to the point that they want to buy the advertised goods, but also dispels any lingering qualms they may have about doing so.
The ultimate goal of reducing uncertainties is to reduce the prospect of the consumer experiencing buyer's remorse and returning the goods, writing a negative review, or just ceasing to patronise the firm that made it.
An ad might highlight a money-back promise or a free trial to allay buyers' concerns. By assuring the consumer that they will only spend a lot of money on the goods if they are entirely happy with it, the commercial addresses their concerns about making a purchase, especially if it is a substantial one.
Is advertising good or bad for us?
Sometimes ads can be harmful. However, it has the potential to yield enormous social benefits. When it comes to health-related topics like HIV/AIDS education, diabetes monitoring, the dangers of tobacco and alcohol use, and so on, advertising is a very efficient and potent tool for getting the word out. The world would be much more dangerous if it weren't for mainstream consumer multi-media campaigns warning us about public health and safety problems.
The price and relative worth of a product or service are also conveyed through advertising, which is an essential part of marketing. An advertisement can encourage viewers to take advantage of a limited-time special where they can avail a $400 gutter cleaning for only $299, or it may inform them that they can purchase designer goods for half the amount they would pay at other businesses.
Finally, we can say that advertising significantly influences consumer behaviour and permeates all parts of our lives. We use things influenced by advertising every day, from toothpaste to clothing. Marketing influences consumer purchasing decisions.
Frequently, we make decisions based on marketing trends, such as where to have coffee, what to buy for dinner, which phone or Snickers to get, etc. Advertising is ubiquitous. I cannot claim that it is negative because it has brought us several advantages. However, in order to avoid being brand-obsessed, individuals need to remain rational. Do not purchase something just due to advertising influence. Try to be logical and only buy items you need.
Taminul Islam is an expert in Digital Ad Operation (AdOps). He is working as an Executive of Digital AdOps in ServiceEngineBPO (SEBPO).
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.