Criticisms concerning the influence of advertising on society

PUFFERY/FRAUDULATION

· Very often we hear that advertisement exaggerates about the product qualities. Now a days ‘puffery’ i.e. “metaphor of idea” forms to be main element in advertising.

 · On the one hand critics accuse it, while on the other defenders i.e. advertisers and advertising professionals opined it as a helping agent to differentiate their brands from the competitors. Puffery is considered to be an ‘opinion’ and not a ‘factual information’.

· Advertisers claim that the consumers are intelligent enough to distinguish between truth and exaggeration.

· Moreover they are not blindly going to believe everything as such presented in an advertisement.

· Puffery, though legal, but is not harmful to an extent.

· But false claim and dishonesty are unethical practices and regular deception, leads to losing costumers trust & confidence.

UNTRUTHFUL OR DECEPTIVE

· Deceptiveness is defined as not only as false and misleading statements but also as false impressions conveyed, whether intentional or not.

· False and subjective claims about the products, is sometimes believed but are untruthful and misleading.

 · The problems of untruthful or fraudulent advertising exists more at the local level and in specific areas such as mail order, telemarketing and other forms of direct marketing.

· The following acts are considered unfair or deceptive practices :

· False promises

· Incomplete Descriptive

 · Misleading Comparisons

· Bait and Switch Offers

· Visual Distortions

· False Testimonials

· False Comparisons

· Partial Disclosures

· Small – Print Qualifications

 · Laboratory Application

OFFENSIVE OR IN BAD TASTE

 · Another one of the major complaints against advertisements is offensive, tasteless, irritating, boring, obnoxious & so on.

· Taste is subjective i.e. what is good taste to one may be bad for some one else. Tastes changes with time even as what is offensive today may not be tomorrow. Consumers can be offended by advertising in a number of ways.

· The type of appeal or the manner of presentation often irritates consumer. E.g. Fear Appeal in Deodorants, Mouthwash & Anti-dandruff shampoo ads are criticized to create anxiety & fear to be rejected in the society.

CREATES MATERIALISTIC DEMAND

· Advertising provides a variety of alternatives to choose from people have needs. Advertising creates derives and fantasies for the consumers.

· Some people crave for material possessions and others for cultural and spiritual enhancement. Here Advertisers are at the both end of the spectrum.

· Many critics claim that the advertising encourages materialism. Few critics attribute to advertising that

· Seeks to create needs rather than merely showing how a product or service fulfills them;

· Surrounds consumers with the images of good life and convinces how the materialistic possessions leads to happiness in life.

 · Portrays these possessions as symbol of status, success, social acceptance, popularity, sex appeal and so on.

· Advertising differentiated between simple & formal sandals. It informs us about twin-pack razors, Leo & Barbie range of toys.

· Advertising keeps pace with dynamic market. It is a motivating force to exert harder to create and satisfy our new & novel needs.

MAKES PEOPLE BUY THE THINGS NOT NEEDED

· According to many critics advertising should not persuade by playing with consumers emotions, anxieties, psychological needs & desires such as status, self esteem, attractiveness & others but should just provide information useful in making purchase decisions such as price, performance & other objective criteria.

· Critics say persuasive advertising foster discontent among consumers & encourage them to purchase products & services to solve deeper problems.

COMPARATIVE ADVERTISING

 · Comparative advertising is another unethical practice of advertising besides fraudulent and deceptary advertising.

· e.g. The advertisements of Pepsi and Coca Cola: Both the brands try to compare their brands & the series try to cut the features shown in their advertisements.

· Similarly making the packaging or the names sounding similar to the major brands in the market the competitor’s sells their brands like goloflake for goldflake.

STEREOTYPE

· Advertising is often criticized of creating & perpetuating stereotypes through portrayal of women, ethnic minorities & other groups.

· It involves presenting a group of people in a pattern or manner that lacks individuality.

· Advertisers to often depict women as preoccupied with beauty, household duties and motherhood or show them as decorative objects or sexually provocative figures.

SELF REGULATION

· In Spite of the comprehensive rules & regulations as also defined codes for checking unethical advertising, unscrupulous advertisers often take the consumers and general public for a ride.

· Identical problems have leaded the advertising professional all over the world to commit themselves to the idea of self regulation.

 · For many years, the advertising industry has practiced & promoted voluntary self – regulation.

· Most of advertisers, advertising agencies and the media have recognized the importance of maintaining consumer trust and confidence, hence taken the initiative to develop systems of selfregulation.

 · Advertising professions foresee self regulation as limiting the government interference that may result in more stringent and troublesome regulations.

SELF-REGULATION IN WORLD

· The Advertising Standards Authority initiated in compliance with the British Code of Advertising Practices for Print and Cinema advertising in the U.K.

· Similarly, later on Independent Broadcasting Authority for television & radio advertising.

 · The ASA Advertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom) works independently & is financed by the advertising industry.

· The complaints received are examined and if needed, advertisers are instructed to amend or remove the concerned advertisement.

· Special attention is paid to children ads, products such as alcohol, slimming aids & devices, cosmetics & hypnotherapy.