Since its inception into mainstream society, advertising and its various repercussions have been subjected to intense scrutiny and debate.
The underlying effects of advertising are both positive and negative. Both have seeped into various aspect of society, namely, through social, cultural and economic norms. This assignment will explore the different connotation that advertising have portrayed. Whereby a conclusion will be made on the statement where advertising has had a positive impact on society in Singapore.AdvertisingAdvertising is a form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, and services usually pad for by an identified sponsor.
Advertising is non-personal as it is directed towards a large group of anonymous people.Even direct mail advertising, which maybe addressed to specific person, is prepared by a computer and signed by a machine. Second, advertising typically is paid for. This fact differentiates advertising from publicity, which is not usually purchased. Thirdly, the sponsor of the advertisement is identified.How does the advertisement get transmitted?The receiver of an advertisement is meant to think along the line of thoughts that the sender intended to create.
It is therefore believed that people's self-understanding, behaviour and lifestyle would be affected.The picture is intended to remind people about their own and personal lifestyle and experiences. The fact is that we look at a picture in accordance with our own experiences. The consciousness only grasps a small part of all the sight impressions we actually receive.
This is where people's different associations and experiences enter the picture.These messages are intended to attract the viewer and to guide their thinking on certain channel with the aim of selling the product and making the consumer believe that are getting the complete package that comprises of the product along with the image attached to it.This may be achieved by giving an impression of what that product may account for in their lives by exaggerating and impressing an image of a certain level of emotional importance that they link to the product.Advertising StrategiesWeasel WordsIn using Weasel Words, it alters statements that can weak and may even lose its original intention. This allows advertisements to rise out points without offending the public or putting themselves into danger of being contradicted.
This means it depends solely on the way the advertisement portrays the message, to avoid making any direct statement or promise. The main purpose is to protect the advertisers from attack or legal address so as to deliver the truth to the mass audience.HeartstringsA popular choice in advertising by getting audience input their feelings and emotions into the advertisement. To be able to sell a product, advertisers need to know how to manipulate people’s thoughts and patterns which is their needs and wants.BandwagonCreate awareness to audience to on what is the latest product.
Large group of companies advertise through the same medium. Advertising through Bandwagon would be forming a popular opinion to the mass audience that creates a domino effect in belief or action.ExcitementSetting the suitable mood for the advertisement can give audiences a heads up to what they will be expected from the advertisers and for Excitement it would usually bring surprises or happiness to people to give the impression that it is a joy to own the product.Different Impacts on SocietySocial impactsThe media have a social role that has a large impact to transform societies. Advertising plays with the emotions of general public and encourages them to think that buying are the activities of life.
Materialism is being much glorified through advertisements, which can again have dangerous consequences.Everywhere we turn, we are assailed by a barrage of advertisements and shopping malls, encouraging us to spend money on items we may or may not need. For example, social status is parallel to money, and having that is like a validation from other people. It makes you feel good because others will approve of you.
Society is becoming ignorant towards social or world issues because we are too obsessed to satisfy our newly created needs. We want to earn more and more money so that we can buy happiness in forms of products, being advertised as they can bring all the happiness in our lives. We are starving for material goals, because we always just want to have more.However advertisers state that the public is intelligent enough to, and quite capable of, making up their own mind and will definitely not buy anything they don't want or need. People may not influenced by false claims that they need a particular product, and will usually be very discriminating in what they take as being true, when it comes to advertising. The increasingly educated and literate consumers are comparably less gullible than their forefathers and tend to be more discerning in the consumption of the media.
Advertising also educates. It tells us about important issues such as the benefits of seatbelt use, the dangers of drugs, and the problem of drunk driving. It explains how to use products, gives us recipes, and demonstrates ways in which we can change our homes and places of business. It teaches us grooming habits.The media serve to change the societies and evoke new trends for people in the long term this social role would yield more benefits for society if the message of the advertisement were positive.
Advertising posters of modern films, where sexuality is shown much than the actual theme of the movie, can divert the society a lot.Culture ImpactsGender stereotypesGender stereotypes are widely held beliefs about the characteristics and behavior of women and men. Studies have found that widely shared cultural beliefs that men are more socially valued and more competent than women in a number of activities.Gender roles have played out in beer commercials culturally.
For example, in the 1950s and 1960s, beer commercials mostly consisted of a white, heterosexual couple, shown only in the home. The couple was always in a committed, monogamous relationship, and beer was tied to the separation of work and leisure. Beer became a way of unwinding in the comfort of one’s home after work. Drinking became a reward for a long, hard day at work, and symbolized a male’s fleeting freedom before returning to the confinements of home. Currently, drinking is no longer tied to work; rather it is an activity to be done simply for recreation and leisure.
Blue-collar workerBlue-collar worker is an idiom referring to a member of the working class who performs manual labor and earns an hourly wage. Blue-collar workers are distinguished from Tertiary sector of industry service workers and from white-collar workers, whose jobs are not considered manual labor. However, some service workers are also often referred to as blue-collar workers.Let use Macdonald advertisement as an example.
Research in evolutionary psychology has shown that women look for men with good financial prospects, a high social status, ambition and industriousness. Families grew up conditioned to believe that the path to success and financial security follows years of slogging in school followed by a degree and a good job in a posh office. Macdonald advertisement has clearly shown that Families should dump the Blue Collar Mentality away, helping Singapore to mound as new mindset that equality is important.Economical ImpactsCreate jobs opportunitiesAs the Internet and other online services increase, agencies specializing in these areas are acquiring more business.
Today’s markets are requiring technical and marketing skills for success. There would be more job opportunities, as the companies would have to employ more people to make up for the lack of manpower. Also, job recruitment agencies have also used advertisements to create awareness on the different mediums. For example, Job Street would have career fairs and advertisements in the Mass Rapid Transit.GlobalizationThe powerful influences of sport on a nation’s confidence have arisen through holding of Singapore Grand Prix, Singapore Open and Youth Olympics Games. The nation has never found it possible of Singapore to play host for such world-class sport event.
The country has come to value the importance of such events and appreciate the positive impact. Winning formula of nation’s tourism and sports industry.And through advertising these events, Singapore creates a reputation in the world and let Singaporeans be aware and be involved to worldwide events. Truly, these events have not only helped to redefine Singapore as a global destination, they along with other domestic sporting events have proven to be the winning formula for the nation’s tourism and sports industry strategies. With all the exposure, Singapore would be well-known and thus attracting new investors. Therefore, the economy would improve.
Demand ; Supply of Scared ResourceAdvertisements that introduce to new units build in Singapore land to inform the living space we have to accommodate the nation. However prices are going up due to inflation and cost pressures. As Singapore is one of the developing countries and is highly competitive although still a small country. Nevertheless Singapore wants to strengthen and even produce greater results example to keep the standard of AAA rating.
ConclusionSocietal repercussions as a result of advertising present itself in various forms. It’s highly dependent on its aim and methodology of the campaign. As a mean of survival, society depends heavily on advertising to promoting and propagates ideologies and service.Whereby we agreed that advertising do has had a positive impact on society in Singapore. As various mentioned positive impacts outweigh the negative connotations.
