Role of Advertising in Our Lives — Discursive Essay

“Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they don’t have for something they don’t need,” said Will Rogers. In simple terms advertising means giving publicity to goods and services to create awareness so that consumers finally buy the product. This is a fine art perfected over the years, though the type and form have undergone a phenomenal change. This transformation is reflected in the metamorphosis of advertising from word of mouth to press (newspapers and magazines), electronic media (radio and TV), outdoor media, and most recently the Internet. These have made it a powerful medium for business, increasing its effectiveness and reach manifold.

Advertising has an all pervasive impact on modern life. The finest of the products would not find a market and would rot in the godown, unless it is properly advertised. By promoting the sale of goods and services it contributes to the economic growth of the country. It helps in the field of health care and education by creating awareness for the consumer. The government also uses it for promoting health and social welfare schemes like pulse polio, AIDS, and family welfare.

It is an effective tool for improving the quality and raising the standard of living of the people. Consumers are informed of the important benefits of a product or service, the use of which makes their life easy and comfortable. It helps a consumer choose items ranging from soaps, detergents to consumer durables like cars and refrigerators by comparing product features of different brands. It also helps manufacturers target their products for niche consumers through specific advertisement campaign using the appropriate media.

Advertising has changed the style and way of doing business, making it more scientific and productive. It involves the detailed study of consumer behaviour so that consumers can be induced to buy the product to fulfil a need hitherto unknown. It has opened up new avenues and removed all forms of geographic, language, and social barriers. So significant is its contribution that large business houses earmark a major portion of their annual expenditure for advertising.

Besides its role in promoting business and economy, it is now being increasingly used in politics. We find most political parties and even candidates, carrying out well-researched advertising campaigns, to boost or acquire an image, which is crucial for victory.

Besides its importance in promoting business, it has also profoundly affected the education, health, and entertainment sectors. One is now subjected to bombardment of advertisements through different media. The advertisements range from different educational avenues for students, nutrition for children, fashionable clothes or different movies in town. Its significance can be gauzed from the fact that most business houses earmark a major portion of their annual expenditure to spend only on advertising.

However, advertising, if used with ulterior motives has a corrupting influence on the young generation. Lately some companies are resorting to ad campaigns that promote an alien lifestyle and are at variance with our culture. Others resort to crafty advertisements that aid in deception, promoting unworthy products by manipulating the psychological aspirations of the consumer.

There is no denying the profound effect of advertising on modern life. Despite being irritating at times life without it would be inconceivable. Besides contributing to economic growth, it plays an important role in promoting health care, entertainment, and education. Advertising in modern times is the lifeline of business, for in the words of Henry Ford, “Stopping advertisement to save money is like stopping your watch to save time.”