Functions of Advertising
Text 2 “Functions of Advertising”
Pre-reading discussion 1. Can companies do without advertising? If not, why? State your point of view. 2. What is your reaction to advertising? 3. Has any ad ever made you get interested in buying a product? 4. Has an ad ever made you buy a product? Share your experience 5. How many roles does the advertising play?
Read the text and answer the questions below:
The particular roles that advertising can play are many and varied, although they fall within three broad areas: • To inform • To persuade • To sell To inform In certain instances, advertising simply seeks to provide the public with specific pieces of information. In many cases, this has a neutral content, such as public announcements, or some forms of governmental advertising. In other instances, manufacturers may use advertising to inform previous consumers of some deficiency in their product. This is apparent in the case of product recalls, where the manufacturer uses advertising to communicate the particular problem to the widest possible audience in order to ensure a speedy dissemination of information and an equally rapid response on the part of the owners of such products. In the case of a manufacturer introducing a new product, there is a need to inform potential consumers about the new product. This may take the form of a simple announcement, or may provide details about the product, its functions and some form of comparison or claim about the product in the context of existing product offerings. In order to extend the appeal of an existing product, manufacturers may attempt to use advertising to suggest new uses for a product. In many instances, responses to consumer research will identify different ways in which the consumer uses the product, and these may assist in the identification of new opportunities. A manufacturer may wish to inform the market of a price change or some other aspect of the product proposition.
Pre-reading discussion 1. Can companies do without advertising? If not, why? State your point of view. 2. What is your reaction to advertising? 3. Has any ad ever made you get interested in buying a product? 4. Has an ad ever made you buy a product? Share your experience 5. How many roles does the advertising play?
Read the text and answer the questions below:
The particular roles that advertising can play are many and varied, although they fall within three broad areas: • To inform • To persuade • To sell To inform In certain instances, advertising simply seeks to provide the public with specific pieces of information. In many cases, this has a neutral content, such as public announcements, or some forms of governmental advertising. In other instances, manufacturers may use advertising to inform previous consumers of some deficiency in their product. This is apparent in the case of product recalls, where the manufacturer uses advertising to communicate the particular problem to the widest possible audience in order to ensure a speedy dissemination of information and an equally rapid response on the part of the owners of such products. In the case of a manufacturer introducing a new product, there is a need to inform potential consumers about the new product. This may take the form of a simple announcement, or may provide details about the product, its functions and some form of comparison or claim about the product in the context of existing product offerings. In order to extend the appeal of an existing product, manufacturers may attempt to use advertising to suggest new uses for a product. In many instances, responses to consumer research will identify different ways in which the consumer uses the product, and these may assist in the identification of new opportunities. A manufacturer may wish to inform the market of a price change or some other aspect of the product proposition.