 |
It is particularly important to use media literacy skills to analyze advertising messages. The hunt for consumer dollars is on, and teens are a prime target. Many advertisers view teens as a uniquely profitable three-in-one market: as buyers themselves, as influencers of their parents’ purchases, and as future adult consumers. America’s 31 million teenagers spent $153 billion in 1999, according to the marketing firm Teenage Research Unlimited. The U.S. Census Bureau projects the number of teens to hit nearly 35 million by the year 2005, and experts expect their purchasing power will increase as well. Teens also have tremendous influence over their family’s spending on everything from computer equipment and vacation destinations to fast-food and supermarket purchases. Manufacturers and retailers have taken notice. A variety of products—from soft drinks to athletic shoes to CDs— are marketed directly to teenagers and preteens. However, young people also see advertising for products that aren’t for them, like cigarettes and alcohol—ads that can be pervasive and convincing.
Advertisements in magazines, on television, and in other media are the most carefully produced pieces of media ever created. For each page of advertising in a magazine or 30-second spot that comes on between television shows, months of planning and millions of dollars have been spent! After all, corporations use advertising to reach potential customers. And the strategy works—people buy the goods and services they see advertised —especially name brands.
While most ads are fairly easy to spot, sometimes it’s not always clear that what is presented is really an ad. For example, how many times have you seen a specific product used in a movie? These "product placement" ads may be as subtle as a handsome actor smoking a cigar in a movie scene or an attractive woman wearing a fur coat in a music video. Some of the most powerful advertisements are the ones that lead us to believe that "everyone is doing it"— whatever "it" is.
One style of marketing often used by companies for consumer products is popularity by association. That’s why a musical artist or athlete promotes a product by wearing it rather than actually appearing in an advertisement. Sometimes the endorser is paid a fee and sometimes the trade-off is free stuff. It’s a low-key sell, not a high-power one. This is a popular approach because young people tend to be suspicious. The use of celebrities to market products, services, or even good causes can be viewed cynically by young people who simply see it as someone "getting paid" to do a job and not someone who really believes in whatever is being promoted.
Some types of advertising include:
- Traditional—The product or service is clearly identified, and a call to action is made (buy this product, use this service, call this telephone number). Image—The company or organization seeks to be associated with a certain feeling, image, or cause. Products or services are not always featured in image advertising.
- Product placement—A company pays for a product or message to be featured in an entertainment vehicle, such as a movie or music video.
- Event sponsorship—A sponsor’s name is displayed prominently at event venues, on ticket stubs, or other items associated with a special event.
- Celebrity endorsement—A well-known person is paid to promote a product or service.
previous | RETROspective | next
|
|
