Notes

*Companies call attention to their products through advertising.
*Advertising helps the economy work because people need to know about a company's products and where to find them in order to buy them.
*Almost every form of media is supported by advertisements, especially media that is free for consumers.
*Product placement is one subtle way how advertising works on both consumers and the media.
*In addition to media, companies place ads almost anywhere—billboards, bus stops, taxis, buses, and even tattooed on people's bodies.
*Advertising is part of a larger, expensive business of directing consumers' attention to products and services.
*Because so many companies compete to reach people in so many ways, advertising is both necessary and difficult.
*A major goal of advertising is to convince people to pay more than they have to for products that they do not need.
*How does advertising shape the type of media consumers watch and read?
Advertising can result in small, subtle changes through product placement. TV shows and movies can have products, services, stores, and restaurants written into the scripts. In addition, scriptwriters and reporters may avoid controversial topics that might upset advertisers.
*Name six places where you expect to find advertising. Are there any places in your life where there is little or no advertising? Why is it absent from these places?
Places with advertising can include: shows, movie theaters, streets, malls, Web sites, newspapers, sport events, and the mailbox. Places without advertising can include the home, schools, and places of religious worship. People are often concerned about the influence of advertising and do not want to be seen as promoting one business or product above others. Natural areas and parks can also be free of advertising.
*Does advertising give any benefits to consumers and to society in general? Describe at least one benefit to consumers and one benefit to society.
Advertising gives consumers information about what products are available and where they can be purchased. Advertising can also describe a products features and its price. For society, advertising enables competition. If consumers only know of one main store, the store would have a monopoly. Advertising can break monopolies and foster competition. In an ideal world, more competition leads to lower prices and better quality for the consumer. Advertising also supports most media outlets, giving consumers cheap or free access to news, broadcasts, and Web sites.
*Their methods include positive association, embedding in memory, emotional appeals, and incentives
*Most advertisements sell a product by associating it with an identity or lifestyle.
*Music, humor, environment, character, and images in the ads all make associations to the product.
*Businesses sponsor concerts, events, and sports teams to associate their businesses with preferred lifestyles and identities.
*Associations are usually unspoken but are the most powerful force in advertising.