One of the highly controversial issues today relates to whether advertising is still an effective marketing practice. This essay discusses both sides of the debate, and then I will give my own perspective.
On the one hand, some people believe that company advertisements have lost their persuasive power over consumers’ buying behaviour. According to this view, the public today has grown tired of the television commercials, flyers, billboards and other marketing messages that seem to bombard every aspect of their lives. When a person sees a promotional video on YouTube, for example, they tend to disregard its content and wait for the ‘skip’ button. Moreover, consumers today are no longer convinced by the claims made by advertisers. In an effort to present themselves as the best in the market, brands often exaggerate and even make false claims about the benefits of their products. This, combined with the ubiquity of ads, has made people lose faith in advertising.
On the other hand, opponents claim that advertising is doing an excellent job in attracting customers’ attention. While the old-fashioned pop-up adverts may not be as effective as they used to, recent marketing tactics such as celebrity endorsement and word-of-mouth have been proved to be successful at earning the public’s trust. Livestream selling conducted by an influencer, for instance, could boost a brand’s sales performance significantly. Furthermore, advertising has always been designed to tap into people’s subconsciousness and hidden desires that they themselves are not even aware of. Buyers might therefore be biased towards certain products when shopping, believing that they are making the right choice.
In conclusion, while often ignored by consumers, I believe that advertising today has evolved to remain a powerful promotion tool in uncovering buyers’ insights and attracting them. Also, the fact that major companies like Coca-Cola are still spending billions of dollars on advertisements can speak volumes about the value of advertising and its significance in the business world.