It is believed by some that advertisements influence what people buy, while others consider them as an important source of information on products. Commercials do provide details on products that we might not know otherwise, but I think that an advertising campaign’s eventual goal is to promote a product, which manipulates our spending behavior.
On the one hand, advertisements can encourage us to buy certain products that we do not need. An example would be people who change mobile phones every year. Mobile phones are built to last several years, and yet some still choose to buy a new one annually due to the new features or capabilities shown on commercials. Adverts have the capability to make people curious about a product, eventually manipulating them to buy a particular product. Moreover, some brands which have a stronger trademark than others might have better advertising techniques, leading people to buy a product from a certain brand only.
On the other hand, advertisements are platforms to share helpful information about products. In general, to promote a product, commercials would highlight the product’s competitive advantages. This allows buyers to be informed of which product would be more helpful to them according to their needs. To illustrate, Apple phones can be customized for color-blind people, which we only knew due to advertising. This information can help these people to decide which brand of phone they want to purchase.
Overall, while advertisements offer information on a product, I believe that their main purpose is to promote the product, despite of its disadvantages, which can lead to unnecessary spending.