It is becoming increasingly common for people to debate over the importance of conventional forms of advertising, thanks to the growing popularity of social media, influencers and online shopping. Nowadays, companies popularized digital advertising, because traditional methods are becoming less effective due to consumer skepticism and advertising fatigue. In my opinion, the change in advertising towards the digital field comes with different effects, including increased consumerism or improved public awareness.
In the modern age, traditional advertising is becoming less effective due to consumer skepticism and advertising fatigue. Ad-blockers and subscription services, like YouTube premium, allow people to avoid conventional advertisements. However, with the development of digital advertising, which quickly adapts to changing consumer habits, companies started turning away from traditional methods of advertising, since they are more time-consuming and less convenient. For example, influencers and personalized content can attract specific audiences and influence purchasing decisions. Moreover, there are other two major advantages of digital advertising, which are its price and workforce requirements. Often, advertising online costs less than conventional methods, since you do not have to worry about renting and paper work. Modern techniques include effective use of social platforms, which are usually cost-free and almost always done by a small marketing group.
When it comes to the benefits and drawbacks of this development, there are several things which I want to compare. Regarding the bad sides of the advancement, advertising can encourage unnecessary purchases and fuel consumerism. For example, fashion advertisements can create artificial demand and contribute to textile waste, since they usually pursue people to follow latest trends, that is, to replace perfectly usable dresses with the latest ones. Similarly, digital advertisements can use personalized recommendations and influencers to encourage impulsive purchases. Apple, for instance, has been actively using digital advertising via trusted internet celebrities to influence young audience, as a result of which, both popularity and sales has increased noticeably.
However, there are also some benefits which come with the growing popularity of social media, influencers and online shopping, including public awareness and informed decisions. Firstly advertising can also inform consumers about products, prices and alternatives. Public-service campaigns, anti-smoking advertisements for example, can raise awareness of important social issues, like the widespread cigarette addiction. A similar case are pharmaceutical ads, which can make people aware of new medicine and can encourage parents seek medical advice. Also, digital platforms make it easier for consumers to compare products, research alternatives and access useful information, which happens to be as a form of convenience for buyers who want to spend less time on choosing between several items for example.
To summarize, companies have been actively turning to the digital advertising due to its convenience, affordability and adaptability. As for the effects of this advance, digital advertising can inform people of important social issues and make it easier for people to compare products, working as a useful tool, although it can encourage unnecessary purchases and increasing textile waste too.