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Have you ever been attracted to or actually purchased products because of advertisements like this? Advertisements are a great source to ensure the success of a business. Without advertisements, we would have no idea all the different flavours of Horlicks that exist unless we went to the store to check for ourselves. Advertisements let consumers know when a new product has been launched into the market and they are often taken as a source of information as well.
Companies spend millions of rupees a year on advertisements, but has anyone seriously considered why? If a beverage company spends ten lakh rupees on one ad, and only one lakh of people pay attention to the ad, that means the firm is spending 10 rupees for each person. Through that 10 rupees, the ad can convince those people to purchase the product it is promoting. If it only costs three to five rupees for the production of one soft drink and they charge 20 rupees, even if 10 rupees has gone to advertising, there is still at least five rupees profit. And that is how business works.
I currently live in front of a school. From my window, I can clearly see the activities of students throughout the day. During tiffin, several children quickly rip open packets of noodles during the break to see the coupon waiting inside, while other students grudgingly eat the meal prepared by their mother that morning. The excitement of the students diving into the packages of noodles cannot be blamed on them, but it is clear that their excitement is influenced by the constant stream of noodle ads on television and ads plastered on every other building. Why should these children become the victims of those advertisements? And why don’t the other children appreciate the healthy meal prepared by their parents?
It is not the fault of businesses. They have every right to advertise their products to the masses. Nor can we blame the media. For the media, advertising is a primary source of income through which they stay afloat. If utilised fairly, advertisements can be beneficial to business firms, the media, and consumers, too.
Although it is the consumers’ responsibility to stay alert and wise in the process of selecting which products to purchase, there is a still need for control from all sides. For example, a programme on an FM station or on television should be longer than the advertisements. A one hour programme should not have 40 minutes of ads and 20 minutes of programming. Newspapers should consist of more news than advertisements. Business firms should try to give the actual reasons their product is the best and should be purchased, not misleading consumers with false statements. And citizens should boycott false advertisements.
As consumers, the one thing we should do is be aware. We should not run to purchase a brand of tea after hearing the slogan ‘mood change turuntai’. Nor should we attempt the things we see on the Mountain Dew commercial claiming “dar ko agadi jeet cha!" And we should not purchase a certain toothpaste under the impression of an ad that if we use that toothpaste, we will be able to attract a girl just by saying ‘talk to me!’
Published in The Kathmandu Post Post Platform; APR 06
Have you ever been attracted to or actually purchased products because of advertisements like this? Advertisements are a great source to ensure the success of a business. Without advertisements, we would have no idea all the different flavours of Horlicks that exist unless we went to the store to check for ourselves. Advertisements let consumers know when a new product has been launched into the market and they are often taken as a source of information as well.
Companies spend millions of rupees a year on advertisements, but has anyone seriously considered why? If a beverage company spends ten lakh rupees on one ad, and only one lakh of people pay attention to the ad, that means the firm is spending 10 rupees for each person. Through that 10 rupees, the ad can convince those people to purchase the product it is promoting. If it only costs three to five rupees for the production of one soft drink and they charge 20 rupees, even if 10 rupees has gone to advertising, there is still at least five rupees profit. And that is how business works.
I currently live in front of a school. From my window, I can clearly see the activities of students throughout the day. During tiffin, several children quickly rip open packets of noodles during the break to see the coupon waiting inside, while other students grudgingly eat the meal prepared by their mother that morning. The excitement of the students diving into the packages of noodles cannot be blamed on them, but it is clear that their excitement is influenced by the constant stream of noodle ads on television and ads plastered on every other building. Why should these children become the victims of those advertisements? And why don’t the other children appreciate the healthy meal prepared by their parents?
It is not the fault of businesses. They have every right to advertise their products to the masses. Nor can we blame the media. For the media, advertising is a primary source of income through which they stay afloat. If utilised fairly, advertisements can be beneficial to business firms, the media, and consumers, too.
Although it is the consumers’ responsibility to stay alert and wise in the process of selecting which products to purchase, there is a still need for control from all sides. For example, a programme on an FM station or on television should be longer than the advertisements. A one hour programme should not have 40 minutes of ads and 20 minutes of programming. Newspapers should consist of more news than advertisements. Business firms should try to give the actual reasons their product is the best and should be purchased, not misleading consumers with false statements. And citizens should boycott false advertisements.
As consumers, the one thing we should do is be aware. We should not run to purchase a brand of tea after hearing the slogan ‘mood change turuntai’. Nor should we attempt the things we see on the Mountain Dew commercial claiming “dar ko agadi jeet cha!" And we should not purchase a certain toothpaste under the impression of an ad that if we use that toothpaste, we will be able to attract a girl just by saying ‘talk to me!’
Published in The Kathmandu Post Post Platform; APR 06
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