7 Misconceptions of Television Advertising

Advertising reached a pinnacle of recognition when television as a platform surged in popularity. Since the broadcast of the first ever television ad on July 1st, 1941, advertising has evolved and transitioned to being much more than the product benefits. The brand now assumes a personality of its own. It perpetuates a lifestyle that reflects its brand philosophy.

In this process, there are many common misconceptions that have ended up being associated with advertising. Listed below are 7:

Irrespective of the scope and reach of social media, television will always play a larger role in driving brand awareness and in connecting with existing and potential customers. With the introduction of big data tools, TV ad rates have been drastically cut and advertisements can be targeted with unprecedented accuracy to the smallest and most relevant groups of people.

2. Happiness is for sale: Advertisers often associate their products with happiness, a kind of temporal happiness that you obtain only by purchasing the products. Standout examples would be Coca-Cola’s ‘Open Happiness’ and Volkswagen’s ‘Get in. Get happy.’ From aerated drinks to alcohol brands, from fashion to automobiles, happiness is offered to the consumer with every buy. One that lasts only as long as the product’s shelf life.

3. Sex sells, celebrities sell: David Ogilvy, often considered the father of modern advertising had once said that, ‘Sex sells only if it is relevant to the product being sold.’ Even with respect to celebrities, he hadn’t been too convinced. Celebrities are effective only when they are projected as expert users of the product. In majority of the cases, they are already dismissed in the consumer’s minds as a gimmicky stunt or as being bought off.

4. Short sells better than long: Amongst most advertisers, there is a preconceived notion that short is always better than long. This is where they are quick to assume and judge the consumer’s intelligence and attention span. The key to advertising is the balance. There can never be too much of a good thing and too little of a bad one. In fact, longer copy tends to convey the message that you have something important to say. The more facts you tell, the more facts you sell.

5. Confidence comes with consumption: As consumerism takes center stage, self — confidence has taken a beating. Making it a theme for advertisers to exploit to sell more. Marketers convince consumers that they can find validation in their lives, with each purchase of their product- be it a pair of jeans or an automobile.

6. Adventure/Respect is discovered in the right automobile: Advertising also tends to propagate and cement stereotypes as facts of life. For example, women are meant to stay in the kitchen and men earn for the house. Adventure has always been a favourite theme for the automobile industry; if your car is adventurous then it means you are too. If your car demands respect, then you shall gain respect too. This false proposition is what drives consumerism, when you are dissatisfied by your car’s addition to your image you opt for a costlier model and so on the cycle goes.

7. Youth culture is the pinnacle of life’s seasons: Advertisers idolize youth culture. It is projected as the epitome of life. But when you take into consideration the impulsive and spontaneous nature of youth culture, the glaring truth behind such advertisements is just blatantly manipulative.

There are misconceptions and then the facts but there is no denying that advertising is an inevitable part of our lives. It is a statement on our every day as we know it and a n undeniable contributor to popular culture.

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