ADVERTISEMENT MORE MANIPULATED THAN INFORMATIVE

Advertising is any paid form of non personal presentation and promotion of

ideas, goods, or services by an identified sponsor. Advertising is actually
CREATING culture(s) and is more and more targeted at changing the basic
mind of the target customers.

Ads thus serve some standard purposes like:

• Advertising differentiates products

• Advertising communicates information about the product, its price and

location of scale

• Advertising induces customers to try new things and induces reuse

• Ads stimulate distribution of the product

• Ads increase product use

• Ads build brands preference, value and loyalty

• Ads decrease overall cost of sale etc.

Various studies indicate that indeed ads have been increasingly using
methods to manipulate customer’s behavior. Some elements of such ads are
designed to influence consumers without consumers having any possibility of
rejecting that information. Manipulative advertising has a negative influence
when it dictates what an individual should do, rather than just inform or
persuade a consumer about a product. At present, manipulative advertising
seems to simply represent poor ethical standards and lack of consideration
for members of the public. In future, with the development of new
technologies, it may become more effective, more manipulative and more
difficult to detect.

Manipulative Ads can be divided into two sub categories- positive or

negative.

Positive Manipulation: In ordinary terms, these are ads that carry the
message “If you do this/buy this, then you will achieve XYZ benefits.” This
may actually lead to betterment in the lifestyle/personality/psychology of the
target. The absence or non-use of the offering does not hamper the target in
any way, and this is not suggested in the communication. Thus, ads of
products like Dettol actually benefit the target with the inculcation of
cleanliness as a regular habit. This ensures that the target’s manipulation
can only result in betterment, and not in feelings of inferiority. Also ad of
Pepsodent and colgate inculcate the habit of brushing teeth in the night.
Advertisement of some detergent powders like Ariel and Rin promote the
habit of neat dressing among children. Ad of Shoe polish Cherry blosom is
yet another example of positively manipulated ad and to an extent is
informative.

Negative Manipulation: These would go to suggest that if some product is

not purchased, then the target chances the risk of non acceptance, or
unsuccessfulness, or some kind of negative repercussion. These brink on the
edge of using fear psychosis to induce people to purchase the offering.
Worse, these actually may alter the ego/personality or confidence levels of
the target. E.g. The Fair and Lovely Ads clearly mention how a female will
NOT succeed if she does not apply the product, while if she does, she
achieves instant success. There is no proven correlation between the skin
color and the chances of success of a female individual. Studies have proven
that such ads have an enormous influence on susceptible targets especially
youth and children. Thus, manipulative ads not only affect comparative
buying behavior of the currently adult TG, but also form the normative
behavior pattern of future consumers, by targeting kids today. Also ads of
Rexona deodorant wherein a college boy is shown as a smelly goat since he
does not use the Rexona deodorant.

Manipulated ads are like convincing customers to purchase something, but it

is based on incorrect or inconclusive information. Advertisers use attractive
rates, enticing images, and a variety of forms of suggestion to influence the
customers. The customers are mislead into thinking they are actually
receiving a bargain. When advertisements are manipulated like this "normal"
people's freedom to choose freely is taken away. The important thing to
remember is that it is not what was said and or done by the advertiser, but
how a person (people) respond to what is trying to influence them. It is
somewhat like lying, but it is the truth stretched out so far that it never
seems to reach a lie. Some advertisers do lie and are held accountable in
the sense that their business suffers because of it, but for the most part
manipulative advertising is very common and well practiced. A very sad
point concerning manipulative advertising is that advertisers advertise to
everyone including those very vulnerable people. Children as well as those
with a weak state of mind, such as the mentally ill and many others in
addition to "normal" people fall into the cunning face of manipulative
advertising every day. It is understood that the more profitable a business is
the longer they will be in business. It is a shame that most business use
advertisements to falsely lure customers to their products or to their
businesses in order for them to purchase their product and, or service.

Some advertisements drive very odd ideas into the vulnerable minds like “it
is compulsory to have sweet on the first of every month” – as said in the ad
of some famous Cadbury ad.

Manipulated Advertising focusses only on positive aspects of product, never

on negative ones. When supermarkets lower some of their prices, they make
sure everyone knows about it. When, after a while they raise prices again,
they keep their mouths shut. Not only will advertisers show only the positive,
they will also present products as better than they actually are. The pizza in
the advertisement surely looks more delicious than the real product. That's
because it isn't the real product. Promotional photos of food usually aren't
very real. The food is made to look good by using plastic vegetables, putting
some extra of the good looking stuff on top of it, and making it shine
artificially. Photographers know how to make things look good. They
manipulate the lighting, make sure the model smiles, and choose the best
angle. Photos are not like the real thing, although they appear like they are.
The advertiser uses an attractive person to deliver the message, as
attractive people are accommodated and trusted more. Attractive young
men or women often deliver the message in advertisements. This is, of
course, a staged situation, the attractive person is paid to deliver the
message. Separate enjoying that person from believing the message. A
famous person in an advertisement tells how good the product is.
Advertizing companies pay celebrities to appear in ads. It is not like the
celebrity spontaneously supports the product, he or she is asked and paid.
They may not even use the product themselves (although they may say so).

Manipulating advertisement has also adverse effects on the society. Parents

are voicing their anxiety over alcohol and tobacco ads that are saturating
across the country. More dangerously, these advertisements tend to relate
usage of such products with positive and necessary characteristics like
confidence, self esteem etc., thereby making the children think that they
require such products to acquire these characteristics. Their primary
anxieties stem from the fact that many ads are purposely placed in
demographic areas dense with children and minorities especially adolescents
reaching the age where they make their own consumer and buying choices.
Some ads like Amul Macho and Diary Milk have hidden meaning which may
have adverse impact on the morality of the school going children or the
younger generation. Such ads may generate curiosity among children and
they may start asking for clarification to elders. Unfortunately, due to the
vulgar aspects involved elders will be unable to clarify such queries by the
children

Conclusion

In today’s world, while purchasing a product, a consumer takes it for granted

that the basic need – solution derived from that product – will be satisfied. So
what is going to drive a consumer towards a product? It’s whether his/her
emotional and ego needs are going to be satisfied from the offering or not.
So in order to influence his behavior for that offering, an ad has to
necessarily appeal to (or manipulate) his/her emotional/irrational behavior.
Manipulative ads are here to stay for now. As markets get more and more
cluttered in increasing number of categories, such ads are going to spill into
many domains. Manipulative ads are NOT the ultimate remedy for all
marketing needs, only a time-adapted solution in accordance with the
current market-customer variable mix. When every ad tries to manipulate
customers’ behavior, a time will come when customers shall refuse to let
every other marketer to mess around with his/her mind, and marketers will
have to find a new method to ensure sustenance of the growth curve. Finally
it is important for every consumer to distinguish between an informative or
genuine ad and manipulated one by looking into the various aspects brought
out by me.