Advertisement Challenges

Many people believe that advertisement is a simple task. However, people's varying desires hinder the process. Advertisements are designed to provide all consumers with goods that suit their needs. Any customers do not have clear product specifications. When those customers see the goods, they buy them. Many people have no specific choice, especially when it comes to food materials. If buyers had a clear preference, ads would be easy by highlighting what they're preferred and excluding the inclined products. Customers' spontaneous purchases necessitate marketers' understanding of how to attract clients without deceit. Positive advertising requires comprehensive research on the needs of the customers without exaggeration of information to avoid tricking the customers into buying the wrong goods; however, clients need to research on the products for accurate purchases.

Advertisements capitalize on capturing the subconscious mind of the client. The ad triggers the brain to create a sense of urgency and craving for the product. The feeling draws the clients leading to buying of the goods. According to Kossman, “Making soda poured over ice in a glass has a high amount of bubbles or increasing the noise of a steak sizzling on a grill,” creates a craving feeling for the customers eliciting the need for consumption. More so, ads prompt the customer to need the product before the termination of the favorable deal provided in the commercial. The feeling of urgency makes it impossible for the brain to process information on the goods correctly and determine if the products are as important as advertised. A successful advertisement must meet the needs of the people in the targeted market.

A viable strategy for determining the needs of the people involves conducting interviews in the population. The method encounters challenges since most people do not have a clear choice of their needs. A good alternative consists of providing the people with many options and getting them to choose from the available list. The approach is more productive as compared to conducting interviews without samples. Gladwell stipulates, “There are people who like their spaghetti sauce plain; there are people who like their spaghetti sauce spicy, and there are people who like it extra chunky.” The categorical description of people according to their preference shows the varied tastes among the population. Gladwell goes ahead to recall a period when the market experience a shortage of chunky spaghetti, that a third of the population loved, redefining the food industry.

Some of the commercials might mislead the customers due to the presentation of false information. Some of the data presented is unrealistic. The consumer has to scrutinize the advertisement and determine those with practical results. For example, the weight loss and exercise industry make the clients believe that the process is quick and easy. However, the process is hectic and requires many sacrifices for the advertised results. Other companies with similar promises include those that promise the investors to get back their money fast. The investors need to investigate the truth of the advertisements and make decisions based on the investigation. Some of the commercials are deceptive and frustrate the investors due to the failure of meeting the promised outcomes. The truths behind many advertisements vary on the number of exaggerations used by the marketers.

The customers need to avoid falling for the tricks used by marketers through a comprehensive research on the goods. Some companies present the customers with a platform for offering feedback on goods. The platform is a very resourceful source of information on the merchandise. Negative feedback will show that the product is not as good as advertised making the client avoid it. Similarly, a good response from the clientele will show that the goods meet the expectations of the customers hence worth buying. In case the advertisements deceive the customers, the clients can report them to government agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission and Better Business Bureau, which safeguard the interests of the consumers. Reporting to the organizations will trigger the necessary legal action as well as prevent such companies from deceiving more customers in the market.

In conclusion, advertisements present a challenging task for both the marketer and the consumer. Companies in the advertising industry have to conduct a comprehensive research on the needs of the people. The study forms the primary foundation for the advertisements that aim at meeting the specific needs. Such information can make the business successful if the marketers use the information well. Due to unscrupulous dealers that might misuse the data and present the customers with fake information, the clients have a responsibility to conduct their independent research before buying the goods. The independent study will equip the customers with enough knowledge to avoid trickery into purchasing the advertised products blindly. As much as the advertisements might be misleading, it is essential to acknowledge the fact that they help consumers buy goods, which they did not know they needed in the first place. That is a positive attribute from the advertisements.

Works Cited

Gladwell, Malcolm. "Malcolm Gladwell: Choice, Happiness and Spaghetti Sauce | TED Talk." TED: Ideas Worth Spreading, 2004. Retrieved from: www.ted.com/talks/malcolm_gladwell_on_spaghetti_sauce#t-1034244.

Kossman, Sienna. “The Truth About False and Deceptive Advertising.”U.S. News & World Report. 22 July 2013. Web. 28 Sept. 2017.