Unit 5 Getting the message

Unit 5 Getting the messageREADINGADVERTISINGAds are found almost everywhere—they are broadcast on TV and over the radio, posted on the Internet and printed in newspapers and on posters in our cities. Advertising is a highly developed industry. The development of radio, television and other media has gone hand in hand with the development of advertising.People react to advertisements in different of advertising. People find ads useful and entertaining; others think that they are annoying. Defenders of ads say that ads help us make informed choices as consumers by introducing good quality products. On the other land, critics sometimes accuse companies of using ads to mislead us by making us believe that a certain product is better than it really is or that we will be happier if we buy it.The basic principle of advertising is fairly simple. By introducing a brand name to potential customers, and by associating the product with the customers’ needs, companies are able to influence the choices customers make. Customers see so many ads every day that advertisers must work hard to get their best chance to reach customers is to appeal to their emotions. Thus, instead of selling them the product, the ads sometimes seem to be selling them what money cannot buy: love, happiness and success.Ads help companies and customers in a variety of ways. It has been proven again and again that frequent advertising increases product sales. Since an increase in sales means an increase in production, makes it cheaper. Advertisements also help consumers choose among all the available products. There are many things we need to take into consideration before we buy an expensive product, such as a car or a computer, and ads can help us make the right decision.Perhaps the most important function of advertising is to introduce new products. Truthful ads provide good information that helps customers to decide whether they want or need the advertised product. By explaining the features, function of costs of a product or service, ads also allow customers to compare prices and quality before they actually go to the store. Armed with facts and figures, customers are better able to deal with the often powerful arguments given by a salesman or saleswoman.Not all ads are used to promote a produ ct or to increase a company’s profits. Many governments use ad campaigns to make people aware of social problems and government policies. Aid organizations often name a well-known person as their spokesman or spokeswoman in order to get their message across. For example, the United Nations selected the soccer star Ronaldo, pop singer Tetsuya Komuro the techniques developed by the advertising industry, governments and other non-profit organizations can spread knowledge, change attitudes and improve society.There are some ads that are not helpful. These “bad ads” use illegal ways to mislead consumers. It is not always easy to spot a bad ad, but there are a few things we can look out for. First of all, we should always keep an eye out for “hidden information”. Some ads hide important by using small print or colours. Other ads mislead us by showing picures that are only partly true or have been changed to look better. A similar trick is used in so-called “bait-and-switch” ads, that is the customer is shown one p roduct (the bait) and then given another.There is no clear evidence to show just how well ads work, but they are important to both companies and consumers. Good advertisements make it possible for companies to introduce new products and increase sales. If the ads provide accurate information, they also help the average consumer to find the right product at the best price. Because ads are powerful and some companies try to mislead us, we must be careful when we read ads. If we cannot distinguish between fiction and facts, we will become easy targets for ad makes. If, on the other hand, we learn to analyse ads, we may be able to protect ourselves from false advertisements and make good choices.INTEGRA TING SKILLSReadingWORDS THAT SELLTalk is cheap, but in the world of advertising, the right word at the right time can make millions. The language used in ads differs from ordinary language. Ad-makers choose words and brand names very carefully in order to create a positive image of the product they are promoting. A good ad often uses words to which people attach positive meanings.Choosing the name for a product is of course extremely important. Company or product names can have different functions: they can tell the consumer about the advantages of the product or company. A battery might be given a name that includes the words long or last to tell customers that it lasts for a long time. If a company chooses a funny or unusual name, customers will remember the name better. Some companies prefer a well-known word, while others choose names from old stories or legends. There are also companies that invent new words for their brand or product names.A product will also sell better if it is promoted with a slogan. One of the most famous and successful slogans is “Just Do It!” and there are many others. For example, “the choice of the new generation”, or “Coke Is It”.A good slogan should be “catchy”, or easy to remember, and should convey a message or idea that will make consumers form a positive image of the company and product.People read advertisements partly for information and partly because they are interesting. Today’s advertisements often start with a question, or a puzzle, with the purpose of attracting the readers’ attention. Of course, most advertisements contain information, but it is usually presented in an interesting and funny way. Humour is very important. Sometimes advertisements tell a story, or the story may be continued over a series of advertisements. However, there is a danger in this. It is possible that the reader or viewer will remember the advertisement but not the name of the product.There are other dangers. If you are selling your product in a foreign market, you must check that the translation is correct. A company that sold hair cream w anted to say “X puts life into dry hair.” They took some photographs of a beautiful actress, and the advertisements appeared on large boards by the side of the road. Nobody bought the product, however, because when translated it meant “X puts living things into dry hair.”In the 1960s, a British car company which made very expensive cars was about to sell its latest car in Germany. However, the company had to change the name of the car at the last moment. A German speaker at the factory pointed out to the s ales manager that the British name of the car meant “animal waste” in German.Some of the most powerful words that sell are those that refer to the cost. Stores promise us discounts and tell us that they have the “biggest bargains” and “the lowest prices”. Sometimes, the promises do not make sense. We should think twice when we are offered a “free gift” or an “added bonus”. And, of course, the best-seller is that simple, magical word that seems to pull us into a store even if we really do not need to buy an ything: “ASLE!”。