Question

"Advertising is a social waste." In this context explain the demerits of advertisement.

How would you combat the argument that advertising is untruthful, wasteful and unnecessary?

Give any five reasons why people consider advertising social waste.

Advertising is a social waste. Explain.

Answer 1

Advertising has faced a lot of criticism and popular condemnation. Critics of advertising provide the following "objections against advertising":

1. Higher price: Advertisers' product costs are passed on to customers through increased prices. Customers pay more for marketed products. Advertising promotes demand and leads to large-scale production, even while manufacturers do not cover the costs themselves. Large-scale production decreases costs and leads to reduced prices. Advertising does not always result in greater pricing for customers over time.
2. Wasteful consumption: Advertising can increase people's wants and lead to unhealthy consuming habits. It can lead to unnecessary purchases, which wastes societal resources. Advertising can also skew family budgets and encourage unwise spending. 
   Advertising undoubtedly multiplies the needs. However, it also motivates individuals to work more and earn more to meet their increased wants. Additionally, certain items are innovative and beneficial to users.
3. Sale of inferior and dubious products: Manufacturers waste national resources by creating fake differences in their products to increase brand loyalty through advertising. Producing these things wastes natural resources, capital equipment, and labour that may be better used to create new industries. Advertisements often go unnoticed, resulting in a waste of valuable resources and time. Advertising is considered wasteful as it often shifts demand from one brand to another, rather than raising overall demand.
4. Undermines social values: Advertising can undermine social ideals by using inappropriate language and images. Advertisements may promote and celebrate lifestyles that are not socially acceptable. Advertisements often portray people who consume alcohol and smokes as brave. Some commercials are not tasteful. Consider an advertising in which women chase after someone wearing a specific perfume.
   The impact of marketing on social ideals is subjective. Social transformation is necessary. Government and business bodies can take measures to prevent antisocial and unethical advertising. Whether an advertising is in good or bad taste is a matter of personal preference. Even taste preferences vary with time.
5. Misleads the consumers: Whether advertisements damage social values is subjective. Social adjustments are required. Governments and business associations can prevent unethical and antisocial advertising. Determining whether advertising is in good or bad taste is subjective. Taste preferences evolve throughout time.
6. Creates monopoly: Advertising may create a monopoly for a specific brand. Large corporations invest much in advertising, perhaps eliminating smaller businesses. For example, Coca-Cola and Pepsi have destroyed domestic soft drink manufacturers in India.  

Thus, advertising is not a social waste. Unscientific and dishonest advertising can be wasteful and unwanted. Advertising, despite its limitations, is a crucial marketing function in modern business.