Chapter 3: Brand Communication and Society

Question:
What is your opinion about advertising effect to society? Discuss both negative and positive sides using your own experience with a brand advertisement.

Answer:
Advertising, with it basic roles to inform about and persuade people to take action on a particular matter, has been making considerable impacts in many aspects of our life. Its effects seems to be more intense than ever when the development of information technology is growing fast, bringing more and more opportunities for a person to approach an advertisement. However, whether advertising has positively or negatively influenced our society, remains a controversial topic.

As a fact, advertising plays a key roles in the economy by its utmost purpose to stimulate demand. By promoting a product’s features that meet with the needs and wants of consumers, an advertisement can persuade them to buy it, which result in increasing the demand for that product. On this aspect, advertising informs and offers instruction about innovative things, technology, or services that facilitates life. For example, Apple showcased the first iPhone in 2007, introduced a smart device that can play music like an iPod, make calls like a mobile phone, connect to the internet and still easy to use. As the result, consumers know a new thing can help them get rid of, for instance, remembering how many devices they should bring on a travel.

Apple - iPhone Keynote 2007 

The idea of how convenient life could be with just one friendly smart phone becomes stronger nowadays as almost everybody has one for their own. However, modern multi-function smart phones raise the question whether they were even needed. A survey carried out by American’s Pew Research Center in 2015 stated that 54% of smart phone owners say their phone is not always needed. Critics even claimed that high-price smart phones is not only unnecessary but they also have bad effects on our social skills. All of the above supports the opinion that advertising, by creating demand, creates false needs. Consumer may purchase a product that not really essential. For another example, skin and body-care brands try to convince people to use different types of skin care products to have a perfect skin. In fact, an expensive set of all-day skin care product may not as effective as slices of cucumber and a healthy diet. Nevertheless, people have the right to choose what to buy; advertising, on the other hand, can affect their choices but can not force consumers to buy what they do not want.

The argument goes on with the rise of materialistic consumer culture in the second half of 20th century, which is believed to be lead by advertising. In particular, advertising makes a product more appealing; therefore increase consumers’s expectation and gain their belief that it is the answer for their situation. For instance, if you feel asleep while working at night, you will immediately think of a cup of coffee to keep your mind awake. Actually, all you need is do some exercises, which is not mentioned in coffee advertisements. In contrary, some may say that advertising is just mirroring people needs for a better life. This opinion emphasizes that an appealing advertisement is not the only reason for a consumer to buy a product. Despite the fact that it could make them buy once, if the product was not what they need, they would not buy it again. Smart phones can not exist just because of people’ curiosity of a new technology device but it really benefits them. Consumers, once again, are the ones who give final decisions.

Last but not least, is ads is shaping or mirroring our mind. In the modern time, along with the wants of a convenient life, we are now more aware of our own health, the environment, as well as social issues. Let’s take a look back in 1898, the N.K Fairbank company had on their advertising card an illustration in which a white child asked the black one if her mother did not wash her with their Fairy soap product; or sweater brand named Drummond pointed out that “Men is better than women!” and that women are liked pleasant and only useful indoors. These vintage advertisements that we may now think are offensive and should be banned are not really a big deal at the time they were delivered. Advertising’s messages are interpreted differently in separate contexts. In particular, in late 19th century in Western culture, black people were considered stereotypically as helpless, dependent and even brute. Similarly, women’s role were seen to be child-bearing and taking care of the home without any place in national politics. As a result, the advertisements in this period reflected, and perhaps, strengthened and shaped negative thoughts about diversity, gender inequality and many others social issues.

Vintage advertisements

Advertising nowadays also have many issues about women's rights, sexual appeals,etc. For example, many fashion brand still use the image of women as sex object. Even a fast food brand like Burger King has it controversial sexuality implied poster. Despite the fact that there are still many bad taste ads, advertising today is more aware of human right, health, as well as true social values. Dove's Real Beauty campaign, for example, features the wider definition of women's beauty.

Controversial advertisements of Burger King and D&G

Dove's Real Beauty Campaign

In conclusion, advertising always come along with message which, in different contexts, can be considered either good taste or offensive. However, advertiser nowadays have been more creative and more responsible to society than they were before, result in a more optimistic future positive advertisements.

References:

• Sandra Moriarty, Nancy Mitchell, William Wells (2015) Advertising & IMC: Principles and Practice, 10th Edition. Present Hall, pp. 88-117
• Pew Research (2015)U.S. SMARTPHONE USE IN 2015. Available at:  http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/pi_2015-04-01_smartphones_04/
• Bored Panda (2013) 23 Vintage Ads That Would Be Banned Today. Available at:  http://www.boredpanda.com/vintage-ads/
• Dove, The Dove® Campaign for Real Beauty. Available at:                http://www.dove.us/Social-Mission/campaign-for-real-beauty.aspx

Chapter 2: Integrated Brand Communication

Answers:

• What do you think about brand and its meaning? Is it important?

Come from the process of branding cattle, the word ‘brand’ is now one of the indispensable concepts of our life. Brand and its meaning is viral since it represents a whole corporation or a line of product. A brand is the image that pop up in out head whenever we think of the drink we like, the shoes we wear, the magazine that we read and so on. That image can be a particular product, a logo, a picture from your memory, or it can be just a solid color. A brand is a perception imbued with feelings. It is defined by tangible features such as product’s design, ingredient, size, shape, etc. and is perceived by emotions that follows the experiences with a company or a product. Therefore, each brand has its own image, personality and values which differentiate them from others.  

• Discuss a brand that meaningful to you, what meaning can you understand from it? How did the brand build up this meaning for your understanding? (personal experience)

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 Last year, as a graphic design student, I had a chance to study more deeply about the development of many world’s famous brands such as Microsoft, McDonald’s , Nike, etc. Among all these brands, there is one that has never failed to impress me; a brand which I grow up admiring, it is Coca Cola.

My first impression of Coca Cola when I was a child is that this is the drink of parties and meetings. Every time a Vietnamese family reunion, especially on Tet holiday, they enjoy meals and drink some coke and beer together. Knowing this tradition, Coca Cola Vietnam has created many meaningful TV commercials. Along with the special red and yellow packaging, the coke was totally successful in delivering the joyful and warm atmosphere of Tet.

The real gif of Tet- New Year 2015

The message of “open happiness” is not only delivered in holiday seasons, but also in everyday life. In ordinary days, Coca Cola has a personality of an enthusiastic, out going young lad whose passion is to bring people together. This spirit is expressed throughout its every single advertising campaign all over the world. For example, they redesigned the cap of the bottle in “Friendly twist” campaign. The special bottle can only be opened by connecting the cap and twisting your bottle at the same time with another. Similarly, in Vietnam, I have experienced the newest campaign of Coca Cola in which print various emotional stickers on their products, encouraging people to send their feelings. It has been a fun thing to do since you can tell your feelings for someone without saying anything. I think that the purpose of these campaigns is to persuade people to start a conversation and make friends. Once people can share their feelings with others, they can become friends; once they are friends, they can share happiness.

 "Friendly Twist"  - 2014

"Share a coke, Share a Feeling" - 2015

Along with being a passionate brand, Coca Cola is also a creative and inspiring symbol of the youth. It is sponsor and cosponsor of many programs and events that involve young people such as American Idols (till 2014), Olympic games and so on. In Vietnam, Coca Cola and Samsung sponsored the music event Soundfest in 2012 attracting thousands of participants. The brand and its extremely creative, interactive advertisements has been sending the fun and inspiration in everyday life. The interactive electronic board in HCM city, for example, has entertained people waiting at traffic lights with funny conversations and stickers; therefore, replaced the tiring atmosphere with more enjoyable feelings. This is one of the best things I love about Coca Cola, it makes me feel involved. 

Soundfest- 2012

To conclude, Coca Cola is not only meaningful to me because it is the favorite drink from childhood, but also because of its inspiring creativity as well as it non-stop passion to deliver the message of “Open Happiness”.

References:

• Sandra Moriarty, Nancy Mitchell, William Wells (2015) Advertising & IMC: Principles and Practice, 10th Edition. Present Hall