[00:07.16]READING
[00:08.02]ADVERTISING
[00:09.27]Ads are found almost everywhere-they are broadcast on TV and over the radio
[00:13.40]posted on the Internet and printed in newspapers and on posters in our cities.
[00:16.95]Advertising is a highly developed industry.
[00:19.15]The development of radio, television and other media has gone hand in hand with the development of advertising.
[00:24.01]People react to advertisements in different ways.
[00:26.28]Some people find ads useful and entertaining; others think that they are annoying.
[00:30.07]Defenders of ads say that ads help us make informed choices as consumers by introducing good quality products.
[00:35.27]On the other hand, 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.
[00:43.57]The basic principle of advertising is fairly simple.
[00:48.30]By introducing a brand name to potential customers,
[00:50.52]and by association the product with the customers’ needs,
[00:52.77]companies are able to influence the choices customers make .
[00:55.14]Customers see so many ads every day that advertisers must work hard to get their message across.
[01:00.00]For that reason, companies spend large amounts of money employing advertisers.
[01:03.79]The best chance to reach customers is to appeal to their emotions.
[01:04.62]Thus instead of selling them the product, the ads sometimes seem to be selling them what money cannot buy; love, happiness and success.
[01:11.20]Ads help companies and customers in a variety of ways.
[01:14.05]It has been proven again and again that frequent advertising increases product sales.
[01:18.10]Since an increase in sales means an increase in production, the price may be reduced.
[01:21.99]Therefore advertising, instead of making a product more expensive, often makes it cheaper.
[01:26.22]Advertisements also help consumers choose among all the available products.
[01:29.93]There are many things we need to take into consideration before we buy an expensive product,
[01:31.44]such as car or a computer, and ads can help us make the right decision.
[01:34.97]Perhaps the most important function of advertising is to introduce new products.
[01:38.71]Truthful ads provide good information that helps customers to decide whether they want to need the advertised product.
[01:43.70]By explaining the features, functions and costs of a product or service,
[01:47.04]ads also allow customers to compare prices and quality before they actually go to the store.
[01:50.93]Armed with facts and figures, customers are better able to deal with the often powerful argument given by a salesman or saleswoman.
[01:56.76]Not all ads are used to promote a product or to increase a company’s profits.
[02:00.78]Many governments use ad campaigns to make people aware of social problem and government policies.
[02:05.17]Aid organisations often name a well-known person as their spokesman or spokeswoman in order to get their message across.
[02:10.47]For example, the United Nation selected the soccer star Ronaldo,
[02:13.63]pop singer Tetsuya Komuro and other famous people to represent the UN and make its programmes known to the public.
[02:18.75]By using the techniques developed by the advertising industry,
[02:21.49]governments and other non-profit organizations can spread knowledge,
[02:24.42]change attitudes and improve society.
[02:26.09]There are some ads that are not helpful.
[02:28.18]These “bad ads” use illegal ways to mislead consumers.
[02:31.42]It is no always easy to spot a bad ad, but there are a few things we can look out for.
[02:35.84]First of all, we should always keep an eye out for “hidden information”.
[02:39.23]Some ads hide important information by using small print or colours.
[02:42.99]Other ads mislead us by showing pictures that are only partly true or have been changed to look better.
[02:47.96]A similar trick is used in so-called “bait-and –switch” ads
[02:51.38]that is the customer is shown one product (the bait) and then given another.
[02:55.06]There is no clear evidence to show just how well ads work,
[02:58.17]but they are important to both companies and consumers.
[03:00.39]Good advertisements make it possible for companies to introduce new products and increase sales.
[03:04.28]If the ads provide accurate information, they also help the average consumer to fine the right product at the best price.
[03:10.11]Because ads are powerful and some companies try to mislead us, we must be careful when we read ads.
[03:14.81]If we cannot distinguish between fiction and facts, we will become easy targets for ad makers.
[03:19.51]If, on the other hand, we learn to analyse ads, we may be able to protect ourselves from false advertisements and make good choices.
[03:25.73]INTEGRATING SKILLS
[03:28.84]Reading
[03:29.62]WORDS THAT SELL
[03:30.20]Talk is cheap, but in the world of advertising, the right word at the right time can make millions.
[03:34.87]The language used in ads differs from ordinary language.
[03:37.69]Ad-makers choose words and brand names very carefully in order to create a positive image of the product they are promoting.
[03:43.39]A good ad often uses words to which people attach positive meanings.
[03:46.42]Choosing the name for a product is of course extremely important.
[03:49.84]Company or product names can have different functions: they can tell the consumer about the advantages of the product or company.
[03:54.80]A battery might be given a name that includes the words long or last to tell customers that it lasts for a long time.
[04:00.08]If a company chooses a funny or unusual name,
[04:02.59]customers will remember the name better.
[04:04.31]Some companies prefer a well-known word,
[04:06.61]while others choose names from old stories or legends.
[04:08.91]There are also companies that invent new words for their brand or product names.
[04:12.44]A product will also sell better if it is promoted with a slogan.
[04:15.86]One of the most famous and successful slogans is “Just do It!” And there tare many others.
[04:20.30]For example, “the choice of the new generation”, or “Coke Is It”.
[04:23.83]A good slogan should be “catchy”, or easy to remember,
[04:26.75]and should convey a message or idea that will make consumers form a positive image of the company and product.
[04:31.11]People read advertisements partly for information and partly because they are interesting.
[04:35.63]Today’s advertisements often start with a question,
[04:37.83]or a puzzle, with the purpose of attracting the reader’s attention.
[04:41.20]Of course, most advertisements contain information,
[04:43.39]but it is usually presented in an interesting and funny way.
[04:45.79]Humour is very important.
[04:47.57]Sometimes advertisements tell a story,
[04:49.63]or the story many be continued over a series of advertisements.
[04:52.14]However, there is a danger in this.
[04:54.02]It is possible that the reader or viewer will remember the advertisement but not the name of the product.
[04:58.07]There are other dangers.
[04:59.82]If you are selling your product in a foreign market,
[05:01.73]you must check that the translation is correct.
[05:03.56]A company that sold hair cream wanted to say “X puts life into dry hair.”
[05:07.66]They took some photographs of a beautiful actress,
[05:10.17]and the advertisements appeared on large boards by the side of the road.
[05:12.73]Nobody bought the product, however, because when translated it meant “X” puts living things into dry hair.”
[05:18.29]In the 1960s, a British car company which made very expensive cars was about to sell its latest car in Germany.
[05:23.88]However, the company had to change the name of the car at the last moment.
[05:27.38]A German speaker at the factory pointed out to the sales manager that the British name of the car mean “animal waste” in German.
[05:33.49]Some of the most powerful words that sell are those that refer to the cost.
[05:36.92]Stores promise us discounts and tell us that they are the “biggest bargains” and “the lowest prices”.
[05:41.20]Sometimes, the promises do not make sense.
[05:43.21]We should think twice when we are offered a “free gift” or an “added bonus”.
[05:47.23]And, of course, the best-seller is that simple,
[05:49.98]magical word that seems to pull us into store even if we really do not need to buy anything: “SALE!” |