Is Advertising for or against Us? A Deep Dive into Its Impact and Effectiveness
Advertising has always been a controversial topic. On the one hand, it is a necessary part of doing business in today's marketplace: without advertising, a company can't get its products seen by consumers and make money selling them. But on the other hand, advertising is an expense that companies have to shoulder as they try to grow their businesses—and it isn't always clear that it works.
The Role of Advertising in Business
Professionally, I don't consider myself a digital marketer, but it is part of the technology algorithm. I try to understand the principles behind it. However, whenever I see any advertisement, I click on the three dots to the right of it on LinkedIn for curiosity. The social platform tells me why the advertisement is showing to me. This curiosity stems from a desire to understand the intricacies of how advertisements are targeted and why they appear.
Advertising is not really intended to sell directly. Its main purpose is to build brand awareness or visibility. This can result in actual sales, but if you're just looking for sales growth, you need to do more than just advertise. You need to focus on improving your product or service offerings, getting better at customer service and support, and becoming more efficient so you can lower costs while still making enough profit to stay afloat.
Personal Experiences with Advertising
Personally, I am deterred by ads that feature predominantly people who don't look anything like me. I feel a kind of identity roadblock. I just can't relate to the product or get a feel for it, and I don't buy it. I once scrolled through a lot of very attractive jackets that looked like the best range I'd seen in a long time. However, the predominance of models who didn't look like me caused me to shut down and not be able to imagine myself in the jackets, so I decided not to buy one. A very high percentage of advertisers feature predominantly one kind of person, and I always leave their sites. I don't have any problem with the models themselves, but my problem is identifying with them. This causes me to lose interest in the product and click out.
The Future of Advertising
In today's digital age, advertising extends beyond traditional media such as television and print. Platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook have revolutionized the way ads are targeted and consumed. LinkedIn ads, Google ads, and Facebook ads attract me because they provide insights on why certain ads are relevant to me. Understanding this data helps me appreciate the nuances of ad targeting and why certain ads appear at specific times.
The future of advertising looks promising, with advancements in technology enabling hyper-personalization and real-time engagement. However, it is crucial for advertisers to ensure that their ads are inclusive and relatable to diverse audiences. The success of an advertisement is not only about visibility but also about resonating with the target demographic. Companies that fail to do so risk alienating potential customers and losing sales opportunities.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while advertising plays a significant role in business success, its effectiveness is contingent on a range of factors, including the relevance and inclusivity of the content. As consumers, we can play an active role in shaping the future of advertising by supporting brands that align with our values and engage us in meaningful ways. By doing so, we can help create a marketing landscape that values diversity, inclusivity, and genuine communication, ultimately benefiting everyone involved.