Advertising must be effective for companies to continue paying the big bucks for commercial airtime, print features, and celebrity endorsements, but many consumers praise TiVo for its ability to skip commercials and wish magazines could exist without advertising covering half the pages.
Brand recognition is the most obvious effect of advertising — first-time buyers of a product are far more likely to choose a brand they know over one they don't. So although most of us don't enjoy having our favorite TV show interrupted by advertisements, they do tend to stick with us in some form.
Advertising has become more sly as of late with product placement in movies and on television. For example, you can head to the Gossip Girl website after each episode and find where to buy items as seen on the fabulously fashionable gossip girls and guys.
When does advertising affect your decisions?
Photo courtesy of The CW
Gerard Darel
Herve Leger
Wallis
I don't know! But I really want a pair of red tights.
1For me, if a product is constantly thrown in my face, I tend to NOT purchase it. A great product will win me over with solid word of mouth from friends and family.
2With things I buy frequently like soap or shampoo or something, I'll stick with what I know and ads don't affect me. But the other day my boyfriend had a really bad toothache and neither of us was familiar with any of the toothache-gel products, so we bought Oragel because I'd heard it was good. Well, I heard it was good from the ads at least!
PS, I understand about the red tights. I'm trying to decide if they'd look weird on me!
3Advertising doesn't but things recommended on the sugar websites do
4PS the red tights ARE awesome
5Sometimes, adverts definitely affect my decision of whether or not to buy something. Like today I saw the new ad campaign for the 3G iPhone where's it's all locked in a box and top secret and although I've been coveting one since the announcement, that advert sort of made me not want to buy one. On the other hand, I'd never own an iPod or a Mac Book if it weren't for their clever ad campaigns. I think mostly it depends on the product. Sometimes product placement just cracks me up though--like in Legally Blonde, goodness the first few minutes of the movie is an advert for Herbal Essence hair dye which amuses me to no end.
6The only advertisement on American television that effectively works on me is Red Lobster.
7I kind of agree with Fuzzles that there is a certain level of brand saturation that works against me. On the other hand if a product I see is actually quality, and needed, advertising won't necessarily sway me one way or another.
I tend to be the kind of shopper that gets in my head what I want (even if I have not seen it, or any ad for it) and go look for THAT, and nothing else, until I find it.
8I have my Masters Degree in advertising, and I think the schooling and work that I have been through has made me hyper-aware of what advertising and marketing are trying to accomplish. That being said, I LOVE to look at ads and watch commercials, especially if they are something new and creative, or beautifully done. But, I don't really think that ads sway my purchase decisions.
9I'm much more influenced by recommendations from friends or other people I trust. I'd like to say I'm completely immune to advertising, but I don't think that's true.
10Advertising affects my decision if the product serves a purpose for me. Oh, and by the way. Whenever I watch TV online, and there's like the same one ad every commercial - it's EXTREMELY annoying, and it just makes me want to avoid that product. Or when they show the same movie trailer on TV all the time - it just makes me sick of it and not want to see the movie. I think advertisers need to mix it up a bit - oversaturing people with the same ads just makes them annoyed.
11I am with brainstewerz - I HATE the repeating ads for online shows!
12If an ad catches my eye, I usually use that as a jumping off point to research it online or give it a try if it's cheap. But a really good movie trailer will effect me and make me want to see a movie even if it gets bad reviews.
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