My Advertising Blog 2012

“Advertiming” is the practice by which companies buy advertising with a schedule that runs the advertisement primarily at times when the customers will be most receptive to the message. We have seen this on several occasions, like during late hours after midnight it is common to see commercials advertising sleeping aids. Of course, companies are targeting people who cannot sleep, and are probably up watching television instead. They are more likely to pay attention to that particular commercial if they are in need of something to help them sleep. Marketers know when exactly to expose their products to the public at the most perfect times so that their advertising will be well received. This also includes seasonal patterns. Swimming pool companies will not advertise much during cold weather moths, but their advertisements are all around during spring and summer months. Businesses always keep the want and needs of the public in mind when choosing when their advertisements will be exposed. This is why they are able to grab hold of some customers’ attention easier during certain times than others. After hurricane Sandy hit, I kept hearing commercials for auto insurance more frequently than normal. I kept thinking about my car that needed repairing from the hurricane damage. This is how the advertisements work. They cater to certain needs at times when they are most necessary.

Businesses and companies thrive on consumer spending. Many businesses emphasize the importance of good customer service and customer satisfaction because they have many competitors and therefore depend on repeat business. However, a huge reason for pleasing customers is to maintain positive word of mouth. Word of mouth is very powerful and can have lasting effects on a business. Many establishments acquire new business by referrals. It is always good when customers are satisfied because it is likely that they will tell a friend about the product or good experience they had. On the other hand, if a customer has a bad experience with a business, they are more likely to tell more people about it. This is negative word of mouth, which can be very damaging to a company. People listen to other people’s opinions because most people don’t want to be disappointed with where they spend their money. If someone is dissatisfied with the service they received, they will warn others not to go there or they threaten to tell lots of people not to spend their money on that particular business. I have seen customers being spiteful by telling a handful of people to avoid a certain establishment in which they felt neglected. This had negative effects on that business because that company lost out on potential customers. A study found that out of 100 displeased customers, a retailer is at risk of losing between 32 and 36 current or potential customers. This is especially bad news to retailers, being that the methods of negative word of mouth are becoming more powerful such as blogging sites and social networking sites. By using these methods many customers have an easy to make sure that whatever they have to say gets spread around from person to person.

False advertising is often included in the marketing strategies of many cosmetic companies. There are numerous ads that promise certain desired looks to persuade consumers to purchase their products. However, many products do not accomplish what they promise in their advertisements. A product that is notorious for this is mascara. Various makeup companies are guilty of using false lashes on the models in their ads. Some of these mascara lines say their products will give you thick, bold, voluminous eyelashes using their products alone. However, many people that use the products have complained that they don’t get results anywhere close to the images advertised. I’ve also tried several different brands of mascara and none of them do exactly what they say as well as what is shown in their magazine ads or television commercials. If you have ever used false lashes, then you know how they look and the extra volume they give in comparison to only wearing mascara on natural lashes. Therefore, many of us have come to the obvious conclusion that 99% of mascara ads use false lashes for emphasis. To accomplish the false lash look that is shown in most ads, it takes layers and layers of different kinds of mascara with different brush types and different formulas, and tools such as lash curlers or heated lash curlers. Although many are aware of this, it is still not fair for companies to advertise their products this way. It is very misleading. Consumers also tend to second guess the trustworthiness of the companies when they see this. Last year, Covergirl admitted to using false lashes on their model, probably to protect the brand legally. They did this by including a disclaimer in fine print on the bottom of the ad informing consumers that lash inserts were used. Cosmetic companies should start advertising using only natural lashes. It would be more accurate and actually allow the consumers to differentiate between the effects of different brands.