Is Advertising Necessary?

[TMS]

I'm doing a little research project and just wanted to get some local input.

What do you think, is advertising necessary?

[Conan71]

Are you serious?

Of course it is, though it's an entire approach to marketing which actually sells.

Now the next question, why did you pick here to ask?

[TMS]

I picked here because (a) I wanted local opinions, and (2) it said put stuff here that didn't really fit anywhere else.

Thanks for your response!

[OpenYourEyesTulsa]

Advertising is only necessary for things that people really don't want or need until they are hypnotized into buying it.  Then they buy it and they have a house full of useless stuff and a large credit card bill.  That is what caused a lot of the economic problems we have now.  Products that are really good do not even need to advertise because people know about them through word of mouth and good reviews from independent sources.

It bothers me that people accept advertising and do not complain about it.  More and more it infiltrates our lives.  I was so mad when they started showing commercials during the previews at the movie theaters.  No one else seemed to care.  I also lose respect for A list movie stars and musicians that are doing commercials now.  10 years ago or so this was frowned upon by most people but now it is acceptable I guess.  I consider it to be selling out.  Most of my waking hours are spent being advertised to.  Even in the elevators in my building there are screens with advertising.  It is to the point where I ignore it all now.

I think we will be stuck with advertising until our social and economic system changes and/or completely collapses which could be within 100 years or less.

[Red Arrow]

  I was so mad when they started showing commercials during the previews at the movie theaters. 

I would consider previews at movie theaters as advertising for movies.

[RecycleMichael]

I love advertising that makes me think a product or a company isn't so full of themselves to have fun.

(this message brought to you by TulsaNow...TulsaNow...wasting your time since 2002)

[Conan71]

Advertising is only necessary for things that people really don't want or need until they are hypnotized into buying it.  Then they buy it and they have a house full of useless stuff and a large credit card bill.  That is what caused a lot of the economic problems we have now.  Products that are really good do not even need to advertise because people know about them through word of mouth and good reviews from independent sources.

It bothers me that people accept advertising and do not complain about it.  More and more it infiltrates our lives.  I was so mad when they started showing commercials during the previews at the movie theaters.  No one else seemed to care.  I also lose respect for A list movie stars and musicians that are doing commercials now.  10 years ago or so this was frowned upon by most people but now it is acceptable I guess.  I consider it to be selling out.  Most of my waking hours are spent being advertised to.  Even in the elevators in my building there are screens with advertising.  It is to the point where I ignore it all now.

I think we will be stuck with advertising until our social and economic system changes and/or completely collapses which could be within 100 years or less.

I understand your cynicism and agree there are many annoying ads out there for things I have no interest in, but it's never forced me to go out and buy something I didn't need or want. 

That said, do you:

Listen to free radio?

Enjoy free TV or lower rates on pay TV?

Enjoy lower cover and subscription prices on magazines and newspapers you buy?

Ever look in the yellow pages or on the internet for a good or service you need?

Enjoy free web pages to get your news, entertainment, and free email service?

Advertising subsidizes way more in your life than you think it does.

I like advertising, it makes me think I'll get to go skiing if I get herpes, makes me wish I could menstruate so I could enjoy bicycling more, wish I could have an erection lasting more than four hours (hell I'd call more people than just my doctor if that happened!), take a pill that would make me a compulsive gambler, etc.

[DolfanBob]

Advertising is a necessary evil. Our business is driven by ads.
It really depends on your type of business as to which form of advertising to use. We do credit checks so T.V. ads are out. The only good T.V. that would work for us is prime time and have you checked those prices ?
Print ads are just ok. We have done ValPak and Yellow pages with some results, but our biggest and best is Radio. AM or FM
Sports and Talk have worked very well for us, but like anything you can only beat the bushes so much.
So for our business. We have to advertise.

[PonderInc]

Necessary to whom?  For  what purpose?

In general, I would say that if you have a business or product, you need to spread the word about your business/product, or you will have no sales.  (Similar to the question: "if a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears it...")  The best product/service in the world will only sell if potential customers know about it...so you need some mechanism for getting the word out.

Does that mean traditional advertising on radio/tv/print?  Not necessarily.  It could mean a laborious process of making cold calls to potential clients and winning them over with your fabulous presentation/product.  It could be an amazingly entertaining video on YouTube that spreads virally (and for free).  It could be a positive news story in the newspaper or on local TV.  It could be word- of-mouth, spread via Twitter, Myspace, and plain old-fashioned gossip.  It could be a content-rich e-newsletter that you send out to friends and family...with enough value that people will pass it on...

It's interesting to wonder what we had before advertising.  Gossip?  Family/tribal trade agreements?  Barkers in the public square.  Monopolies.  Hunting and gathering....

If you think about it, advertising was invented the first time some guy admired another guy's sea shell or bear claw.  "Where'd you get that?"  "Oh, I picked it up over near such-and-such...."

[tulsascoot]

For businesses to succeed and continue to attract new customers it is. The general public is very fickle and very forgetful. If you do not repeatedly put your message in from of people, no one will come to your business. And advertising does not only serve to run up credit card bills and fill home with more stuff. If you have a cracked windshield and recently saw an advertisement for a windshield repair, you are likely to call them for a quote. If they provide superior service and good prices, the ad worked.

I do not care much for advertising, but I realize it is important, especially since I work for commission in a retail environment. I need new customers for my paycheck. Our store is well established and repeat business is a big part of our business, but we still need to attract new customers to survive.

So, yes, it is necessary.