Have you ever noticed commercials where they "compare" their product from that of the competition. Then the product of the competition doesn't even stand a chance? The best example I could give you is with those tissue commercials. They will often times take their own tissue and that of another brand under a "test". And the commercial's tissue being advertised is always more absorbable while the other tissue is mushy and brakes apart. The same thing goes for baby diapers and feminine pads and tampons. In the end, that 1ply of tissue being advertised is no better than the 1ply of tissue being advertised by someone else because it is likely to be made the same way with the same materials.
That is the power of advertising. They can even sell a box of air simply by incessant advertising that would convince you of a lie. Advertising agencies think of something that would attract potential buyers and their trick is to make the product desirable.. even if the spiel is not true at all. My rule on the quality is the brand and the price. Too cheap items might not be at par to my usual brand.
I know they can get sleazy sometimes but personally I don't find the brand comparison tactic all that sleazy to be honest. I think it's just natural for them to want to compare their products with their competitors and tell the public that they should trust their product more. The ones I find to be very shady are the labels on boxes where they claim something is all natural or healthy or contains natural ingredients, etc. because most of the time they are very misleading in that they might contain some beneficial ingredients but ultimately they only put a little so they can claim it as a marketing tactic.
They don't bother me as most people know they are comparisons and as long as they are within the legal guidelines they can do what they like. These adverts are geared towards a certain target audience and in some cases it works, but products are built on reputation these days and while it can get people to buy things, only if they are good quality will they continue to do so.
All is fair in war . . . To be honest I hardly ever buy anything I see being advertised on TV but there are some people who might be convinced that the product in the commercial is better than those made by their competitors but most people will not stop using the product they'd previously been buying unless the product being advertised is cheaper.
They do it because a) stand out or fail. Tis why everything is made so cheaply now.. screw consumers; they have to one up the other brands or die. and b) because most people believe what they see and even if they don't, it's too late.. the imagery has stuck and will make you feel secure or sexy or clean or popular if you buy that product the next time you see it on the shelf. People are easy targets.. everyone wants more and better and whatever has the best commercials. TV is one big commercial.. even your fave shows. If you don't want to be sold to.. if you really want to save some money... turn it off.
To be fair - as all companies whether they offer a service or a product - have to do this to one degree or another - in order to get whatever it is they are selling noticed - otherwise they'd go out of business - you really can't blame them for doing so. Which is probably why it doesn't bother me at all and why - regardless of how a product might be advertised it makes no difference whatsoever to me - as apart from the fact that I don't take much notice of advertising “ speak “ - I would never buy anything based purely on what something was proclaimed or being advertised to do or not do - particularly as its generally nothing more than a marketing tactic to try and entice consumers to buy one product over the another.
I agree with @JosieP on this point. Even the news anchors are sitting or standing advertisements. They are dressed by local designers, and if you look at the credits, you'll see those company names listed. I'd prefer to see them reading the teleprompters in the PJs, since that's how many of us watch the morning news. I miss the days where things and people were more natural, and everyone wasn't running around looking for their big break, but I digress. I mainly skip through the commercials, but as Josie mentioned, even the shows are all advertisement. Notice everyone in television shows and movies has the latest gadgets, drives the biggest and best new vehicles, etc. All of those products are carefully placed to entice viewers to buy the products.
I don't let it get to me. I just see it for what it is, businesses trying to get as much custom as possible. I very rarely buy anything off the back of a commercial, so I'm not at all sure who these adverts are actually able to hook.
Yeah that's how a lot of them are. I guess that's just how they play the game. I don't think it's very effective at all though.
If a brand claims to be better, I have a right to make a judgment for myself. Some things are better and others have no difference except packaging and cute commercials. However, there's a group of people who will buy only because the ads told them to.
4 payments of $19.99! Of course, most people can do the math, but it just feels much more reasonable than $80. I also agree with many other people in this thread comparing to another product is just unfair. Also, the whole '9/10 dentists recommend' scheme. 9/10 dentists seem to recommend every type of toothpaste there is.
Many of these advertisements offering payment plans are geared toward those with lower incomes, who often can't afford to pay the entire price up front. That could be a boon to the buyers, if the item is something they truly need, or it could break the budget of someone who's struggling, once they fall behind in the payments and end up with a bunch of late fees. I understand that's not the problem of the seller, but it is a societal issue, in my opinion.
Lots of excessive advertising, especially TV spots, will often actually turn me off from a particular brand name product. It makes me think that the premium I am paying for that product is all going towards all their excessive advertising, instead of into the quality of the product itself. Places like Dollar General or Aldi don't blow money on stuff like TV spots, and instead keep their advertising to a minimum, so they can then pass those savings on to their customers. I would much rather buy a more cost friendly generic or store brand of something like cookies and crackers, than pay extra for some big brand name cookies or crackers, that advertise constantly on TV. Those TV spots cost an arm and a leg, and those costs are passed down to you.
I find that some countries are sleazier than others when it comes to advertising. France are quite sexual in their TV advertisements, but they still are not as sleazy as the likes of American advertising in my opinion. There is something very cringe-worthy about American advertising. Just the way that the voices are layered over the recordings makes it seem like you are being coursed or swindled into doing something.
The one strange advertising technique that I find annoying is when they crank up the volume on commercials so that they are much louder than the other programming. This is one of the things that you might find when you are using commercials. It is just one of the items that I have always noticed. They are supposed to be turning the volume down on commercials, but I notice it hasn't happened.
