User:Jiskaah/sandbox/Advertising

Advertising Advertising is an agent which companies use in order to communicate their service or product with consumers, so that the product can reach clients beyond their determined boundary of customers. Advertisements can be in a visual form or in an audio form. Visual advertisements can reach new consumers by the convenient scattering of printed words in newspapers, magazines and on billboards, around the globe. Audio advertisements can be scatterd through international television and radio, in order to reach a wider audience. The boundaries of advertising in this world are non-existing, as the staff members of advertising agencies have invented various ways to spread advertisement globally. Companies often focus their advertisement on how great their product is, as the function of an advertisement is convincing people into buying a product or service.

Different advertising techniques

1. The water is wet claim

The claim says something about the advertised product that is known to be true. The claim consists of facts, so it will be true for any brand that would produce an object like it, which gives the product no real advantage over competing products. The water is wet claim can also be compared with to pleonasm. Samples include "Mobil: the Detergent Gasoline." , "BEAUSKIN a perfume that smells differently on everyone".

2. The we are different and unique claim

The claim will appear when advertisers claim that there is no other product like this on the market, their product is unique. Readers are supposed to interpret these objects as superior. The exclusiveness of the product is supposed to make it superior, it however rarely does. Samples include "Only Doral has this unique filter system.",“ there’s no other lipstick like it.”.

3. The weasel claim

The claim is claiming something that on first glance seems to be legit, but on further research, does not mean anything. It is called “weasel claim” as it is based on weasels, which suck the inside of an egg out until it is hollow. It will still look like a regular egg but if you investigate it you will find out that it is hollow. You can recognize a weasel claim by the use of weasel words. The most frequent found weasel words include helps, useful, better, improve, effective, acts, seems, looks, appears, many, virtually, most, from, as many as, up to. The claim can often not be legally attack, if the product does not work, as the ad never really claimed that it would Samples include “Persix makes your dishes virtually spotless”, "Hot Nestlé cocoa is the very best", “Nobody else's product is better than ours”.

4. The unfinished claim

The claim appears when an advert claims to be better or have more of something, however they never finish the comparison. This claim raises more questions to the consumer than it provides them with answers. Often included words such as better, thicker and stronger. Advertisers will never say “the best” as they would then have to clarify it, however when the say better they can leave the claim unfinished. Samples include "You can be sure if it's Westinghouse.",“This battery has more power to get the job done right.”, "Magnavox gives you more".

5. The rhetorical question

The claim tries to demand a response from your audience. This is done by asking questions in the advertisement, which will force the viewer of the ad to think of a response, which most of the time is in agreement with the product shown. Samples include "Plymouth--isn't that the kind of car America wants?", “Shouldn't your family start the day right with Trex Cereal?”, "What do you want most from coffee? That's what you get most from Hills".

6. The so what claim

The claim will urge you to think so what?. The claim is true, however the information does not give the product a real advantage. This claim is similar to the “water is wet claim”, however in a "so what claim” the adverts claim to have an advantage over other brands, which a “water is wet” claim does not do. Samples include "Geritol has more than twice the iron of ordinary supplements.","Product R has 75 percent more potassium than a banana." , “The latest DELL computer – a choice of four different colours!”.

7. The endorsement or testimonial claim

In this type of claim a person of high importance or celebrity is used to endorse a certain product. The celebs claim to be utilizing the product they are endorsing, however this can never be validated. The celebrities mostly lend their name to the companies as they are paid a great deal of money for it. Samples include “If it's good enough for astronauts , it's good enough for you”, “The official candy bar of the Olympic games”.

8. The vague claim

This claim uses colourful and emotional words to describe the product, to make it look extra appealing. This claim is however meaningless and vague. You cannot verify this claim as the words are impossible to measure or check. Samples include "Lips have never looked so luscious.", “ Our shampoo's vitamin formula makes beautiful hair” and "For skin like peaches and cream".

9. The compliment the consumer claim

This claim uses complements to flatter the consumer, the creators of the adverts are buttering up the buyers. Individuals will then be more in favour of purchasing the product as they feel significant. Samples include "We think a cigar smoker is someone special." , “You take great care of your children, and that's why you feed them product X".

10. The scientific or statistical claim

The advertised product will be supported with scientific proof, proof from experiments, specific numbers or a mystical ingredient. Samples include "ESSO with HTA." , “Based on the latest research from our laboratories.”, "Wonder Break helps build strong bodies 12 ways".The use of numbers and statistics is there to make the product look superior.

External links

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