HW-3

Evidently we live in a world of clutter of information. How do you think we deal with these messages? How do marketers cope with the clutter? What is the future of advertising to ensure that the messages are effective? Keeping this in mind, what is the role of branding? What does it do while making decisions to buy products we need?

1. The clutter of messages is not hard to deal with for most people in today's society because we are so accustomed to it that it is barely noticeable. As stated in The Persuaders, "we have developed immunity to advertising."


2. Marketers are fighting to break through the clutter. Past advertisements were strictly business; their primary goal was to sell a product. Today marketers are trying a different approach by speaking to consumers on a deeper, more personal level. The goal is to engage consumers with not only a product, but a lifestyle.


3. Advertising is not as effective as it used to be because consumers have grown immune to it. Effective ads must offer a lot more than a good product. The majority of products are quality these days so it is not material goods that the consumer is lacking. Marketers must dig deep to find what voids people are actually trying to fill. Social acceptance, community ties, and family values are in high demand. An effective ad will sell these concepts along with the product.


4. Branding exists to set one product apart from all others. A good brand is salient, memorable, and noteworthy. Being salient is all about associations. A brand that is associated with a specific concept is salient. A brand that is tied to any of the concepts mentioned in question three will likely appeal to consumers on an emotional level. Branding is intended to convince people that a product is different and better than everything else on the market. An example that comes to mind is Chevrolet. Recent Chevy commercials have featured R&B singer Mary J. Blige. These ads show us that Mary has stayed true to herself despite her wealth and fame. She opts to drive a Chevy, a classic American car, unlike most celebrities who buy expensive luxury vehicles when they get money. The message is that people who drive Chevys are "real" and down-to-earth. Many youths think it is extremely important to be perceived as "real" and hope to acquire this image by buying a Chevy.


5. Branding assures us that we are purchasing a quality good. It helps us to identify with a product. Once we identify with a product we become loyal to it because we are convinced that it is the best fit for us. Therefore, we know exactly what to shop for which reduces search time and makes it harder for competitors to distract us.