Online GD's ???????

[ravi]

Hi.
Ads serve a very important role in our TV viewing. Without ads, imagine sitting through an entire 3 hour movie (u'll burst ur bladder !!! ).
But more seriously, they serve to educate. How will you even know about a new product that is available without ads. You might argue that print ads and hoardings can also serve the purpose. But the TV reaches a more wider audience and it is also more expressive - as is often said "A picture is worth a 1000 words "

P.S : Been getting killed in office. That is y i haven't been around ! Robo had a good topic, but it was tough and i saw it only 2day !
Ravi

[Morpheus]

Ads which educate are socially relevant messages mostly funded by Government agencies who have to brunt this cash intesive exercise merely on due to so called onus of spreading awareness, but if you referring to ads which spread social message say for example to use condoms to prevent AIDS are outnumbered by ads belonging to Tobacco/Liqour companies.
These Ads even though they endorse Non Alcoholic/Non tobacco products are indicative/inticing enough to point to the main product of the companies.

Banning advertising would make sure that most channels go bust

I do agree with that statement, but there is an option of a channel to go "Pay per View" like they have in western countries.
I dont have much insight into the history of Ads or how have they become an all
important part of Marketing Strategy as we know today, however i have no intention of undermining their contribution to tenets of production or for that matter phoenix like rise of products who used this medium to the hilt.
But what i do surmise is that one should have atleast a mechanism which monitors (No not Censor committee) but a forum which lays down some strictures on how to remove the anomalies from which TV Ads seem to be suffering from.

"A picture is worth a 1000 words "

Well said, but a semi nude nubile nymphet is more damaging than pornigraphic magazines for kids since it seems to legitimise the notion of seeing such material since it is being aired straight to our bedrooms .


Morpheus

[aquarian_gal]

Ads allow us to get info about products.They are very useful in creating an awareness among consumers regarding the existence of products and also the launch of new products.We'd hardly know the existence of products if not for the ads shown on TV n not to forget the celebrities endorsing them.

My 3 yr old nephew screams "Nan@# aa gayi" wheneva he sees "Nirma" girl

This itself shows the effectiveness and level of penetration of TV ads.We cannot deny that it is the most effective form of advertising.

[Morpheus]

My 3 yr old nephew screams "Nan@# aa gayi" wheneva he sees "Nirma" girl


This itself shows the effectiveness and level of penetration of TV ads.We cannot deny that it is the most effective form of advertising.

Yeah i call this an effective way of promoting profanity

Perhaps we should not get into argument on reach of advertising on TV, we all agree on that, real issue I far as i can discern, is that time has come for us to atleast take notice of issues which plague Advertising on TV.
Although economic sense cannot be done away with but there is definitely a social responsibility attached with advertising from which advertisers are shying away, a proactive effort on part of public at large can go a long way in making them understand this.

Morpheus

[ashwin]

there is definitely a social responsibility attached with advertising from which advertisers are shying away,

Let us understand that we live in a brutally capitalistic society. The most important goal as far as advertisers are concerned is to sell their product. period. The social responsibility that you talk about sounds good in theory..but most theory is, or has become, idealism. In the real world, I believe that advertisers do NOT have an obligation towards social responsibility, or educating the public, for that matter. Please note that the word I've used is "obligation". Tell me something, would you sit through a typical 100-second or 2-minute commercial break if all it contains is messages of social responsibility and the like? How many of us sit through the "THIS IS A DOCUMENTARY PRODUCED BY THE GOVT. OF INDIA TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS" spiel that is shown during the intermission in a cinema hall?

This is exactly what the guys at every ad agency are thinking about. And they're putting out the ads accordingly. It comes down to the dough, pure and simple. Anything else is Utopian idealism.

[Morpheus]

Let us understand that we live in a brutally capitalistic society.

Free market economy is here to stay, i cudnt have agreed more on that but i do not share your views when u say

In the real world, I believe that advertisers do NOT have an obligation towards social responsibility, or educating the public, for that matter

Infact had not US Govt cracked its whip on Tobacco advertising in US, cigarette sales wud have touched sky high.Point here is that notion of "Everything is fair" as far as selling a product is a dangerous one.Especially means to attain those astrnomical sales figures which are otherwise not achievable.Social responsibility is not done away with if u r selling something.

Tell me something, would you sit through a typical 100-second or 2-minute commercial break if all it contains is messages of social responsibility and the like?

I never came up with an idea of making such an Ad

Morpheus

Ps

This is exactly what the guys at every ad agency are thinking about. And they're putting out the ads accordingly. It comes down to the dough, pure and simple. Anything else is Utopian idealism.

U meant Duh! , pure and simple

[robo]

In todays world , each and every company wants its product to be publicised well , with effective , entertaining and lively ads. In the effort they try to make their ads which are interesting , leave a long time mark on the viewer and do not harm the public sentiments. This ends up with more and more quality ads being shown on the Television these days than there were a few years ago. Moreover they also reduce the viewers' cost of viewing his/her favourite channel or for that matter the favourite programme.Then where is the need of banning the TV commercials .
If someone gives the pretext of vulgarity ,I would say that if the viewers are ready to watch 'Baywatch' then whats wrong in watching the 'Nirma girl'.

Its not that the ads that are bad , its the changing preferences. Ads are not solely responsible for the promotion of vulgarity .. look also at the movies and the TV programmes ,internet and the day today language being used by todays youth.Look at the 'Real TV' becoming hot today.They couldnt have gained so much popularity without support from viewers. So the percentage of people liking sex, thrill and excitement in their programmes is far more than those advocating a restraint. The ads can not be banned unless we ban all the vulgarity shown on media,like you can not ban Gutkha unless u ban cigarette.

[megha]

Ads are the outcome of the excessive competitiveness occuring in the market. They are essential in that the consumer is interested to know what is available in the market. So in that case they cannot be done without. This is looking from the consumer's point of view. Looking from the producer's point of view too, the ads are benificial in that they definitely help in better marketing the product. But ads are also wasteful expenditure when spent in terms of millions of rupees for a film star and the like. Also some ads mislead the public especially the youth. The kind which show that smoking a cigarette can make you fly around or do nonsensical feats. But nevertheless they make for good entertainment at times when it comes to sitting admist a boring tv serial. For instance the show going on between the major cold drink companies where they throw taunting words at each other and we rest our backs and enjoy it.

[ashwin]

The ads can not be banned unless we ban all the vulgarity shown on media

Do you think that the Censor Board or the government or whoever has the right to tell us what to see and what not to see? Now that comes down to doing the balancing act between censorship and artistic license. The question is, how far does censorship go? I believe that freedom of speech and expression are to be given paramount importance but then I also do realise that in a country as diverse as India, where sensitivities of people assume gigantic proportions, you just cannot have a one-size-fits-all rule such as that.

Point here is that notion of "Everything is fair" as far as selling a product is a dangerous one.

Point taken.

U meant Duh! , pure and simple

I guess the fact that everything comes down to money is taken so much for granted now that explicitly stating it IS duh!

But ads are also wasteful expenditure when spent in terms of millions of rupees for a film star and the like

I couldn't agree more on that one. In fact I've had drawn-out arguments on the cola wars issue with friends. Both Pepsi and Coke have a brand image, the highest possible brand recall and lets face it, hardly any difference in what they're selling. The excessive advertising has only resulted in the price being much higher than what it could be.

I never came up with an idea of making such an Ad

Didn't say you did buddy! The "you" in the preceding question was a generalisation.

[gsh]

Well, a primary reason why ads r being screened is to generate brand recall . As a critical tool of what is known a s Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) ,the clutter that exists in the market has forced advertisers into using techniques that may be harmful to the millions watching it.For example ,the concept of shock advertising , slowly catching up in India is a process in which nudity is screened all of a sudden and catched the viewer unaware may generate a huge brand recall , but it certainly does catch the consumers attention for all the wrong reasons.
Another crucial reason cud b that the westen advertising fraternity sees Indian advertising in poor light and hence their indian counterparts are forced to take a leaf out of their book completely forgetting the fact that India is culturally more diversified and that a unique way of advertising to the masses in India is inevitable . With cable penetration jus close to 35% of TV viewers ,advertising can b addressed to a much bigger audience thro other media in a sensible way .But the key to all this wud b to educate the advertising ppl
abt the responsibility they hold in moulding the innumerable minds on whom they have a huge influence.