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Key Terms/Concepts MIT3214g

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Criticisms of Advertising

1. Liberal (economic)2. Neo-Liberal (K. Galbraith; V.

Packard)3. Marxist

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Liberal Critique of Advertising

Economic Functions1. Wasteful Inefficient unnecessary cost to goods inter-brand competition

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Liberal Critique

1. Monopoly/Oligopoly Power:

1. protect brand leaders

2. entrance barriers3. impede market

forces 4. raise prices

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Challenges to Liberal Critique

1. Research (Pope, Nicosia)

1. Ad. beneficial from ec. Point?

2. monopoly critique/ barriers to competition?

1. low A. spending (tobacco)

2. high A. spending (auto, fast-food)

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Social Democratic Critique

(Neo-Liberal)

1. Modern Ad./oligopoly2. Realization

1. 2nd Industrial Revolution

2. market-control3. system of commercial

persuasion4. A: simple notices to

core of modern capitalism

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Social Democratic Critique

1. Manipulative: ‘false needs’, excess consumption

2. Reification1. social/personal needs met w/ goods2. consumption as happiness

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Social Democratic critique

1. J. K. Galbraith, Affluent Society (1958) 2. firm main decision-maker 3. A. serve producer via consumer demand4. state planning for social needs5. “social welfare capitalism”6. toothpaste brands/hospital beds

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Marxist Critique

1. A. vital to modern capitalism

2. Oligopoly capitalism

3. Realization (Historical Explanation)

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Marxist Critique (R. Williams)

A. as “Magic System” “System”

Oligopoly Capitalism Realization “Official Art” Commercial Media

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Williams: Magic System“Magic”1. goods into signifiers2. validate object via

social/ personal meanings

3. “Not materialist enough”

4. people as users; people as consumers

5. use value/exchange value

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Use Value Exchange Value

1. Needs/uses2. Material/tangible3. essential4. transparency5. Labor-time6. Natural7. Incomparable8. Objects of utility

1. Wants/desires2. Abstract3. artificial4. mystification5. Money system6. Socially constructed7. Logic of equivalency8. Commodity

fetishism

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Commodity Fetishism (Marx)

1. Production severed from consumption2. Goods reveal (social communication)3. Goods conceal (social relations

production)4. Fetishism: appearance of things masks

who/how made Columbia Bicycles; Karastan; Bacardi

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Product-As-Information

1. Marxist ideal2. product as focus of ad3. utility/quality/price/user benefits4. limited reference to user5. “rational” product description6. Historical overview

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Marxism/Ad/False-Real Needs

1. A. --false needs/otherwise not develop

2. False Needs1. superimposed on individual2. Marcuse: people “not free”

determine real needs

3. Real Needs? Examples1. problematic

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Neo-Liberal: False Needs

1. A. not create false needs; exploit existing needs

2. target vulnerable psychological areas

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Hierarchy of Needs

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Reification

satisfy social/personal needs w/ purchases

A. cultural function: consumption produces happiness,

self-fulfillment, self-actualization, etc.

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Marxist: A. as Social Control/Ideology

1. Non-collapse of capitalism2. Define self as consumer, not worker3. Consumption where exercise control4. Ideological manipulation of capitalism5. A. & world without social conflict

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Defences of Advertising

1. Rational Information Seeker/Consumer Sovereignty

2. Marketing Concept3. Myth of Manipulation4. History: Wholesaler-Manufacturer

Power Struggle5. Advertising as Art and Symbolism

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Consumer Sovereignty

1. Consumers influence production

2. C. creates wants/needs1. little ad influence

3. C: knowledgeable, informed

4. A. as Information5. Advertiser mantra

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Marketing Concept

1. A. match products to pre-existing needs/wants

2. From “selling” to “marketing” paradigm

1. 4 Ps

3. Rational consumer; responsible producer

4. Efficiency of marketing economy

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Manipulation Myth

1. Limitations of Advertising/Promotion 1. Lack ability to manipulate2. Market research little predictive power

2. Tap into/Accelerate trends, not create new

3. Ad clutter

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Historiography

1. Marxist: “Realization” 2. Manufacturer/

Wholesaler- Retailer Power Struggle

1. Branding/DTC ads2. Higher prices, less price

competition3. Ivory Soap vs. Soap X

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A. as Art/Symbolism

1. A. as popular art2. think abstractly3. Symbolism/goods

as age-old human need

4. “Want/desire symbolism of A.”

Constructing Consumers (Aldridge)

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Dominated Dominant

Instrumental

Expressive

Consumer Victim

Cultural Dupe

Rational Actor

Communicator