Advertising

Ads annoy, require reform

Modern advertisements have become excessive, need subduing

Fletcher Haltom haltofle000@hsestudents.org

Mainstream media has, as of recently, become increasingly media, it becomes evident that far more emphasis should be placed on social media plagued by advertisements. It feels as though every show, movie or stroll down the street is brought to a sudden halt by an unexpected voice telling you to buy this, wear that, watch this and stop that. In an era that is already marked by unprecedented connectivity through media (93% of American adults regularly use the internet, according to Pew Research Center), all those commercials can feel overwhelming. Oftentimes, potential buyers disregard a product before the first catchy jingle is over, damaging both the producers and the consumers. If companies want to market to their audiences more effectively, advertising as we know it must adapt. First and foremost, advertisers absolutely must change their mediums. Different modes of advertising cater to different audiences and therefore elicit different degrees of engagement from their potential consumers. Generally, as reported by Dr. Ramzan Sama, a professor of marketing in Mumbai, the internet tends to be vastly more engaging than other mediums of advertising. Of course, radio and television, the traditional marketing venues, have by no means fallen by the wayside. They are, however, reaching a smaller audience. In 2021, a paltry 56% of American adults are being reached by conventional cable television at all, per Pew Research Center. When this is contrasted with the 72% of the entire American population that utilizes social advertising. Specifically, Instagram advertisements have demonstrated promising success, especially among younger audiences. As shown in a 2019 study published in “Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication,” there is a growing trend of “userfriendly” ads, advertisements that are meant to look and feel like typical social posts from friends. These ads employ careful product placement and aesthetically appealing photos to create a post that could be mistaken for a run-of-the-mill Instagram post. The subtlety of these ads is crucial for their effectiveness, as users are far more likely to be swayed by

more understated ads than those that are outlandishly obnoxious. These forms of advertisements have demonstrated proven success, and more companies should consider abandoning their flashy colors and large text in favor of these more pleasurable alternatives. YouTube, another popular form of social media that is infamous for its aggravating 15-second ads at the beginning of nearly every video, offers additional insight into the issue of how to reform commercials. As reported in a University of Rochester study concerning the effectiveness of these advertisements, the retention rate for skippable YouTube ads is extremely low, although the effectiveness of the ad grows almost exponentially for each additional second spent in the ad. As a consequence, YouTube advertisers, as well as advertisers in general, should aim to make their ads as engaging and interesting as possible, a task that is far easier said than done but is attainable nonetheless. A report published in “Psychology and Education” invented a program known as the L.E.A.N. Program to increase the engagement levels of advertisements. Its proponents suggest that ads can be vastly improved if they are made to be more light, encrypted, ad-choice supportive and non-invasive. Essentially, companies should aim for integrated, fluid, subdued advertisements in order to maximize their effects. Almost none of these traits can be seen in the flashy commercials and obtrusive pop-up ads that consumers endure each time they access the internet or turn on their television. The advertisements that can be seen today are ineffective at best and oftentimes downright obnoxious. Commercials, radio ads and social media posts must undergo change. If advertisers want to see more positive returns on investment and spare the sanity of their prospective buyers, they will do us all a favor and trade their irritating, overthe-top advertisements for more mellow, softened social media posts and commercials. All advertisements courtesy of CNN, Business Insider, USA Today and Forbes. Graphic by Fletcher Haltom.