How advertising informs to our benefit

In the passage, the author argues how advertising can work to our benefit. I agree to his point of view to a certain extent. Firstly, I agree that there is a useful connection between advertisement and information. The advertisement provides with information which acts to convince or persuade the viewer to buying their products. Considering the cost required to broadcast all the relevant information in their advertisements, the information would only come in bits and pieces, which then acts as an incentive to create new information through research. When the viewer becomes aware of positive effects of this product, example, this health product gives you calcium, protein and other vitamins, being health conscious hence interested, he/she would eventually research on the following to ensure its reliability and credibility, meaning they would get all the information then. Therefore, it can be seen that the advertisement though with the brief information plays a major role in selling a product.

Secondly, I agree to a certain extent that through advertisement, we get information at no extra cost. No doubt, when we watch advertisements on televisions, signboards on the streets, etc, we do not need to pay a single cent by looking at it and broaden our knowledge with the relevant information. For example, myself, an average-sized boy who has no reason for slimming, coming across an advertisement about the ways of slimming down effectively through pills, devices, eating plans, etc. The slimming-ignorant person I was before is never one anymore, after realizing about the many interesting ways of slimming down without any payment definitely. Don't we get information from them at no extra cost? However, think again, if the viewer is an obese person who is very eager to slim down, spots this advertisement, and immediately purchase the product or even buy books to research more on them, isn't this exploiting and manipulative of such people? Twisting the previous fact, where now consumers indirectly "pay" for the advertisements when they buy the products.

Thirdly, I agree that advertising also elicits additional information from other sources. For example, on the advertisements regarding slimming, it would benefit consumers or viewers by bringing attention to their regular eating habits and encourages exercises. Hence, bringing forward altogether the notion of good health.

Next, I also agree that consumers benefit from lower prices of products due to advertisement. What competitive advertising works for the public good is price advertising. Its effect is invariably to heighten competition and reduce prices which then the consumers could enjoy.

Lastly, I agree to a certain extent that advertising related to health will provide a storehouse of telling observations on the ways in which the benefits of advertising extend beyond the interests of advertisers to include the interests of the public at large so as to attract consumers. On the other hand, will the advertisers mention in detail about the side effects of such health products? Ultimately, considering how the harmful side effects will affect the market if they are made known, advertisers would not highlight them. A very obvious example is the rising cases of obese people falling ill after taking slimming pills and demand refunds thereafter. Prescription drug ads on television don't present a fair balance of information about the benefits and risks of drugs, according to a University study. On average, a 60-second advertisement devoted less than eight seconds to side effects while thirty-second advertisement contained less than 4.4 seconds of risk disclaimers and 15-second ones usually did not offer disclaimers.

Advertising is hard because you have to brag about your business without sounding like you're bragging. Talking about your honesty and integrity is one of those areas where you can easily step over the line. Integrity is perhaps the most important thing in business, besides having a product or service that people want. If people don't trust you, then they are not likely to buy from you if they can at all avoid it. But it's important to have integrity, not just because your customers desire it, but because it's the right thing. Concealing various harmful facts about a health product could lead to drastic consequences of the innocent consumer, especially to the less educated and gullible people.

As the Creative Director of a tobacco company, I would not compromise my integrity but try other means of advertising to compete with other companies such as price promotions and making known that our company's cigarettes have less nicotine or tar which are the harmful attributes.