Advertising

Introduction

Budget is quantitative expression of future plan of activities. It is a future plan of activities expressed in terms of currency/rupees. It is prepared for a fixed period of time. Advertising budget is a financial document that’s hows the total amount to be spent on advertising and lists the way this amount is to be allocated. It is a translation of advertising plan into money to be spent on advertising. It is an estimation of total amount to be spent on advertising during a given period of time for achieving marketing objectives.

It involves allocation of a portion of total marketing resources to advertising functions of a firm. An advertising budget shows how much amount is to be spent on advertising and how this amount will be allocated among different media, sales territories, products, selling-activities, etc. It states the proposed advertising expenditure and serves as a decision-making tool for the management while allocating available funds to the various advertising functions and related activities of the company.

Advertising budget and its process is similar with the:

• Sales Promotion budget
• Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) budget.

All three terms can be used interchangeably also due to close similarity. Advertising budget is prepared by Advertising Manager in consultation with Marketing Manager of the company. But in small business organizations, which do not have separate advertising department theresponsibility of preparing ad-budget lies on top management or Marketing Manager.

According to the Institute of Cost and work Accountant London “A budget is a financial or quantitativestatement prepare prior to a definite period of time; of the policy to be persuade during that period for the purpose of achieving a given objective”.

Features of Advertising Budget

The features of advertising budget are as follows:

1. Advertising budget is a financial statement expressed in monetary terms,
2. It is for a specific future period. It is prepared prior to the budget period during which it will operate,
3. It is prepared by Advertising Manager. It is approved by top management for its implementation
4. It shows the plan of allocation of available funds to various advertising activities
5. It affects the selection of media, selection of advertising agency and selection of message source (model for advertisement)
6. Its size depends on various internal and external factors
7. It is a limiting factor which determines the size of advertising campaign

Advertising Budget as a Concept of Investment

Advertising budget is assigned to build the image and reputation of the organization. The achievement of the budget is observed over a long period. Some of the expenditure on advertising attracts customers immediately; they buy the product when they listen to or view the advertising message. This expenditure is known as revenue expenditure. Some expenditure is incurred on building the image and reputation. The effects of advertising are realized gradually over a long period. This expenditure is capital expenditure or investment. The expenditure on advertising is accepted as revenue expenditure by the income-tax authorities.

The marketing manager is authorized to control and spend the money assigned to him for advertising purpose. Advertising expenditure is a capital investment when it is incurred to build the image, goodwill and reputation of product and company; and this results in a gradual increase in the sales, although the expenditure is considered as revenue expenditure in the accounting entry. It is an outlay or expenditure made today to achieve benefits in future. This expenditure is known as capital investment although it is assigned under the revenue budget but it is not accepted as a capital budget.

Factors Influencing the Size of the Advertising Budget

Objectives to be Attained

How much the company is going to spend is determined by the objectives to be attained. Objectives act as the sheet anchor and the standards for advertising performance. These objectives are:

• bringing about increase in sales
• introduction of new products
• supporting sales force
• reaching inaccessible consumers
• entering a new market
• improving dealer relations
• expanding industry’s sales
• building up goodwill
• building a brand preference
• counteracting competition
• dispelling the likely misunderstandings and so on.

It is a particular sales objective or the set of objectives that shapes theadvertising budget.

Coverage Expectations

Advertising coverage implies the number of persons to be reached. It is thequestion of reaching a target audience through different media and media vehicles. The extent of coverageis influenced very much by the nature of the market enjoyed by the products.

Product Class

Talking of only consumer goods, these have been classified into three categories, namely, convenience, shopping and specialty. In case of convenience goods, they require a large advertising expenditure because of their intensive distribution and heavy dependence on mass advertising to sell inadvance to the prospects before they shop. On the other hand, the fashion goods require less advertising asthe buyers can judge the qualities of these products themselves in person while they hop from shop to shop. Services goods such as automobiles, fridges, washing machines, TV sets, cooking ranges, kitchen-waresand the like warrant heavy doses of advertising and personal selling efforts.

Stage in the Product-life Cycle

Every product has its life-cycle consisting of four phases, namely, introduction, growth, maturity and decline. When a new product is introduced, it calls for the heaviest doses of advertising, and therefore, the budget gets blown-up. During the growth stage, the funds spend are really substantial. However, when the product reaches the stage of maturity or saturation and the stage of decline, it is the price appeal that works than the advertising strategy. Hence, the advertising spending gets reduced considerably.

Prevailing Economic Conditions

The economic activities are not always the same. The economic system faces brisk and slack phases which are referred to as boom and slump phases of business cycle. During the sour economic conditions, majority of the companies cut back the advertising budget and during the period of boom conditions, they fatter their budgets beyond limits. This has been because, the business community thinks advertising as recurring expenditure than an investment.

Age of the Company

A company which is seasoned and is known to the consumers will have certainly anadvantage in introducing a new product or a service.

M1 – Compare the terms and conditions for different jobs in the business, retail and administration sectors Evidence requirement – For each of the three job roles compare the specific terms and conditions. You may draw upon job descriptions from one organisation or different organisation. Job 1: (Business sector)

Finance assistant: This person would probably be on a permanent, full-time contract. They would get a salary and be paid monthly. The benefits they would get might include a pension, use of business facilities, etc.

Job 2: (Retail sector) Cashier: This person would probably be on a permanent, full-time contract. They would get a salary and be paid monthly. The benefits they would get might include Bonuses, uniform, etc.

Job 3: (Administration sector) Receptionist: This person would probably be on a permanent, full-time contract. They would get a salary and be paid monthly. The benefits they would get might include Bonuses, uniform, season ticket loans.

The power of an advertisement lies on its ability to provoke interest from its audience. The moment the audience sees the ad, it should have the capability to lure its audience into becoming its willing consumers and this charm must be strong enough to create a loyal market. Nowadays, however, this has become increasingly difficult to do. With the consumers getting wiser and more critical of what they perceive in society and the environment, advertisers must create more innovative ways to reach them.

Advertisements today need a more global reach in such a way that they have to touch every aspect of daily life making new forms of address more essential. The ad by the clothing company Diesel cleverly attains this. At first glance, it immediately demands the attention of the consumer. The mere idea of a young man kneeling to pray evokes a sense of conscious reflection. In a world where everything seems to point to materiality and gratification of worldly desires, it is an ingenious idea to use faith to capture attention.

The young man, in casual Italian Diesel jeans and shirt having that look on his face indicating that of an intent plea, creatively portrays a notion of spirituality or probably the ironic lack of it. It appeals to its audience and highlights the role that faith play in society; its importance and meaning. At closer look, the man is apparently praying while on the treadmill. This adds to the intrigue because it symbolizes the culture of the youth and society in general. The words “live fast” on the bottom, with text effects and all, enhances the appeal of a fast paced world.

The fact that the man wears a watch also assumes the idea of a society where time is important and critical use of it must be employed. The identity that the ad has established is easily assumed and related. Combined together, the ad exploits the irony between the fast moving lifestyle of people and the slow realm of reflection and prayer. It is rather difficult to reconcile engaged prayer into a world that essentially inhibits it. With a lifestyle that seems to promote only stop and go, as to be seen carefully from the “pray runner” treadmill, the option of pausing for a moment in prayer and faith is unlikely.

This striking image attempts to stand out among all the confusion that advertisements bring, and it succeeds. Jacobson et al discusses that most often, “ads speak directly to our innermost, unarticulated needs, proffering ineffective palliatives for real social and personal problems” (Jacobson et al, 1995). Ads may turn out to be ineffective solutions for real problems but the idea behind it is to create an avenue for deep thought and contemplation, a mode to capture the consumers’ inner reflections and influence and direct them towards the brand. In this the Diesel ad does well.

The idea implied in the ad may be seen as to provide a social criticism while introducing a lifestyle geared towards consumerism. The idea commercial appeal and introduction of conflict creates a space for difference and being able to make the two meet means being able to conquer more diverse markets. As Giroux points out, those that shock people have become the most effective means of getting to the consumers. (Giroux, 1994) Moreover, as the ad is intended to promote to consumers its online stores; it effectively relays that fast lifestyles need fast ways of consuming.

Thus, through the internet, Diesel provides the conveniences of “high speed shopping”. It works effectively as a target specific ad but it may be seen as an ad aimed for the general public as well. The impact that it implies and associates with the brand will linger on in the minds of its consumers, and it would not matter whether they purchase online or at the stores. The ad inculcates the idea of living fast on its audiences and thus the modern lifestyle of people today is held in close association to the brand.

The ad strives to create a sense of relation, a connection to the modern consumers and it reinforces the idea that advertising ingratiates itself to the daily functions of modern life. (Vanderbilt, 1997) In all, the Diesel ad employs an ingenious way to address the consumers’ search for the meaning of public truths. It effectively captures the attention of its audience by creating an image directly intended to evoke human feelings of morals and principles.

The ad uses irony to question society and the lifestyle that people currently have. It reminds people of their faith, values and inclinations but does so in a way that is not negative and condemning. At the same time it suggests a solution geared towards complimenting the fast paced world of society, successfully creating an impact for the Diesel brand. The ad becomes a powerful tool for Diesel to connect to its consumers and instill on them an enduring influence that would last even if the ad’s idea of prayer and faith had not.

The intriguing documentary of Killing Us Softly 4 by Jean Kilbourne, provides for a controversial topic of the basis of advertising in the media and how it affects women directly and indirectly. Consequently, harsh results are perceived from these advertisements. Of all the “factual” statements made by Jean Kilbourne during this documentary, many fallacies arose. The media leaves us extremely vulnerable to assimilating ourselves to all aspects of mass media.

I can closely identify myself with the situation at hand because I am a part of a society that is raised up on a pop culture that is ubiquitous. We are constantly consumed in the media every single day with advertisements flooding our brains. In fact, I feel that women are not as materialized, dehumanized, or objectified as they are overpoweringly depicted in Killing Us Softly 4. Essentially, Killing Us Softly 4 is an examination of the media and, especially, advertising’s influence on the society and negatively targets and affects women.

It characterizes how women are portrayed as objects, not humans. This is represented by a series of advertisements focused on certain body parts, for instance, a woman’s legs or breasts, which apparently dehumanizes women. The issues related to the advertisements presented in this film include a major decline in self-esteem experienced by adolescent females, eating disorders, and violence against women, among other examples. As a result, Kilbourne immediately stresses her opinions that females are bombarded with a multiplicity of insecurities compared to males growing up.

She blames this imbalance of self-esteem to the models that indirectly push women to look up to the unreachable ideal image portrayed in advertising. The result is damaging to our collective psychological makeup as far as the way we view women in the real world and how women view themselves. Is it the woman’s body that has been objectified for the sole purpose of this advertising? For instance, as stated in the video, it states that the perfect ideal women figure is always shown with a light-skinned, straight-hair, skinny figure.

“Women of color are only considered beautiful if they resemble the white ideal” (5:48-5:56). In fact, I tend to disagree with this very statement. Women can be attractive and be a successful model no matter what skin color they are born with, where they came from, or what their heritage or race may be. Also, it was stated that certain races that are not light-skinned are usually represented as animals instead of human beings, which is an absurd statement. The quote given was, “Black women are featured as exotic animals, like leopards. Never shown modeling” (8:13-8:30).

A statement like this is completely racial and stereotypical as well as close-minded against welcoming of other minorities into the modeling world. As a matter of fact, The United States consists of a melting pot of races, religions, and genetic make up. So, by making an outlandish statement that is very hypocritical in many senses. When a young girl sees a model in an advertisement and asks herself, “What do I have to do to look like her? ” In addition, women are not as materialized, dehumanized, or objectified as they are overpoweringly depicted in Killing Us Softly 4.

Jean Kilbourne tries to formulate a ridiculous piece of research that she complied about the direct relationship between the ideal image of women. This is exemplifies, and coincides with the way that men view women with higher standards, which directly sparks violence against women. The evidence lies in the following quote: “It creates a widespread violence against women by turning a human being into a thing, which is the first step toward justifying violence against a person. ” (9:19-9:42). There is not valid information to backup this “research” that Kilbourne is referring to and tends to have no apparent correlation.

She went on to say, “This is the case with homophobia and terrorism. Dehumanization means violence is inevitable” (9:35-9:42). Respectively, these are all valid examples of groups of people that are alienated from society, certain people desire to inflict violence on them. However, once again the majority of women are not a part of those groups so this information essentially, remains irrelevant. In conclusion, many fallacies were present as a result of the statements made throughout the documentary.

Jean Kilbourne tries to provide valid facts, research, and propaganda against the objectification, dehumanization, and role of women in advertisement. An example of a fallacy is the thought that only women closely related to the white ideal are considered beautiful and modeling material. Another example of a fallacy would be the creation of an ideal imagine of women through advertising, directly pushes violence against women. Although Kilbourne brought forth some apparently true information and concern up front, the majority of the information is drawn directly from her own emotions, views, and opinions.

Little Miss Over Sexualized The way that media portrays children today is just plain disgusting. Not only is it inappropriate, it also severely damages the self-esteem of children all over the world. When companies like Vogue put out advertisements of children as young as 10 years old dressed in skimpy clothes, full make-up, and posed very provocatively what does that say to every day children? This is how you need to look to be “beautiful” or this is how they need to dress and act to be one of the “cool kids”?

The media, whether it is television, magazines, or newspaper are causing huge problems to the self-esteem of children today, especially young girls by putting out advertisements that over sexualize them. Established in 1892 and begun printing advertisements in 1909 Vogue Magazine has been the authority on high class fashion for the past one hundred plus years. (History of 1)In January 2011 edition of French Vogue published a full 15 page spread featuring Thylane Loubry Blondeau a 10 year child model in full make-up, dressed in stimulating clothing, and posed very provocatively.

Needless to say this caused a big controversy about over sexualizing children, not only in France but around the world. “In Britain, Labor Parliament Member Helen Goodman called the photos ‘disgraceful and totally irresponsible…Vogue has descended into the gutter by doing this’ (10-year-old 1). Although most of these ads are not aimed directly at small children and pre-teens, they are viewed by them and the effect it is having on them is devastating. Children are developing several different emotional, psychological and physical issues.

These issues include but are not limited to: inability to relate to peers, eating disorders, depression and even promiscuity. In her article “Sex images in media harming kids’ mental health” Janelle Miles, a long time journalist for the Australian news publication “The Courier-Mail” writes: “Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists president Louise Newman said ‘evidence was emerging that childhood exposure to developmentally inappropriate sexualized images and messages was associated with low self-esteem, depression and eating disorders’.

Professor Newman said child psychiatrists were seeing an increasing number of younger children presenting with negative self-esteem and body image issues. Exposure to sexualizing messages contributes to girls defining their self-worth and popularity in terms of sexual attractiveness, with negative impact on self-esteem,’ Prof. Newman said. ‘Excessive focus on appearance and a narrow definition of attractiveness has been found to contribute to the development of abnormal eating behaviors and a lack of positive body image.

What’s particularly concerning is some primary school-aged children, and even preschoolers, are presenting with some of these concerns. ‘I’ve seen children as young as four telling me . . . they’re ugly’. That’s appalling. Children are very receptive and influenced by what’s in the world around them” (Miles 1). Although children are being exposed to a barrage of over sexualized print ads, the media does not stop there. Over the last twenty years television shows and commercials have begun to over sexualize young children and teens at an alarming rate.

In 1995 the “Parent Television Counsel was founded to ensure that children are not constantly assaulted by sex, violence and profanity on television and in other media. This national grassroots organization has more than 1. 3 million members across the United States, and works with television producers, broadcasters, networks and sponsors in an effort to stem the flow of harmful and negative messages targeted to children. The PTC also works with elected and appointed government officials to enforce broadcast decency standards.

Most importantly, the PTC produces critical research and publications documenting the dramatic increase in sex, violence and profanity in entertainment” (PTC Study 1) Increasingly alarming are the Television shows such as “Toddlers in Tiaras” and “Little Miss Perfect” showing parents pushing children as young as 2 years old to compete in beauty pageants. The parents scream and yell at these young children and sometimes guilting them into participating in these pageants. These kids are put into frilly dresses, make-up caked on their little faces, and they are told “if they don’t win mommy will be disappointed. What kind of message does this send to children who are in the middle of developing their identity? Interestingly in December 2010 the PTC completed a study called “Tinsel town’s New Target: A study of Teen Female Sexualization on Primetime TV. The content of this report was based on the most popular prime time shows among 12-17 year olds during the 2009-2010 television seasons. The following are some alarming facts produced from that report: Underage female characters are shown participating in a higher percentage of sexual depictions compared to adults (47% and 29% respectively).

Only 5% of the underage female characters communicated any form of dislike for being sexualized (excluding scenes depicting healthy sexuality). Out of all the sexualized female characters depicted in the underage and young adult category for the entire database, 86% were presented as only being of high school age. Seventy-five percent of shows that included sexualized underage female characters were shows that did not have an “S” descriptor to warn parents about the sexual content.

Based upon a definition established by the American Psychological Association of “healthy” vs. “unhealthy” sexuality, the study findings show that 93% of the sexual incidents involving underage female characters occurred within a context that qualified as “unhealthy. ” The data revealed that 98% of the sexual incidents involving underage female characters occurred outside of any form of a committed relationship. The data show that 73% of the underage sexualized incidents were presented in a humorous manner or as a punch line to a joke. PTC Study 1) Tim Winters the President of the PTC said “The results from this report show Tinsel town’s eagerness to not only objectify and fetishize young girls, but to sexualize them in such a way that real teens are led to believe their sole value comes from their sexuality. This report is less about the shocking numbers that detail the sickness of early sexualization in our entertainment culture and more about the generation of young girls who are being told how society expects them to behave”( PTC Study1). Contrary to the belief in this country, children of today’s society are not stupid.

It has long been said by many different expert that children’s brains process and absorb information twice as fast as an adult. Benjamin Barber a renowned political scientist who earned his Ph. D. from Harvard University in 1966 writes in his 1993 article “America Skips School. ”: “The young, with their keen noses for hypocrisy, are in fact adept readers-but not of books. They are society-smart rather than school-smart, and what they read so acutely are the social signals emanating from the world in which they will have to make a living.

Their teachers in that world, the nation’s true pedagogues, are television, advertising, movies, politics, and the celebrity domains they define. We prattle about deficient schools and the gullible youngsters they turn out, so vulnerable to the siren song of drugs, but think nothing of letting the advertisers into the classroom to fashion what an Advertising Age essay calls ‘brand and product loyalties through classroom-centered, peer powered lifestyle patterning’”(116). In conclusion advertisements that over sexualize children are not going to stop.

The government needs to listen to the hundreds of studies that have been completed to show that these advertisements have a huge psychological and sometimes physical impact on children, and they need to put a stop to it. Parents, start teaching your children that they do not have to be a super model to be a good person, just be themselves. Works Cited Barber, Benjamin R. “America Skips School. ” Writing On The River. 3RD ed. Chattanooga: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2012. 116. Print. Graff, Amy. “10-year-old Fashion Model Sparks Debate | The Mommy Files | an SFGate. om Blog. ” The Mommy Files | an SFGate. com Blog. SFGate, 9 Aug. 2011. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. “History of Vogue Magazine. ” History of Vogue Magazine. Vouge Magazine, n. d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. Miles, Janelle. “Sex Images in Media Harming Kids’ Mental Health. ” CourierMail. Couriermail. com. au, 17 Mar. 2010. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. “PTC Study: Sexualized Teen Girls Are Tinseltown’s New Target. ” PTC Study: Sexualized Teen Girls Are Tinseltown’s New Target. Parent Television Council, 25 Dec. 2010. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. .

Advertisements are a vital part of any company’s marketing strategy, and are used to inform or persuade an audience about a certain product or service. In fact, North American companies are among the world’s highest advertisers (Boone et al. , 2010, 502). Today, an average consumer is exposed to hundreds of advertisements every day.

It is when these companies attempt to promote a dangerous product that restrictions must be, and have been put in place. For several years, Canada’s regulations on tobacco advertisements have become stricter, while alcohol advertisements are still permitted across multiple mediums. This leads one to question the difference between the two substances, and if this notion is in fact hypocritical. The stakeholders identified in this paper are the viewers and listeners of the advertisements, specifically the youth audience.

The principles involved with alcohol promotion are examined with a lens that incorporates the views of Horkheimer and Adorno’s perspective on advertising. Along with a brief history of tobacco advertising regulations, this paper will discuss the ethical issues involved in alcohol advertising, and evidence to support that alcoholic products are no less of a danger than tobacco, and should have the same advertising restrictions. There is also evidence to suggest that the majority of Canadians are in favour of tighter restrictions on alcohol advertising.

The current hypocritical state of allowing alcohol to be advertised, but removing all tobacco related marketing is further discussed in detail. Literature Review Not only is advertising illegal for tobacco companies, retailers are now obligated to remove these products from sight. Cigarette companies are also no longer permitted to label their product as light or mild on the package (Pollay, 2004, 80). The first Canadian legislation successfully passed in favour of advertising regulations was the Tobacco Act of 1997 (Pollay, 2004, 80).

Health Canada created provisions in this act such as, tobacco products must not be promoted, and all manufacturers must share information about the product’s emissions and health hazards arising from use of the product on the packaging (Health Canada, 2011). The intent of this act was to protect young people and others from being encouraged to try tobacco related products without being informed of the dangers to their health (Polley, 2004, 81). The belief was that tobacco ads were aimed at new smokers, and that companies were trying to attract young people towards their brand.

This idea is plausible because in order to maintain a strong business over a long period of time, new users must be targeted. Further, there is evidence supporting the fact that current smokers are not likely to be converted to another brand, making youth targeted advertisements more likely (Polley, 2004, 83). There was pressure to strengthen the advertising restrictions after countless health risks and deaths were attributed to smoking. “Smoking has been estimated to result in roughly 45,000 deaths annually and is a major cause of respiratory disease, cancer and circulatory disease” (Sen, 2009, 189).

A study conducted by the American Journal of Public Health looked at 481 randomly selected tobacco retailers after the product display ban to understand the changes that resulted in tobacco promotion (Cohen et al. , 2011, 1879). Their study revealed that this ban successfully limited the exposure of tobacco products, and demonstrated the importance of a complete ban on retail tobacco displays (Cohen et al. , 2011, 1880). Clearly, limiting advertising exposure to hazardous products such as cigarettes truly limits consumer exposure, and thus promotes the idea of a healthy public.

Since these ad regulations have proved to be a success, it would likely have a very similar effect when applied to alcohol. Ethics is an essential consideration in the world of advertising. Marketers should make responsible decisions, and not just focus on generating profits, because it is legal. “Ads should address audiences not just as consumers who care about material interests but as citizens who care about social virtues and the public good” (Hove, 2009, 35). The idea of advertising alcoholic beverages is unethical.

While there are mild restrictions in Canada regarding alcohol promotions, there is a demand for more. Some provinces run ads that promote responsible drinking, or the dangers of drinking and driving in an attempt to shed light on alcohol abuse (Boone, 2010, 525). However, these attempts do not cancel out the multitude of beer and liquor advertisements in today’s media. Some alcohol advertisements include the ideology that drinking a certain brand of beer will influence their social class, or improve their quality of life in some way. This is extremely controversial.

An article from the South African Journal of Psychology notes, “there are no laws against [alcohol] advertisements; however, responsible corporate and professional action, would prevent the use of these advertisements from a social and moral standpoint” (Dubihela & Dubihela, 2011, 209). Clearly, an ethical dilemma is present. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is one organization that has viewed alcohol advertisements critically. Since 1968 they have required broadcasters to report the number of alcohol related messages broadcasted annually (CRTC, 2011).

The messages also must adhere to their Code for Broadcast of Alcoholic Beverages (CRTC, 2011). This code includes provisions to ensure promotions for alcoholic beverages do not encourage non-drinkers or young people to drink or purchase alcohol, imply a certain brand is superior because of a higher alcohol percentage, and that consumption of alcohol enhances enjoyment of an activity (CRTC 2011). These regulations are far more lenient compared to the restrictions on tobacco advertising.

Advertising Standards Canada has now gained responsibility to review advertisements concerning alcohol to ensure they are in accordance with the CRTC’s code (Darling, 1996). Moreover, alcohol is just as dangerous to society as tobacco. Statistics Canada shows that alcohol use by drivers was a factor in nearly 30% of motor vehicle related deaths from 2003-2005 (Statistics Canada, 2011). Also, deaths from other alcohol related disorders such as cirrhosis of the liver accounted for over 1400 deaths in 2003 (Statistics Canada, 2009).

The most relevant stakeholders in this issue, young people, are severely affected by alcohol use in Canada. In 2011, 13. 2% of Canadian youth ages 12 to 19 fell under the heavy drinker category, that is, consuming 5 or more drinks on one occasion at least once a month (Statistics Canada, 2011). Similarly, “the rate of persons accused of impaired driving offences was highest among young adults between the ages of 19 and 24” (Statistics Canada, 2011). Additionally, 28. 8% of Canadian students admitted to being driven by someone who was legally impaired (Statistics Canada, 2011).

Many Canadians support the public opinion that seeks to enforce stricter regulations when it comes to alcohol products. A study from the Drug and Alcohol Review Journal reports that 50. 1% of Canadians agree with prohibiting alcohol advertising (Macdonald et al. , 2011, 653). Similarly, 47. 4% thought the current legal drinking age of nineteen should be increased, and 40. 1% believed taxes on alcoholic beverages should be raised (Macdonald et al. , 2011, 653). These kinds of changes would make alcohol less available or attractive to young adults.

The CRTC’s report that outlines the framework for their advertising regulations states, “parties argued that excessive alcohol consumption is as dangerous as smoking and, therefore, should be treated in the same way: the consumer should be warned of the dangers associated with abusive consumption” (Darling, 1996). Clearly, encouraging the sale of any product that can cause this kind of harm is morally irresponsible. Evidently, many Canadians believe alcohol is a dangerous substance that should not be easily accessible to young people. Establish an Interpretive Context

This research is used to establish whether or not a bias exists. The death and disease rate caused by both alcohol and tobacco is examined to prove that hypocrisy is present. Harmful effects caused by the use of alcohol and tobacco is compared to uncover why this imbalance of advertising restriction is unjust. This is not to say that tobacco products should be reintroduced, but that both substances should be eliminated from media advertising altogether. Furthermore, the views of actual Canadians are considered because this fosters a public sphere and forms a widespread opinion on the issue.

Also taken into account is the amount of time spent with media by Canadians and specifically young people. Statistics that outline hours spent watching television and surfing the web will be considered. The best outcome for this situation is to restrict alcohol advertisements based on the same grounds outlined in the Tobacco Act. Discussion After reviewing the available data, it is clear an unjust bias exists. The position of this discussion remains that alcohol should be eliminated from advertising for the same reasons tobacco is.

Tobacco has been restricted from advertising based on major health concerns, and in an attempt to deter youth from smoking. These same properties are present, and even heightened, with alcohol. “Some parties, including government representatives, stated that anyone involved with the sale of alcoholic beverages should have the opportunity to advertise their products” (Darling, 1996). Since evidence categorizes both alcohol and tobacco as dangerous substances, both should be treated the same way with regards to advertising.

Alcohol has proven to be even more dangerous than tobacco in some cases. The immediate effects are particularly alarming. Consumption of alcohol can alter one’s state of mind, causing negative health effects, accidents and addiction in some cases. The Canadian Public Health Association reports, “drinking too much alcohol in a short period of time can lead to poor judgment, impulsive behaviour and alcohol poisoning” (CPHA, 2008). Alcohol poisoning can contribute to long-term health problems and even death. Also of concern are the permanent consequences of long term drinking.

Serious conditions such as, brain damage, certain cancers, cirrhosis of the liver, and sexual problems are attributed to alcohol abuse (CPHA, 2008). In addition to life threatening illnesses, withdrawal symptoms can also occur when heavy drinkers suddenly stop consuming alcohol. These symptoms include but are not limited to insomnia, sweating, tremors, and convulsions (CPHA, 2008). Clearly the additive properties of alcohol are similar to tobacco, and should therefore be handled the same way in advertisement laws. Problems with mental health can also be found with alcohol abuse.

According to the Canadian Community Health Survey, “fifteen percent of people who were alcohol-dependent have experienced major depressive episodes” (Tjekpema, 2004). Also, women who consume alcohol while pregnant are of grave concern. Regular alcohol intake during pregnancy can lead to miscarriages, low birth weight, and genital malformations in boys (Damgaard et al. , 2007, 272). “Children born to women who consume alcohol during pregnancy may exhibit a range of abnormalities and developmental deficits that together are termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorders” (Kobor & Weinberg, 2011, 29).

These preventable defects are another reason why alcohol should be considered as dangerous as tobacco. Overall, the negative statistics for alcohol are no less alarming than they are for tobacco. In 2011, 10. 1% of 15 to 17 year olds considered themselves smokers (Statistics Canada 2011). This is substantially lower than the 13. 2% of Canadian youth who fall under the category of heavy drinkers, not to mention the 30% of motor vehicle accidents that are alcohol related. These contrasting statistics speak for themselves, and prove the hypocritical nature of only banning tobacco advertising.

Alcohol brands use effective marketing strategies that specifically reach a youth audience, the main stakeholder in this issue. Since the ‘young market’ is attractive to advertisers, their ads frequently catch the eye of people aged 15 to 34 (Novak, 2004). Celebrity endorsements are one way marketers attempt to sell their product to young people. Dan Aykroyd, Zak Galifianakis, and Will Ferrell are just a few celebrities who have endorsed popular alcohol brands (Novak, 2004).

These people are relevant to Canadian youth, and they may be inclined to purchase the same brand of alcohol as one of their favourite celebrities. Moreover, 20. 1% of males and females ages 18 to 22 claimed to watch 15 or more hours of television per week (Statistics Canada, 2007). This is a large portion of young people who are subject to the dozens of alcohol advertisements broadcast each day. Alcohol advertisements are not limited to radio and television broadcasting. Many brands are turning to the Internet and social media to promote their products. This is problematic.

According to a 2009 survey by Statistics Canada, 82. 9% of Canadians ages 34 and younger claimed to use the Internet at lease once a day, and 86% of these users went online for social media purposes (Statistics Canada, 2009). The government should implement restrictions on encouraging the sale of alcohol to a youth audience. They act as a legitimate spokesperson because they look out for citizen’s best interests. The reasoning behind banning tobacco advertising stemmed from the health hazards and dangers associated with smoking, and the same should be true for alcohol.

Some parties argue that there is no scientific evidence linking advertising to or underage drinking. If this is true, then the same can be said for tobacco products. However, polls taken in 2011 show that tobacco use fell rapidly amongst teenagers 15 to 19 years of age, shortly after the ban was placed (Goldfarb, 2011, 209). If these restrictions were applied to alcohol products, similar results could be expected. This issue fits into the realm of communication theory. As Horkheimer and Adorno proclaim, the direction of society, “is incarnate in the subjective purposes of company directors.

Production is geared primarily towards profit, not towards the satisfaction of human need or use value” (Johnston, lecture, 2012). Advertising executives constantly make decisions based purely on profit instead of taking culture into consideration. Their ads are intended to increase sales and attract new customers of any age. This is problematic on a youth audience. These theorists proclaim that the audience has no choice in the matter (Johnston, lecture, 2012). “If all culture is enmeshed in the capitalist marketplace then all cultural products espouse the ruling ideology” (Johnston, lecture, 2012).

This ideology is business. The government needs to intervene in this cycle so that ethics and moral responsibility are taken into consideration, just as they were with the tobacco advertisement ban. Conclusion If tobacco advertising was banned because it was considered wrong to encourage a habit that causes such detrimental effects, should not the same be true for alcohol? This bias is hypocritical because the government deemed it necessary to intervene when it came to tobacco advertising, and alcohol should not be overlooked.

Smoking and alcohol consumption take away people’s lives at the height of their productivity (Jiloha, 2012, 65). By keeping these activities out of the media, youth can be deterred from engaging in them. In fact, advertising has profound consequences. Its persuasiveness and lack of information give audiences a false sense of what the product at hand really is (Hove, 2009, 36). Advertising experts should focus their attention on directing youth audiences against such as smoking and drinking, instead of encouraging them through advertising.

While there is no scientific link connecting advertising to over consumption of alcohol, the decrease in young smokers as previously mentioned after the tobacco retail display ban gives reason to assume the same could be true for alcohol. If tighter restrictions are put in place to limit promotion of these products, it could help discourage Canadians from underage drinking, or over consumption. The current state of applying restrictions only to the tobacco industry is hypocritical when compared to the equally dangerous properties of alcohol.

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Summary – Shock advertising Generation X is society’s trendiest group, it is realistic and under the age of thirty. Advertisers have recently discovered this segment and are willing to sell directly to them now, but also would like to start a relationship that goes beyond this generation. The problem is that Generation X doesn’t trust advertisers, they are aware of the fact that there are companies willing to sell them products they don’t want. These companies are desperate to reach this new segment with the help of advertisement agencies who speak “their language”.

Tim Delaney made the advertisement for Pepe jeans, which is an advertisement with the darker values of generation X, as it shows disturbing images and alienated teenagers. Pepe Jeans wants to dissociate itself from the corporate culture. They think their advertisement did not offend their targeted audience, as the idea of how negative or dark these thoughts are, are in the eye (or mind) of the beholder. Jiro Ejaife from “don’t tell it magazine” wanted an advertisement based on the “amusing” violence in cult movies. Their advertisement shows a teenager being shot repeatedly.

He made the advertisement intentionally over the top, and thinks the question of morality should lie with the church, family and schools. The test viewing shows that teenagers disagree about the violence used in this advertisement. Some think the advertisement is unacceptable, others are not offended, as nowadays there is much more violence in movies. The advertisement industry is disputing the use of “Shock advertising”, and the moral cause of this new tactic, as advertising doesn’t only sell a product, but also sells behavior and attitude with the same efficiency.

Adrian Holmes of Howard-Spink advertising is one of the acceptable advertisers, he thinks it is in the moral interest of the country and the commercial interest of the industry that these “shock advertisers” should be brought into line. These types of advertisements give ammunition to the anti-advertising lobby, which will use it against all advertisers and curtail whatever creator freedom they still have. Christopher Ogden of the advertising standards authority relies on the self regulation system where advertisers themselves behave responsibly. The authority itself however would act hard if the advertisers use anti-social advertisements.

The idea of Professor Malcolm Mc Donald of the Cranfield School of management is that advertisers who chose for short term sensational game always lose in the long run, as there are not only the shareholders to please but also other stakeholders like employees, pressure groups, etc. Finally Geoffrey Ellerton of midland bank thinks the more you target and advertisement very specifically for a particular market niche like the teenage audience, the greater the risk that you give any other audience the idea that the organization is not for them but for a younger aged group.

Midland bank uses an advertisement which shows an adolescent person leaving his parents to live on his own. Test viewing has shown that teenagers are indifferent to this kind of advertisement as it did not make an impact on them. We can conclude that the advertisement business is caught between two worlds, the moralists and the mainstream on the one hand and a young market with entirely different ethical ideas on the other hand. Generation X might just turn their backs to the advertisers.