Hi, Please grade my essay and provide your inputs.
I think the conclusion's a bit off, any suggestions ?
Thanks!
"Whether promoting a product, an event, or a person, an advertising campaign is most effective when it appeals to emotion rather than to reason."
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
It is my opinion that an advertisement, depending on the appropriate context, should appeal to both reason, and emotion.
People are a mix of both emotion and reason. The perspective of the audience is largely dependent on their mindset, mood; the product, event or person being advertised, the context and location of the advertisement etc. Based on these and other factors, the audience may employ reason, emotion, or a mix of both in perceiving the advertisement.
When only reason is involved, an advert that appeals only to emotion may be seen as manipulative by some among the audience; similarly, an advert that appeals exclusively to reason, may miss out on potential opportunities to take advantage of audience who are willing to have their emotional side appealed to. Essentially, the 'emotional appeal' part of the advertisement should be present in order to convince those among the audience who are in an emotional state of mind that the product/person/event being advertised is in their best interests.
An advertisement promoting a pharmaceutical drug to doctors must be based on reason, and not on emotion, as the target audience of this advert is highly unlikely to be swayed by any appeal made to their emotions.
On the other hand, some products like diamonds, successfully appeal to emotion in order to increase sales. "Diamonds are a girl`s best friend", of DeBeers fame, is considered as a very successful marketing campaign. The success of the precious-stone industry tapping into emotional appeal is evident by the sales, and status-symbol value conferred upon precious stones worldwide.
One of the most clever uses of appeal to both reason and emotion, is seen in the old Volvo slogan "Volvo : The Car for people who think". The suggested reason for buying the car is obvious: It is the intelligent choice. But the emotional snare, too, is equally clear. The ad appeals to one's desire to be included in the group of intelligent, thoughtful people.
An advert should appeal to both the emotional and rational side of the audience, based on the context of the ad. Indeed, a balanced approach is the best option, and is likely to win over most audiences.
In conclusion, although, prima facie, it might seem that an advert that appeals to emotion, and not reason, may win over audiences; it does so only in certain contexts. Furthermore, appeal to emotion or reason is not the only factor to be taken into consideration to judge the success of an advert. Before reaching any conclusion, other factors which affect the impact of an ad, such as the ones discussed above should also be factored in. Indeed, understanding this will help to
create better quality ads and also ensures that the audience is well informed, and thereby, chooses the best option.
I think the conclusion's a bit off, any suggestions ?
Thanks!
"Whether promoting a product, an event, or a person, an advertising campaign is most effective when it appeals to emotion rather than to reason."
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
It is my opinion that an advertisement, depending on the appropriate context, should appeal to both reason, and emotion.
People are a mix of both emotion and reason. The perspective of the audience is largely dependent on their mindset, mood; the product, event or person being advertised, the context and location of the advertisement etc. Based on these and other factors, the audience may employ reason, emotion, or a mix of both in perceiving the advertisement.
When only reason is involved, an advert that appeals only to emotion may be seen as manipulative by some among the audience; similarly, an advert that appeals exclusively to reason, may miss out on potential opportunities to take advantage of audience who are willing to have their emotional side appealed to. Essentially, the 'emotional appeal' part of the advertisement should be present in order to convince those among the audience who are in an emotional state of mind that the product/person/event being advertised is in their best interests.
An advertisement promoting a pharmaceutical drug to doctors must be based on reason, and not on emotion, as the target audience of this advert is highly unlikely to be swayed by any appeal made to their emotions.
On the other hand, some products like diamonds, successfully appeal to emotion in order to increase sales. "Diamonds are a girl`s best friend", of DeBeers fame, is considered as a very successful marketing campaign. The success of the precious-stone industry tapping into emotional appeal is evident by the sales, and status-symbol value conferred upon precious stones worldwide.
One of the most clever uses of appeal to both reason and emotion, is seen in the old Volvo slogan "Volvo : The Car for people who think". The suggested reason for buying the car is obvious: It is the intelligent choice. But the emotional snare, too, is equally clear. The ad appeals to one's desire to be included in the group of intelligent, thoughtful people.
An advert should appeal to both the emotional and rational side of the audience, based on the context of the ad. Indeed, a balanced approach is the best option, and is likely to win over most audiences.
In conclusion, although, prima facie, it might seem that an advert that appeals to emotion, and not reason, may win over audiences; it does so only in certain contexts. Furthermore, appeal to emotion or reason is not the only factor to be taken into consideration to judge the success of an advert. Before reaching any conclusion, other factors which affect the impact of an ad, such as the ones discussed above should also be factored in. Indeed, understanding this will help to
create better quality ads and also ensures that the audience is well informed, and thereby, chooses the best option.
