B1 – Intermediate
Advertising is very important. It is a good way for consumers to know a product very well. Advertising also influences people’s mood and emotions. It makes people buy things they don’t need and makes them feel depressed for not being able to buy items that are in fashion.
Read the article below to know more about the good and bad in advertising.
http://www.english-online.at/media/advertising/pros-and-cons-of-advertising.htm
Discussion Questions:
1. Why is it necessary to advertise?
2. Is there truth in advertising?
3. What kind of advertisements attract your attention?
4. Do you find advertising persuasive? Why do you buy one product over another?
5. Should alcohol or tobacco companies be allowed to advertise? Why or why not?
6. What is the most advertised product in your country?
7. What are the harmful and the beneficial effects of advertising?
6 replies on “The Pros and Cons of Advertising”
Discussion Questions:
1. Why is it necessary to advertise?
In a Capitalist System is necessary in order to increase the sales and so the benefits of the Company, to launch your new products, to make them popular to the public and so forth.
2. Is there truth in advertising?
I think Companies try to sell their product to the people and sometimes disguise them as the best product in the word, like an essential product, etc…
It’s the duty of regulators to create laws to regulate the advertising business in order don’t deceive people.
3. What kind of advertisements attract your attention?
It depends, but I like the cars, bikes, perfumes advertisements. I also like the crazy advertisements, a little surrealistic.
4. Do you find advertising persuasive? Why do you buy one product over another?
I think there are some brands that are very good putting themselves in a kind of outstanding status, like very quality, only for the really wealthy people… These brands are the best because there are a lot of people that really like to have these products even the counterfeit products like a sign of status…
5. Should alcohol or tobacco companies be allowed to advertise? Why or why not?
I think that everything that can harm the mental or physical health should be ban from advertising, I mean, something like betting it is really harmful can create addiction and I can’t understand why there are advertisements of betting houses in football matches that even children can wacht them.
Maybe some products only should be advertising in adult time (only for adults).
6. What is the most advertised product in your country?
I don’t know, there are a lot of advertisement from the pharmaceutical companies about their drugs… and also the car industry.
7. What are the harmful and the beneficial effects of advertising?
In my opinion the advertising should be regulated with tougher laws, in order to avoid advertise false product properties, sell harmful product to young people, etc…
Impressive job with practicing your writing in order to improve it.
Here is a sentence you can revise. Remember to practice parallelism in writing.
Keep at it!
1. Why is it necessary to advertise?
Every business, small or large, needs to advertise their products or services, as we live in highly competitive environment. The better you explain what your product does and the better you engage potential customers emotionally, the higher can be your sales. Moreover, there are media platforms that only survive due to advertising, as it is their only source of income. I used to work as an editor at a lifestyle magazine called wonderzine.com which worked in this manner. Unfortunately, last year Russian government prohibited the magazine as it was “spreading the ideas of feminism and LGBT”; now, there are no sources of advertising, and the only way to survive is paid subscription.
2. Is there truth in advertising?
In countries where advertising is regulated well enough, any unrealistic claims are being removed or prohibited. For example, there was an advertising campaign for a medication (syrup) against cough, where an animated movie showed how, after swallowing it, this syrup went directly to trachea and lungs, which is anatomically impossible. This campaign was removed from the TV as creating unrealistic expectations.
3. What kind of advertisements attract your attention?
I love when a blogger gets a product for review and then talks about its pros and cons realistically.
4. Do you find advertising persuasive? Why do you buy one product over another?
Yes, the advertising is sometime very persuasive; my Instagram often shows me products that I like enough to investigate them and think over buying them.
5. Should alcohol or tobacco companies be allowed to advertise? Why or why not?
Not tobacco: these companies should be prohibited to advertise their harmful products. I am not so sure about alcohol, and I don’t see many aggressive advertisements for it; but I guess I would like to see informative features about wine, as I am interested in region and grape species when I buy wine.
6. What is the most advertised product in your country?
According to the statistics, L’Oreal and Procter&Gamble were the leading advertisers in Spain in 2021, so let’s say cosmetics are the most advertised items here.
7. What are the harmful and the beneficial effects of advertising?
Inherent qualities of advertising are both good and bad. Advertising can educate, but it can also teach incorrect things. It makes people spend more money, which is good for some and bad for others.
Impressive work in answering your lesson’s discussion questions. Well done!
Here is another way to revise this sentence:
Keep up the good job!
1. Why is it necessary to advertise?
It is necessary because it helps to bring the product to potential customers
2. Is there truth in advertising?
It is assumed that for legal reasons if something that is shown in the ads is not completely real they must add a warning
3. What kind of advertisements attract your attention?
The advertisements that most attract my attention are those for shampoo and other hair products.
4. Do you find advertising persuasive? Why do you buy one product over another?
Not really, to decide on one product or another I usually look at the ingredients or read other people’s real opinions
5. Should alcohol or tobacco companies be allowed to advertise? Why or why not?
Nothing that is proven to harm health should be shown in ads
6. What is the most advertised product in your country?
Advertisements for electric or hybrid cars are the most popular these days
7. What are the harmful and the beneficial effects of advertising?
Harmful effects: leads to more consumerism and you may even feel bad if you cannot afford a product
Beneficial effects: increase sales and demand and introduce a new product in the market
You have been consistent in practicing your skills. Keep at it.
Remember to always write your responses in complete sentences. Follow the proper flow in your ideas.
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