Throughout this week's readings, I was struck by one word:"Persuasion". We are confronted on a daily basis by numerous attempts, on the part of marketers, to persuade us to purchase a product or service. Traditionally, these attempts were found in print media ( such as newspapers and magazines), and later, in television. Advertising efforts have moved, full force, into the digital arena. The Advertising: Exposure and Industry Statistics
(retrieved from: https://moodle.esc.edu/mod/page/view.php?id=1265099) indicates that American children may view upwards to 40,000 advertisements in a year.
Though the products and services may vary, the methods of persuasion are very similar in nature. The Serafini text states: "Advertisers craft these messages based on anticipated responses from their targeted audiences, taking into account cultural norms, conventions, and histories"(Serafini, 2014, p. 143).
The Media Literacy Toolbox refers to a so-called: "language of persuasion", that marketers utilize in order to get the attention of consumers, snag our loyalty, and motivate us to buy into whatever it is they are promoting. The language of persuasion uses tactics, such as "association and beautiful people", product placement, and even color schemes to attract consumers.
This struck a chord with me as I endeavored to work on my advertisement deconstruction assignment. I started to watch internet and television ads with a more critical eye. It became increasingly clear the methods that advertisers use to create emotional responses that viewers will associate or link with the product or service. Additionally, the use of "beautiful" people as actors in ads give the false promise that use of the product or service will make the buyer more beautiful or popular.
Use of these persuasive techniques can be complex, and require an informed and critical eye to break down. It is important, not only as consumers, but as educators, as well- to be skeptical and critical with regard to marketing techniques. Young people need to develop tools to successfully identify advertising tactics and sort through them accordingly. "Helping students become critical consumers is a primary objective of media education" (Serafini, 2014, p.143). My take on this week's readings is that, in learning techniques to decipher and break down the "language of persuasion", it is imperative that we, as educators, work with our students to provide them with tools to do the same.
Advertising: Exposure & Industry Statistics, June 16, 2016, retrieved from: https://moodle.esc.edu/mod/page/view.php?id=1265099
Media Literacy toolbox. (2007). Retrieved June 17, 2016 from: https://www.greenwichschools.org
Serafini, F. (2014). Reading the visual: An introduction to teaching multimodal literacy. New York, NY: Teachers's College Press.
I appreciate and agree with all the comments you make regarding the element of persuasion in advertising today. With how complex the techniques may be, what makes them successful is the subtly many of them have. That is why it is important to analyze what is being regurgitated at us as consumers on a everyday basis and teach that to our students. In breaking down the language, we can see the purpose and intention of the ad, or the world in general.
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