"Today's
youth are no fools and are far more sophisticated than they were 20 years ago,
when many of today's youth advertising guidelines were written", says Jerry
Mc Gee who ran perhaps the largest advertising agency. Marketing to the youth
is a delicate issue. Because of the combination of color, sound and action, television
attracts more viewers than any other medium (with the exception of cinema). TV
is perceived as a persuasive medium of communication. Moreover, the youth is treated
`special' audience. Besides these, gender-focus, gender-orientation are used as
advertising techniques and strategies. These factors have provided the motivation
to write this research paper.
The
term, "television" (the Greek prefix `Tele'- meaning far or far off
- combined with the word `vision'), describes the latest and the greatest triumph
in the field of mass communication. Television
the flourishing medium of the advertising world, proves to be effective as it
appeals to both the eye and the ear .The audio-visual impact generated when a
product is shown and its uses demonstrated, wins over many a buyer. Nevertheless,
it is a very expensive medium of advertising and requires judicious use. Television
has a tremendous influence on the way youngsters view the world. They spend more
hours watching TV than they spend in the classroom. Apart from the entertainment
value, a positive aspect of television viewing is that people get to see different
lifestyles and cultures. Though TV can be a good teacher, many watch TV excessively,
only to be negatively influenced by it.
Youth
are considered to be passive viewers who watch all that
flits across the screen, and swallow every message.
It may not be true. They deserve special attention because
they are prone to accept and orient their views of life
according to the dictates of TV programs and the advertisements
shown on TV. At the same time a good number of them
are often smart enough to see through the tall and misleading
claims of advertisers. Several brands are targeted specifically
at the youth. In the Indian context, however the purchasing
power of the majority of youngsters is limited that
most advertising has little relevance to their buying
behaviour. The impact the TV has on them depends on
many factors such as- how much they watch, their age
and personality, whether they watch alone or with adults,
and whether their parents talk with them about what
they see on TV. Advertising is useful not only for the
advertiser but also for the consumer. It provides the
advertiser a mechanism to interact commercially, economically
and conveniently with the target audience. It also provides
the consumer the knowledge about products and the launch
of new products.
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