When it comes to advertisements, both companies and customers want to benefit. Companies want to lure in more customers and gain more profit in a shorter time frame and customers want to see who has the best deals in the market. To achieve that, companies use different kinds of false advertisements and persuading techniques to generate more profit. By carefully choosing their audience and controlling the information they give about a product, companies can get more customers and money while bending the truth. False advertisements have negative effects, so it’s important to be aware and understand their secrets.
Companies use false advertisements to leave out competitors that have better deals, conceal additional fees, advertise nonexistent products, include misleading illustrations, provide deceiving information regarding the price, or fake the quality or origin of a product. They use the following tactics to persuade people: include coupons and free samples, provide money-back guarantee, allow the advertisement to spread through social media, connect with the customers, or create the illusion of scarcity. Companies want their product to shine, so they hide or exclude information that won’t help them. They have to choose their target audience wisely – considering the product and the competitors – to succeed. By carefully applying all this, companies are able to trick customers into buying unnecessary products.
There are similarities and differences between genuine and false advertisements. Both are used to show the good in products and to attract more customers and money. False advertisements fake and exaggerate information and they create a sense of urgency. Their specific word choice and false claims catch people’s attention. However, genuine advertisements don’t hide any information, and their goal is simply to gain more loyal customers. There’s no rush in profit, just to spread their company’s name.
It’s important to understand what it takes to make a false advertisement, so no one will fall for the trap and unnecessarily spend a lot of money on unwanted products. I wanted to share the secrets behind false advertisements, because with knowledge comes awareness. If I can educate you on what goes behind making false advertisements and how to recognize them, you won’t fall for these traps.
False advertisements have negative effects on customers, but it can also harm companies if they aren’t careful. When we educate ourselves with what is around us constantly, we will know how to look for traps and not fall in them. Generating profit is important for companies, but it shouldn’t affect that many customers so negatively. So, if we can spread awareness and educate others about false advertisements, we can save ourselves and others from unnecessarily losing money. Who knows, if enough people are aware to not fall for these traps, companies will learn a lesson to not trick their customers and stay genuine.
About the Author:
Ananya Beevanapalli is an incoming senior in high school. She enjoys many extracurricular activities, such as art (painting and drawing), martial arts, and swimming. She hopes to go into the art and animation field in her future.