Being a psychology student, it is only natural for me to start my blogs by addressing the psychology of advertising. Not only do I believe that understanding the human psyche is rewarding, in advertising it is a necessity. It is necessary because in order to get someone to do something you want, you have to know how to correctly influence them based on who they are and the product you want them to buy. There are two types of social influence. Normative and Informational. I will begin with the latter this week and compare it to advertisements existing. I will address the second next week. Normative influence is when people do something because everyone else is doing it too. People do this in order to be liked, to not be an outsider. It is human to want to be a part of something bigger than ones self and it improves a person's chance of survival. More opportunities arise when a person is liked and social rejection is less likely to occur. So does advertising shape society, yes (it also mirrors).
A good example of normative influence in advertising is found in advertisements meant to influence a younger target market. A kid is more likely to feel social rejection and lack the ever-so-important party invitation if they are not conformed to what is popular. Advertisements targeted to children allow parents to see what is available for their children, and the types of children who would typically be related to the brand. Emo's buy stuff from Spencer's, not "good kids". Parents who want their children to be good, do not take them shopping at Spencer's. http://www.spencersonline.com/. Spencer's does not advertise to children because it would be seen as immoral or unethical to do so. A lawsuit would surely ensue.
On the other hand, what about ads that use cartoons in them, such as the Soul. Very cute commercials. The people who drive them would definitely want to be related to coolness. Is this the future of cars, because they were clever enough to win the admiration of so many young people. Clever. I suppose the test of time will tell. Because no matter how good an ad is, the product must live up to its name. I don't know how appropriate the commercial really is towards children, that decision is not up to me.
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