Advertising Week 2

   Informational influence is used in advertising. This type of influence happens when people are persuaded by what others are saying or doing. For example, Mazafer Sherif did an experiment in 1935. Participants in the experiment were asked to tell how far an object moved. When the participants were alone, their answers were more sporadic than when they were accompanied by others participants. Thus, people are influenced by what others say is correct because they believe a crowd knows more than they do. Unfortunately, this can cause pluralistic ignorance. Informational influence may be more dangerous, or effective, in advertising than normative influence because in normative influence a person is just going along with what is seen as trendy rather than believing the trend is what is good. Advertising uses informational influence by targeting specific audiences, relating to them and using experts to tell the audience what is good for them.
   A good example of this type of influence is found in toothpaste commercials. Of course it can be assumed that people want good oral hygiene, but how do they choose what toothpaste to use. They may purchase what their parents purchased, or they may ask their dentist. Either way, they have been influenced in their purchase decision. In the Rembrandt commercial, the voice is authoritative. Generally, there is no threat of an being immoral or unethical when selling toothpaste, or any other hygiene product, but what about other doctor recommended products.
   Pharmaceuticals, for one, have to have a disclaimer. For good reason. A person is likely to be persuaded to believe they have a mental impairment when given a list of vague symptoms. Horoscopes work on the same principle. You will be productive today. You should listen to others today. Do you feel tired? Do you feel overwhelmed? Do you have problems becoming motivated? If so, you may be depressed. Or, you may be overworked and underpaid like a bulk of society. It is dangerous and unethical to give people a list of symptoms and tell them to talk to their doctor. Doctors are not psychologists. Americans have a tendency to expect a prescription to help them solve personal problems. Life does not work that way, drugs are not the answer for everyone. I do recognize that there are people with mental ailments who do need help, but targeting the masses with this type of advertising is dangerous because it can cause dependencies on medications which may not have been necessary.