Merits and Limitations of Advertising – Long Answer Questions

Medium Level (Application & Explanation)

Answer:

Advertising helps in building customer trust by making products familiar to people.
When people see a product being advertised widely, they feel it must be genuine and reliable.
Advertisements act as a kind of proof about the product’s existence and features.
For example, if a toothpaste brand is regularly shown on TV, customers believe it is tested and popular.
Because of public advertising, customers feel more comfortable and secure in buying.
Thus, advertising increases customer confidence and satisfaction with the product.

Answer:

Advertising is economical because it reaches a large number of people at once.
The total cost of advertising is spread among thousands or millions who see the ad.
This makes the cost per person very low compared to other methods like personal selling.
For example, a TV commercial seen by millions costs less per viewer than door-to-door selling.
By targeting the masses, businesses can save money while getting their message out.
Therefore, advertising is considered cost-effective for reaching the public.

Answer:

Advertising uses the latest techniques and graphics to present products.
It combines pictures, sound, and moving images for better impact.
Advertisers can show the features, uses, and benefits of a product in creative ways.
This makes the product more attractive and appealing to the viewers.
For example, advertisements often display a product’s use in colorful, memorable ways.
Thus, advertising is an expressive tool for communicating product benefits.

Answer:

Advertising has the ability to connect with a very large audience at the same time.
A single advertisement can reach people in different cities or even countries.
For example, a government campaign on TV about Covid-19 vaccination reached crores of people.
This helps in spreading important messages or promoting products quickly.
The mass reach saves time and resources for businesses or government departments.
Hence, advertising is a powerful tool for reaching a vast number of people.

Answer:

‘Standardised message’ means the same advertisement is shown to all viewers or customers.
It does not change for different age groups, locations, or cultures.
This makes advertising less able to meet the special needs of different groups.
Some viewers may not relate to or understand the message.
For instance, an ad made for young people might not attract senior citizens.
Therefore, using a standardised message limits advertising’s effectiveness for all.

Answer:

The company benefits from mass reach, as millions might see the ad and become aware of the product.
It also gains customer trust, since widely advertised products appear authentic and reliable.
However, there are limitations like lack of feedback, as the company cannot immediately know if people liked or understood the ad.
Another limitation is inflexibility; if the ad message needs change, adapting TV commercials is costly and difficult.
These plus points and drawbacks must be balanced when using advertising for product launches.
Thus, the company should evaluate if mass advertising is the right choice for its strategy.

Answer:

One reason could be less forceful communication; there is no personal contact to convince buyers.
The standardised message might not connect with the target customers’ needs or interests.
Customers may be ignoring the ad because of advertising clutter—too many ads everywhere lowers effectiveness.
The company gets no direct feedback, so they don’t know what’s wrong or how to improve the ad.
If the ad cannot be changed easily, this inflexibility makes the situation worse.
These limitations can prevent advertising from turning viewer interest into actual purchases.

Answer:

Advertising’s inflexibility means the ad cannot be modified quickly or cheaply.
If the competitor updates their product or message, your ad might soon look old-fashioned or irrelevant.
Changing the ad will need more money and time, delaying your response.
Meanwhile, customers might prefer the competitor’s offering as it looks more relevant.
This puts your business at a disadvantage in a fast-moving market.
Thus, inflexible advertising limits the ability to react quickly to changes.

Answer:

A business can track responses using special offer codes, website visits, or customer surveys.
They can ask customers where they saw or heard about the business.
Social media comments can also provide quick feedback about advertisements.
It’s important because knowing customer reactions helps in improving future ads and marketing.
Immediate feedback can save money by stopping less effective ads early.
In this way, businesses make advertising more efficient and targeted.

Answer:

With more advertisements everywhere (TV, internet, radio), people are exposed to too many ads.
This causes them to ignore, skip, or pay less attention to each individual ad.
Advertisers face difficulty in making their message stand out from the crowd.
Useful or important information may be missed by customers in this clutter.
Even if the ad is well-made, its impact may be reduced due to overexposure.
As a result, advertising may fail to increase sales or achieve its main goals.