History of Advertising (False Advertising)
Ethics in Marketing: False Advertising
History of Advertising and the Rise of Ethical Implications For decades, advertisements have been telling us not only what to buy, but also what we shouldn’t be able to live without. The history of advertising can be traced back as far as the Roman Empire, where posters advertising the gladiatorial games would be hung around for all to see. Modern advertising dates back to about 1583 when the first daily newspaper was printed in England under the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The idea of a daily paper spread to Scotland in 1660 after Cromwell’s victories. These papers, however, were more for Cromwell’s soldiers and merely reprints of the English papers. While some advertisements had started popping up in the earliest papers, it wasn’t until advertising became an important function of selling goods that they became more prominent. Advertising didn’t reach the United States until the 18th century when the first advertisement was published in the Boston News Letter. Modern advertising has changed over the decades. Advertising has become more prominent and reached more people with the invention of the radio and television. Newspapers are also popular; companies try to advertise by placing the ad where it was most likely to be seen by a segment group that would be most likely to be interested in the product. By the time advertising was able to paint the actual picture of the product for the consumer, its main goal was simply to create a need for it. For example, television ads began to target the subconscious and unconscious minds of individuals. Marketers also wanted to create an illusion where they were speaking just to the individual consumer. By doing this, they created more of an intimate relationship with their customers. Advertisements are an emotional connection between the companies and their consumers. Peter Drucker comments that, “the aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product
History of Advertising and the Rise of Ethical Implications For decades, advertisements have been telling us not only what to buy, but also what we shouldn’t be able to live without. The history of advertising can be traced back as far as the Roman Empire, where posters advertising the gladiatorial games would be hung around for all to see. Modern advertising dates back to about 1583 when the first daily newspaper was printed in England under the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The idea of a daily paper spread to Scotland in 1660 after Cromwell’s victories. These papers, however, were more for Cromwell’s soldiers and merely reprints of the English papers. While some advertisements had started popping up in the earliest papers, it wasn’t until advertising became an important function of selling goods that they became more prominent. Advertising didn’t reach the United States until the 18th century when the first advertisement was published in the Boston News Letter. Modern advertising has changed over the decades. Advertising has become more prominent and reached more people with the invention of the radio and television. Newspapers are also popular; companies try to advertise by placing the ad where it was most likely to be seen by a segment group that would be most likely to be interested in the product. By the time advertising was able to paint the actual picture of the product for the consumer, its main goal was simply to create a need for it. For example, television ads began to target the subconscious and unconscious minds of individuals. Marketers also wanted to create an illusion where they were speaking just to the individual consumer. By doing this, they created more of an intimate relationship with their customers. Advertisements are an emotional connection between the companies and their consumers. Peter Drucker comments that, “the aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product
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