The business world is a competitive one. Every corporation tries to get their products or services sold more to customers. The customers in turn have the free will to choose what to pay for and what not to pay for. So as to manipulate or persuade more customers to buy their products or services, these corporations use different tools to make their products and services popular and attractive. Advertising is the most common tool used to lure customers and increase a corporation’s sales. Advertisement is done through different channels which include media, internet, posters and magazines. It can also be done through posters and billboards. There are some corporations which misuse this tool and engage in unethical marketing strategies. It is this reason that calls for the need of restrictions on advertising. This paper will argue for restrictions as a paramount requirement in advertising.
Sexual issues is one of the major reasons advertising should be controlled (Reichert, Tom, and Jacqueline 173). The society is made of people of different ages. Both the young and old are exposed to media content where most advertising is done. If there are no restrictions to what content corporations can use to advertise their products and services, some will use explicit material such as pornography or violent content that will have negative effects on minors (Gunter et, al 8). The sensitive issues on homosexuality and gender equality will only be effectively handled if there are rules and regulations in advertising. Objectification of women which is a common phenomenon in advertising needs to be greatly restricted as it can lead to women being portrayed as sex objects in the society. Also, because different people hold different views on homosexuality, no advert should be skewed towards any of the parties as favouring either those who support homosexuality or those who oppose it will polarise the society. The presence of rules and regulations will therefore ensure children are not exposed to content that will harm them and also protect the rights of women and the vulnerable minority such as the homosexuals and people with disabilities.
Adverse health effects some products have on consumers who use then also makes restrictions necessary on advertisements. Some products such as cigarettes and alcohol may affect the consumers negatively health wise (Healey 119). The presence of restrictions therefore can make it a requirement for corporations that produce such products to make it clear to the public and most importantly the consumers that using those products excessively is a health hazard to their health. Restrictions will also regulate the nature of advertisements of such products so that they don’t attract naïve and trap naïve consumers. They should make it clear that consumption of such products is addictive which eventually had negative health effects. In addition to these, restrictions can also limit the time at and places where such advertisements are aired (Wilkinson, Claire, and Robin 427). For instance advertisement of alcohol and cigarettes should not be allowed at times when children shows are being aired as it may lure young people into using them. Also posters and billboards of alcohol brands and cigarettes should not be put in places where underage children spend a lot of time instead they should be placed in alcohol bars and smoking zones. This way, non-smokers and non-alcoholics will not be enticed into using those products at the same time the corporates dealing with those products will not be completely barred from advertising their products.
Some advertisements have damaging effects on individuals’ self-perception. Most advertisements will demonstrate how different products are used. In the process of so doing, they show the expected before and after results of using the products. For example, in most food and beverage advertisements, ultra-slim models are used to show the low fat or calorie content of these products. This has led to lowered self-esteem by fat people (Smeesters et. al 930). They feel their physique is not right. It has also created poor eating habits among the fat people as they struggle to lose weight and become thin. Regulation will stop putting other people in bad light. Ethnic and religious issues should also be considered when designing advertisements. This is because they are core aspects of any social setup. Most societies are made of people from different ethnic backgrounds. These people have different cultures and religious beliefs. Since their ideas and beliefs vary, lack of a force of cohesion that will ensure unity among these people will result to constant conflict and disagreements. To ensure that people do not use advertisements as a channel of battling people from the other group, restriction should be present. There should be a code of conduct that will ensure that even though people have different backgrounds, they respect the interest and the wellbeing of the other group. In addition to that, regulation will also ensure the safety of every business corporation. The same reason individual beliefs vary, so does their perception and interpretation of different issues. An advertisement may be designed in such a way that certain powerful individuals politically are not pleased with it as it may be skewed in favour of their opponents. In such case, these powerful individuals might decide to retaliate hence putting the business corporation in danger. The presence of regulations will see to it that such instances do not occur hence the safety of every business corporation.
One of the major reasons the school of thought that argues against regulations in advertisement is that regulations infringes business corporation on the freedom of speech and expression. They argue that depriving corporations of their right to say what they want in advertisements will make advertisements come out dull and may not serve the intended purpose appropriately. They also argue that limiting what they say make it difficult for business corporations to pass across serious messages and address sensitive issues. All these arguments however are not strong enough since regulation does not mean total ban. It give allowance on certain advertisements because of their nature. This is appropriate for both the public and the business corporations.
Works Cited
Gunter, Barrie, Caroline Oates, and Mark Blades. Advertising to children on TV: Content,
impact, and regulation. Routledge, 2004.
Healey, Deborah. Sport and the Law. NewSouth Publishing, 2009.
Reichert, Tom, and Jacqueline Lambiase, eds. Sex in advertising: Perspectives on the erotic
appeal. Routledge, 2002.
Smeesters, Dirk, Thomas Mussweiler, and Naomi Mandel. "The Effects Of Thin And Heavy
Media Images On Overweight And Underweight Consumers: Social Comparison Processes And Behavioral Implications." Journal Of Consumer Research 36.6 (2010): 930-949. Business Source Premier. Web. 10 Jan. 2014.
Wilkinson, Claire, and Robin Room. "Warnings On Alcohol Containers And Advertisements:
International Experience And Evidence On Effects." Drug & Alcohol Review 28.4 (2009): 426-435. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Jan. 2014.
