Today, the high sales of popular consumer goods reflect the power of advertising and not the real need of the society in which they are sold. To what extent do you agree? Why?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience.
Write at least 250 words.

MODEL ANSWER:

The reasons for the hike in the sales of popular consumer goods are diverse. However, when it is compared to the power of advertising and the real need of the society, I think it is situational in nature.

On the one hand, it is clear that in many circumstances, adverts persuade people to buy frivolous products. The strategy that the advertising companies adopt is really innovative, so that it can rocket the sale of a product. Crowd-pulling tactics such as showcasing celebrities as brand ambassadors, announcing discounts, and promoting offers like ‘buy one get one free’ are some among those. On top of this, they highlight ‘unique features’ of customer-friendly products such as mobile phones and this makes their purchase real by an average financially sound customer, even if he has an advanced smart-phone. In one way, advertising companies create a feeling among the customers that if they are not purchasing these gadgets, they are not moving with the development.

On the other hand, one cannot say that the sale of products which are popular in the market is completely attributed to the power of advertising. This is because necessity is superior to any other features. For example, an emergency drug is not purchased by a customer on the basis of any advertisement. Similarly, we can see the sale of petroleum products such as gasoline, which are neither influenced by adverts nor by any price hike. Therefore, it is clear that advertisements have very less influence in the high sales of goods which are necessary for the general public.

In conclusion, one can say that it is the circumstances which lead to the inclined sales of products which are customer-friendly. I would say, the strength of advertisements and customers’ demand are the prominent among those.

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