Introduction
Owing to globalization that has greatly affected the world’s economy, marketers have to develop new strategies for surviving in the market. This is mainly because competition has become stiffer hence narrowing the market opportunities (Assael 45). It is therefore important for marketers to know and understand their consumer’s behavior. In order to achieve this, advertisers have normally obligated to sturdy the market trend of consumers.
Through the sturdy, advertisers are able to know why people buy or do not buy a particular product. Consumers’ choice of buying a product will always depend on several factors like the price of the product, quality of the product and availability of the product. Other consumers would normally purchase a product because of its brand or its long-term use by many people. Selling in the market may sometimes be difficult especially when customers are not familiar with a given commodity. With the kind of competition today, marketers are more vigilant as they have to maintain and improve their sales. It is at this juncture whereby marketers decide to advertise their products.
Advertising is effective as it influences consumers to purchase a product. Before advertising a product, it is advisable for marketers to know their target customers. In so doing, advertisers would be able to direct an advertisement to a particular group.
For instance, if the products are night dresses it would be proper for advertisers to target young ladies and women. However, when advertising products meant for children, the target group is usually their parents. Such a strategy exploits adults wanting to “live through their children” and express their own self-concept vicariously through their children. This paper, therefore, is aimed at discussing the implications of this for consumers (children and parents), marketers and society as a whole.
Advertising Mediums
Reaching target groups is normally through media channels such as radio, television, newspapers and billboards. Marketers must always select the most appropriate medium that would suit consumers (Solomon and Rabolt 55). As a result of diverse media channels, advertisers are sometimes challenged on which medium to choose. The most commonly used mediums are television, radio, newspapers, posters and billboards. Each one of these mediums has its own advantages over the others.
For example, when advertising through television, consumers can see the actual picture of the product. Apart from this, consumers can also listen to whatever is said about the product. Unlike television, radio advertisement does not allow consumers to view a product but to listen to what is said. Newspapers on the other hand can only feature the picture and wordings of a product (Solomon and Rabolt 97).
Billboards and posters are commonly referred to as outdoor advertisements as they target consumers who are outside walking, traveling or busy with their daily activities. Outdoor advertisements are normally situated in a position where they can clearly be seen by consumers. In this case, they have to be very captivating for people to see even from a distance. Depending on the target group, marketers should use an effective medium to reach their consumers (Assael 57).
Target Groups
In every advertisement, there has to be a target group. This is because there are some products for specific people. Not all products will suit everyone as they have different purposes. When advertising for fertilizers or farm tools, the target groups in this case are farmers (Mooij 105). Advertisers would therefore choose the appropriate medium to use for their consumers. In such a scenario marketers can use television, newspapers, radio and outside advertisement.
Using radio advertisement is somehow a disadvantage to consumers as they can not see the features in the products. It would be more effective to use television and newspaper advertisements for consumers to see the features of the product (Assael 23). Contrary to other target groups, advertisements for children are normally aimed at reaching their parents. In as much as the product may be for children, an advertisement may not target them directly. Children can yearn for a specific product, though their parents are the only ones who can choose to buy or not buy for them. Most children are usually in the care of their parents who purchase the different products (Solomon and Rabolt 41).
Advertisements for very expensive designer childrenswear often appear in magazines aimed at 30 to 50-year-old ABC1 women, thereby not directly targeting children but their parents instead. Such a strategy exploits adults wanting to “live through their children” and express their own self-concept vicariously through their children (Solomon 42). The ability to buy the expensive products for children will usually signify the financial status of their parents (Assael 33).
In this case, some parents would go for high-cost products for them to gain prestige or raise their living standards. Advertisers have their own ways of reaching such target groups who are willing to purchase costly products. Unfortunately, this kind of trend has implications for parents, children, marketers and society as a whole (Solomon & Rabolt 113).
Implications
Purchasing expensive childrenswear can have several implications such as excessive spending. In order to buy expensive products, parents have to use a lot of money on their children. Because of this, some parents will always buy childrenswear for every advertisement they see (Assael 85). In other words, parents are bound to be lured into any expensive advertisement they see or hear. With the diversity of advertisements, parents may end up wasting a lot of their money as they buy costly products. On the other hand, buying expensive products will influence children negatively. Knowing that their parents can buy them costly items, children are likely to reject any cheap product (Solomon 90).
Such children will always grow with the mentality that they are rich and may not live a humble life. In the future, if their parents can no longer buy them costly items, these children may have difficulties. Some of them may even turn to criminal activities for them to get what they want. To the marketers, it would be an advantage if parents buy costly products or their children. The more they advertise for childrenswear, the more they get more income from consumers. In fact, when marketers realize how much they are earning from a product, it is most likely that the price would be increased (Mooij 19).
By monitoring their market trends, these marketers would come up with even more commodities for their consumers. Buying expensive products for children would make other children admire what their friends have (Assael 78). If these children are in a society, most parents would be forced to purchase expensive childrenswear. Children are usually nagging and so parents can never decline to buy what they want. However, some parents may not be able to afford luxurious products for their children. This may demoralize parents who can not meet the living standards of some people. Generally, society would be affected financially as many parents try to please their children (Mooij 112).
Conclusion
Ideally, advertisement is an effective tool for marketers to sell different kinds of products. As they advertise for their commodities, there is always a group that is targeted. Marketers must therefore know and understand their target groups. When advertising children’s wear, parents are the ones who are normally targeted. Through children, parents can express their own self-concept vicariously.
Works Cited
Assael, Henry. Consumer Behavior A Strategic Approach. London: Dreamtech Press.
Mooij, Marieke. Consumer behavior and culture: consequences for global marketing and advertising. London: Sage Publications Ltd.
Solomon, Michael. Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having and Being. 6th Edition. New York: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Solomon, Michael and Rabolt, Nancy. Consumer behavior: In fashion. New York: Pearson Education.