Influence of TV Commercials towards Cultural Values of a Community

Influence of TV Commercials towards Cultural Values of a Community

By:

Mohamad Afifi Bin Yahaya

Advertising is a process of product placement in the market, positioning, branding and highlighting that always made by advertisers and product’s owner in order to inform and influence the public about the existence of their products and services (O'Barr, 2005). It aims to influence audiences by informing and reminding people about their brand at a higher level, persuading and influence, targeting the audience so that they can boost the sales.

There are many theories discussed about advertising and TV commercials. For example is Cultivation Theory. Cultivation theory suggests that audience can be persuaded and influenced to buy a product that they never have after get a high exposure about a particular product and services by watching television. As the main process of advertising is informing and improving people’s knowledge about the products, it ends by people purchase and use the product as well. Furthermore, heavy television exposure generates a world of idea and mental content that obviously biased toward reality as portray by media. Heavier television users basically tend to accept gender stereotypes where they are more to be anomic and believe the concept of meanness of the world (Britt & Matei, 2011).

According to Ball State University on media consumption habits research found that television remains as the dominant medium in United States even though the internet steady rise in popularity over the years (Business Editors, 2015). TV commercial was said as the most significant and effective way to influence and persuade people to buy certain particular product. This fact is also supported by Global Head of Advertiser Solutions for Nielson; Randell (2011), when they found that people prefers TV commercial compare to the other medium.  

Previous research is also found that television commercials have giving impact on the social and moral behaviour of the viewers. According to Singh & Sandhu (2011) on their study about television commercial in India, revealed that most of TV commercials have undermine social, moral and religious values and negatively influence audience’s behaviour. Most of the time, it violates ethical and disrespect of cultures such as degradation of women as sex symbol, boost to materialism and untruthful content by showing unrealistic expectations.

Reference

Britt, B., & Matei, S. A. (2011). Virtual Socialability: from community to communitas. Ideagora: InterAcademic Press.

Business Editors. (2015). Television Advertising : Pros and Cons. Retrieved September 15, 2015, from All Business Network: http://www.allbusiness.com/television-advertising-pros-and-cons-2592-1.html

O'Barr, W. M. (2005). Advertising and Society Review. Advertising Educational Foundation , 1154-1311.

Singh, J., & Sandhu, N. (2011). Impact of Television Commercials on the social and moral behavior of Indian Vierwers - EMpirical Eveidence. The special issues on Bevahioral and social science , Volume 1. No.7.