Month: October 2010

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bNU3HnCdwo[/youtube]

Nowadays, children obesity has drawn widespread attention. There are multiple reasons for this phenomenon. Fast food is definitely one of the most important causes. On one hand, the huge amount of fat, energy and calories contained in fast food make children out of shape. On the other hand, compared to other healthy food, fast food does not provide the feeling of fullness. That is to say, no matter how much you had, you will hardly feel you are full. The conclusion when children eat fast food is that they are more likely to consume more of it than they would a meal prepared at home that included “healthy foods.”

Capturing the huge market, food manufactures will not miss the opportunity. By using bright colors and objects such as toys that are appealing to children, they attract and manipulate children. Such advertising strategies attract parents’ and health groups’ attention who try to eliminate effects brought by fast food ads on children. Some efforts have been made to stop making children believe fast food is always the way to go.(Mcdonald: Committed to communicating in a clear and responsible manner) There is still a long way to go to fight against marketing fast food to children.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QkyfGJgcwQ[/youtube]

In contemporary society, fierce competition in the field of advertising has drawn widespread attention. To some extent, advertising is not only a tool to attract consumers but also a weapon to knock down their direct competitors. Attack ad plays an important role in negative campaigns and serves to pointing out opponent’s faults and contrasting them against its own platform.

On one hand, attack ad is effective and impressing. In the video, AMD criticized NVIDIA’s product for its cooler system and try to focus on the “Keep Cool” campaign. There is no doubt that the best way to win a battle is to knock the opponent down directly. Therefore, attack ad points out the failure of the product and makes consumers think twice before their purchasing. Appealing to those who may not necessarily be interested in the area but happened to be watching television when the ad came on and were struck by the claims it made without knowing if they were true or not, attack ad effectively ruin the competitor’s reputation while advocating their own campaign.

On the other hand, attack ad might be both misleading and unethical. Obviously, statements in the ad may or may not be true, but regardless of its authenticity, statements in an attack ad are often exaggerated. What is worse, sometimes two companies are so much centered into getting their opponent down that they forget to do some actual improvements. After all, the most important way to build customers’ loyalty is building the brand instead of try to knock others down.

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Toyota apologizes to Chinese consumers for improper ads
Japanese car maker Toyota Thursday apologized to Chinese consumers for running advertisements that many Chinese complained were aimed at humiliating them and domestic industry.
The advertisements, for two new types of cars – Prado GX and Land Cruiser – had drawn widespread indignation and criticism from China’s netizens, who see them as a deliberate act by the Japanese car firm to insult the Chinese. The two ads, which ran in the latest issue of Auto Fan, a Beijing-based monthly, look harmless enough at first glance, but many Chinese readers said they were furious at the implied message of Japanese superiority relayed by the advertisements.
The first ad shows a Toyota Land Cruiser pulling a broken-down truck, which looks similar to a Chinese military vehicle, up a rocky incline. The suggestion, according to critics, is that Japanese SUVs are more durable than China’s military equipment – a statement sure to draw heated remarks in China, considering Japan’s military past in the region.
Controversial Japan ads draw Chinese anger
Last December, the State-owned magazine Auto Fan published an advertisement for Toyota, showing one stone lion saluting and another lion kowtowing to a Prado, with the slogan: “You have to respect Prado.” In Putonghua, Prado is translated as Ba Dao, which means “high handed” or “supremacy”.

From this case, we can see the importance of ethical trends. There is no doubt that ethic is becoming increasingly important in contemporary society. Ethics are vital to the foundation of sustainable business relationships. According to International Ethical Business Registry, there has been a dramatic increase in the ethical expectation of businesses and professionals over the past 10 years. As a result, in marketing strategies, more emphasize should be drawn on ethical issues. Especially in a multi-culture world, a simple misunderstanding could cause severe trouble. Therefore, before marketing development or product development, certain research are necessary to make sure whether the product is appropriate for the targeting market.

It is also very critical to identify the characteristics of the potential customers. If Toyota’s case occurred in a western country, maybe it would not address such a huge problem. However, it chose to annoy the Chinese. Based on history of WWII, it is not surprise that the ad will cause such an unethical problem.