Business Presentation

Essay

TOPIC#
The links and differences between advertising, propaganda and promotion

Word Count: 1481 words

 Throughout this essay, emphasis will be put on, whether advertising is just a
method of promotion or simply a way of spreading propaganda. The essay will
evaluate the techniques, which advertisers use to promote different products and will
be based on thorough research. It will particularly focus on whether adverting
methods are ethical. In general, it has been considered that there are four types of
propaganda used in advertising, where advertising is generally considered to have the
meaning of a public promotion of some product or service. (Are the techniques, 2006)
The first method is called bandwagon. It is used to influence consumers to do an
activity, with the use of incorrect, well sounded information. The second and possibly
best method carried out is through the use of renowned people’s faces. The main
purpose of this method has been generally considered to be a technique to power the
nation, for e.g. products are generally sold better by the use of a well-known persons
name, picture or a voice. (Armour. 2006, Robert K. Gluckson, M.A. 2006). The third
way of advertising is by constantly repeating the ads on the different TV and radio
channels (Armour. 2006, Robert K. Gluckson, M.A. 2006). The last technique used, is
by letting the customers feel well after they have used the certain product, for e.g. you
use it, you become like it. (Are the techniques, 2006)

In both cases, a propaganda or promotion claims can consist of many different

aspects. They are both a combination of perception, learning and reasoning, therefore
it is difficult to discern the actual difference between them. (Ways of Knowing, 2006)
Propaganda is an information, which has come through the development of personal
opinions, necessities and knowledge. (Ways of Knowing, 2006) (Definitions of
propaganda, 2006) If looked from a general point of view, the three meanings of
promotion, propaganda and advertising have very similar significance, for e.g.
promotion is method of issuing a message for the purpose of promoting some cause.
(Definitions of propaganda, 2006) (Definitions of promotion, 2006) Propaganda is
generally used to spread information with the principle of some idea and advertising
has been generally said to be a sort of promotion of a good. As a whole, their meaning
all come down the to point where a clear distinction cannot be made, therefore aspects
such as perception are most important, for e.g. whether the people see it as a
promotion or as a method of spreading propaganda. In all three cases, their main
intensions are to draw public intensions, and therefore increase sales. If looked from
another aspect, whether promoting techniques are ethical, a clear respond can be
given through perception, for e.g. the way you perceive things.

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 The self-awareness of whether something is ethical comes through the grouping of
language, emotion, reason and perception. Many advertising techniques are immoral
because in most cases not the entire truth has been given and many stretched outs
have been implied (Wikepedia, Ethics, 2006), therefore if looked from an ethical
point of view, many advertising techniques are very dishonest. It is a very difficult to
make a clear division between promotion and propaganda because they all come to a
very similar meaning. They both promote and encourage consumption even though in
many cases, they have large social and health impacts the consumers, for e.g.
promoting tobacco and alcohol products, which in both cases can have many negative
effects. In most cases, information has been cut to a minimum with the purpose of
avoiding a questioning from the consumers side, for e.g. customers have not been told
the entire truth with the main intention of getting people to except ideas. In each case,
propaganda and promotion both have the same intentions, for e.g. their main goals are
to spread a message directly towards the consumers. Its principle is not to provide
people with information but persuade their observations and therefore increase retail.
(Wikepedia, purpose of propaganda, 2006) (Townsend, 2006) The terms propaganda
and promotion are very much linked to each other and therefore it is difficult to
discern the actual difference between all three of them. (Definitions of propaganda,
2006) (Definitions of promotion, 2006) They both suggest an increase in consumption
from the purchaser’s side. In general, propaganda has been looked by the society, as a
negative term, which mainly contributes to lies false information and cover-ups. If
looked from a general point of view, the main purpose of promoting is mainly to
persuade consumer’s opinions and therefore to push them towards large expenditures,
even though in many cases the product offered can be very unhealthy, for e.g.
consumption of new unproven products. (Wikepedia, 2006, Morrals)

One way of making a personal distinction between propaganda and promotion is

through the gain of personal senses, for e.g. feelings, experienced emotions or reasons
that it has been agreed or disagreed on. Reason, perception, emotion and language
have been gained from knowers who have proven that their experience is source of
knowledge. (Wikepedia, Perception, 2006) These sorts of knowledge have contributed
to a suggestion of the purpose of advertising (Wikepedia, Purpose of propaganda,
2006) By looking at the difference between promoting and propaganda, each
individual must depend on its personal experiences and feelings that have been gained

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from hearing, touching, smelling or tasting. This entire combination of feelings comes
back to the distinction between propaganda and promotion. The division between the
advertisement in the path of propaganda versus promotion comes down to whether
something is moral or not and therefore it can be only justified by the use of own
perception such as personal knowledge (Wikepedia, Morals, 2006) (Wikepedia,
Advertising, 2006) An attempt has been made by many lecturers and scientists to
distinguish the characteristic of promoting and propaganding and no one has come up
with a clear conclusion. The main reason is because throughout world history
propagandist has diversified to promoters, therefore it has been considered that a clear
distinction to be made, various presumptions will be needed in terms of differentiating
the terms.

On one side, it has been agreed that advertisement is not a form of promoting, but a
form of spreading propaganda. The main intentions of advertisement are to achieve
goals even though some consumers might be put in some danger, for e.g. products,
which have not been tasted for its side effects but still promoted on the market.
(Townsend, 2006) In all cases, the spread has been done through pictures, TV
commercials, songs, shows and speeches, for e.g. government officials promising
their nation that if chosen, the economy will be busted and the standards of living
improved. The main question is whether this sort of people are spreading propaganda
with the purpose of generating their personal benefits or is it just a promotion of their
party (Townsend, 2006) They all have been generated in such a way, that an appeal
will appear in all consumers’ minds and therefore will drive them towards expenditure
or other activities. In other cases, propaganda has been considered to be a type of
promotion, which seeks a public approval and acceptance of new ideas.

On the other side, it has been disagreed on the statements that the term promotion is
just a cover up of propaganda because there is a strong need for the advertisements in
terms of selling the products to consumers. If there were no promotions, sales of
goods, services, activities etc, there will be no benefits towards both, customers and
businesses. (Wikepedia, Advertising appeals, 2006). On one hand, purchasers would
not know what they are buying and therefore their intentions of buying any goods will
be much less, which will not be of any advantage for the business. On the other hand,
many television and radio channels will die out because their main sources of capital
are generated from promotions throughout commercials. (Wikepedia, purpose of
promotion)

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 From the information observed, the conclusion is that it can be argued on whether
the terms promoting and propagating have the same meaning. Both have the same
intentions to persuade people to change their opinions and accept other people’s ideas.
From both the article and the research, there is evidence that they are propaganda
types, which have been used to promote adverts, therefore in terms of making a clear
distinction, perception and personal instincts have to be applied. There is no certain
method where a clear division can be made, therefore there have been questionings on
whether advertisement uses the methods of promoting or propagating. If looked from
an ethical point of view, advertising techniques are very immoral because, in most
cases, not the entire truth has been given and many slanders have been implied,
therefore if many advertising techniques are very immoral, for e.g. promoting harmful
products such as alcohol, tobacco etc. If looked from another point of view, if they
were no lies implied, than the entire cycle of consumption and production will be
decreased.

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 Bibliography
Text Books:
Aspatore Books, (2005), International Advertising: Successful Advertising
Techniques from Agencies Around the Globe, 31 October
Date viewed: September 27, 2006

Pandecta Magazine, (2006), 10 Highly Effective Free Internet Advertising Techniques

Date viewed: September 27, 2006

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Velko D Savov October 14, 2006

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