(a) Give four arguments for and three arguments against advertising.
(b) List six advertising media used by business organizations in West Africa.
Explanation
a)(i) Advantages of advertising are as follows:
(i) It creates employment opportunities for job seekers.
(ii) Existing goods or newlines are made known to the public.
(iii) There would be mass production.
(iv) Profits are made and business can be easily expanded.
(v) Cost per unit will be reduced for buyers who will pay less.
(vi) It increases the rate of turnover.
(vii) It improves the standard of living.
(viii) It educates consumers on the use of goods.
(ix) Effective advertising aids mail order business.
(x) It also generates income.
(a)(ii) Disadvantages of advertising are:
(i) It gives undue credit to certain products which could not otherwise have competed favourably with others.
(ii) Advertising makes products more expensive because the cost of advertising is at the end borne by the consumers.
(iii) It leads the consumers to be at the mercy of monopolists as bigger companies drive out small ones.
(iv) Some advertising messages are misleading.
(v) Most advertisements are immoral, e.g. advertisements on cigarettes, condoms, beer etc
(vi) Advertisements create a public nuisance, e.g. posting of bills in unauthorised areas, slogans on the T.V. or radio etc
(b) Advertising media used by business organisations in West Africa are:
(i) Newspaper/ magazines/Catalogues/Journals
(ii) Television/Cinema
(iii) Radio
(iv) Billboards
(v) Loudspeakers
(vi) Neon signs electronics
(vii) Posters/handbills
(viii) Prismatic boards
(ix) Internet
(x) Window display
(xi) Addressing machines