Advertisers perform a useful service to the community

Advertisers tend to think big and perhaps this is why they’re always coming in for criticism. Their critics seem to resent them because they have a flair for self-promotion and because they have so much money to throw around. “It’s iniquitous,” they say, “that this entirely unproductive industry (if we can call how much profit the big companies are making. Why don’t they stop advertising and reduce the price of their goods? After all, it’s the consumer who pays…”

The poor old consumer! He’d have to pay a great deal more if advertising didn’t create mass markets for products. It’s precisely because of the heavy advertising that consumer goods are so cheap. But we get the wrong idea if we think the only purpose of advertising is to sell goods. Another equally important function is to inform. A great deal of the knowledge we have about household goods derives largely from the advertisements we read. Advertisements introduce us to new products or remind us of the existence of ones we already know about. Supposing you wanted to buy a washing machine, it is more than likely you would obtain details regarding performance, price, etc., from an advertisement.

Lots of people pretend that they never read advertisements, but this claim may be seriously doubted. It is hardly possible not to read advertisements these days. And what fun they often are, too! Just think what a railway station or a newspaper would be like without advertisements. Would you enjoy gazing a blank wall or reading railway bye-laws while waiting for a train? Would you like to read only closely-printed columns of news in your daily paper? A cheerful, witty advertisement makes such a difference to a drab wall or a newspaper full of the daily ration of calamities.

We must not forget, either, that advertising makes a positive contribution to our pockets. Newspapers, commercial radio and television companies could not subsist without this source of revenue. The fact that we pay so little for our daily paper, or can enjoy so many broadcast programmes is due entirely to the money spent by advertisers. Just think what a newspaper would cost if we had to pay its full price!

Another thing we mustn’t forget is the “small ads”, which are in virtually every newspaper and magazine. What a tremendously useful service they perform for the community! Just about anything can be accomplished through these columns. For instance, you can find a job, buy or sell a house, announce a birth, marriage or death in what used to be called the “hatch, match and dispatch” columns; but by far the most fascinating section is the personal or “agony” column. No other item in a newspaper provides such entertaining reading or offers such a deep insight into human nature. It’s the best advertisement for advertising there is!

8.2.3 Исправьте неверные высказывания в соответствие с содержанием текста:

1. Advertisers are never coming in for criticism.

2. Advertising is a productive industry.

3. A consumer would have to pay less if advertising didn’t create mass markets for products.

4. Consumer goods are very expensive because of heavy advertising.

5. The only purpose of advertising is to sell goods.

6. A great deal of the knowledge we have about household goods derives largely from our life experience.

7. Lots of people never read advertisements.

8. Newspapers, commercial radio and television companies could subsist without advertising.

9. “Small ads” perform a bad service for community.

10. You can find nothing useful in what used to be called the “hatch, match and dispatch” column.

11. The personal or “agony” column provides serious reading.

12. Advertisers perform a useless service to the community.

8.2.4 Ответьте на вопросы:

1. Why are advertisers always coming in for criticism?

2. Why would the consumer have to pay a great deal more money for goods?

3. What is the purpose of advertising?

4. Where do we get a great deal of knowledge about household goods from?

5. Is it possible not to read advertisements?

6. Why do we pay so little money for our daily paper?

7. Why does advertising make a positive contribution to our pockets?

8. What is the purpose of “small ads”?

9. What can we read in “hatch, match and dispatch” columns?

10. What item in a newspaper can offer such a deep insight into human nature?

8.2.5 Заполните пропуски следующими словами:

Deal, idea, criticism, inform, household goods, big, pockets, subsist, purpose, unproductive, create, sell, never, contribution, “hatch, match and dispatch”.

1. Advertisers tend to think … , and perhaps this is why they’re always coming in for … .

2. They say “This is entirely … industry.

3. He’d have to pay a great … more if advertising didn’t … mass markets for products.

4. But we get the wrong … , if we think the only … of advertising is to … goods.

5. Another equally important function is to … .

6. A great deal of the knowledge we have about … derives from the advertisements.

7. Lots of people pretend that they … read advertisements.

8. Advertising makes a positive … to our … .

9. Newspapers couldn’t … without this source of revenue.

10. You can find a job, buy or sell a house in what used to be called the … columns.

8.2.6 Прокомментируйте следующие высказывания:

1. They have a flair for self-promotion.

2. It is precisely because of the heavy advertising that consumer goods are so cheap.

3. Another equally important function of advertising is to inform.

4. Advertising makes a positive contribution to our pockets.