Language in Advertising

Language has many different meanings explanations, and interpretations. These variations make it necessary to understand language and communicate effectively, especially when trying to persuade an audience to act. The mass media are among the most discussed and scrutinized of all language purveyors. In this essay I will discuss and analyze the language of the media and the many ways it is used.

Advertising has always been a part of modern capitalism as it shapes the way individuals and companies persuade audiences to purchase or take part in their endeavors. The words used in advertisement have changed the most in modern history. Among the changes we have seen advertisers try to reach the audiences that are hardest to concisely target: young adults and minorities.
Since the emergence of mass advertising in the latter half of the 19th century, a growing awareness among marketers of the diversity of American consumers encourages advertising managers to pay attention to ethnic, racial, and cultural differences. Multiculturalism has emerged as one of America's most important social agendas in the 21st century. Special attention is directed to certain "niche" markets because of their size, buying power, and cultural differences. Hispanic (or Latino) and African-American consumers represent the two largest niche markets, which is causing many advertisers to tailor their messages to the particular interests, market behaviors, and sensitivities of these groups. Great strides have been made by advertising managers to target the African-American and Latino consumer. The language used to reach these audiences is typically vernacular of said cultures. Advertisers jobs depend on the return of investment dollars via sales. Because of this focus marketing managers are often concerned with sociolinguistics: they way language takes on the characteristics of a culture. Diglossia plays a role in the selection as well, Diglossia: being the accents, dialects and languages encompassed in a country of this size. All of these influence the way advertisers choose a medium and tone for an ad.
The role of the advertising manager in regards to minority marketing is to make sure that the interests of the target audience are taken into account and the message content adjusted accordingly. With the number of Hispanics in the country having surged nearly 60% since 1990 to 35.3 million, according to recently released Census data. African Americans, with a population of over 34 million make up 30% of the total U.S. population and are projected to grow at twice the rate of the rest of the population in the next 50 years. Not only that according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia estimate that black buying power of $799 billion in 2006 will be $1.1 trillion in 2011. Right now, of the nearly 1 trillion dollars that African Americans spend as a consumer group, African-American women alone spend 300 billion dollars and influence much more. With number like these it is no wonder their interests are foremost in most advertising manager’s minds. “They are an incredibly lucrative market, with great rewards for businesses that get it right. Ethnic consumers are incredibly loyal, both African-American and Hispanic, and once you have them; they'll stay with you for life. It's a worthwhile investment to make as a marketer.
In the movie “Czech Dream” a group of students form a makeshift company to advertise a supermarket. The store was the American equivalent to Wal-Mart with everything in one location, the first in the Czech Republic. The pair of students set out to show the world what could be done with advertising as they created a jingle marketing campaign and a mock store-front.
The filmmakers then released the floodgates on their supposed opening day and the masses of people that had gathered to see this new store were allowed to walk the distance only to come up on a wall with nothing behind but metal supports….no supermarket.
The filmmakers showed us the power of advertising especially to the class of people that these advertisements went out to. When the people realized there was no store some were irate while some saw the message and understand the message, for they had not been falsely led the received exactly what they were promised a dream. Ethically some felt this was a scam but in hindsight I think we can learn a few valuable lessons from this movie.
First we can learn about the way advertising companies draw up campaigns, by using focus groups, observing people in everyday life, and forming tactics to reach those people.
When reaching minorities or simply people who have never seen what you are proposing, sociolinguistics, social networks and communication schemata comes into play. You must understand what language can reach your target audience and how they will contextually interpret said language. You must also understand modern social networks and how your message will propagate throughout them. Lastly how people communicate ideas and conjugate them with their own understandings and norms.
Most advertisers understand that visual elements are powerful but coupled with rhetoric there are unlimited opportunities to influence people.