Social and Cultural Consequences

Last Updated on Mon, 26 Dec 2022 | Marketing Communications

Concern is often expressed over the impact of advertising on society, particularly on values and lifestyles. While a number of factors influence the cultural values, lifestyles, and behavior of a society, the overwhelming amount of advertising and its prevalence in the mass media lead many critics to argue that advertising plays a major role in influencing and transmitting social values. In his book Advertising and Social Change, Ronald Berman says:

The institutions of family, religion, and education have grown noticeably weaker over each of the past three generations. The world itself seems to have grown more complex. In the absence of traditional authority, advertising has become a kind of social guide. It depicts us in all the myriad situations possible to a life of free choice. It provides ideas about style, morality, behavior.48

Mike Hughes, president and creative director of the Martin Agency, notes that advertising has a major impact on society: "Ads help establish what is cool in society; their messages contribute to the public dialogue. Gap ads show white, black and Hispanic kids dancing together. Hilfiger ads showed it's cool for people to get along. Ikea showed a gay couple." He argues that advertising agencies have a social and ethical responsibility to consider the impact of the advertising messages they create for their clients.49

I Belch: Advertising and I VII. Special Topics and I 22. Evaluating the Social, Promotion, Sixth Edition Perspectives Ethical, & Economic

Aspects of Advtising & Promotion

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Readers' Questions

  • fesahaye ali
    What is social and cultural consequencea in advertising?
    1 year ago
    • Social and cultural consequences of advertising can include consumerism, gender stereotyping, and perceptions of unattainable body image. Advertising encourages consumerism by depicting attractive images of products and creating an emotional attachment to those products. Gender stereotypes often appear in advertising, stereotyping professions or roles based on gender and reinforcing traditionally accepted gender roles in society. Advertising can also perpetuate unhealthy body image expectations by only showing images of models with specific body types, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy or low self-esteem in viewers.