Class 7 Civics

Advertising

Extra Questions

Short answer questions

Question 1: What do you mean by social advertisements?

Answer: Social advertisements are the advertisements made by the State or private agencies. They have a larger message for the society. For example advertisement regarding building of toilets in each home to ensure health and sanitation of the people is a social advertisement. Advertisement giving simple steps for preventing dengue is also a social advertisement.

Question 2: Write briefly about brand building.

Answer: The term branding in layman’s terms refers to stamping a product with a particular name or sign. Advertising mainly involves building brands. The main purpose of branding is to differentiate it from other products in the market. Since there are a range of products available in the market, making one’s product stand out in the eyes of the customer, is very crucial. This is done by branding the products.

Question 3: Write a note on the role of advertising.

Answer: Though branding, at the outset differentiates the products from non-branded ones; it is not enough. This is because there are a number of brands available in the market. It is very important to differentiate one brand from another. This is where the role of advertising comes in. Advertising helps in

Question 4: Write briefly about brand values and social values.

Answer: Advertisements have a significant place in our social and cultural life. We discuss the advertisements we watch/hear or read and also tend to judge people based on the brand products they use. Social values and personal emotions are used so that people are easily convinced to buy the product. Such strategies work well in a culturally rich nation like ours.

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1: Define lifestyle in the context of this chapter.

Answer: Lifestyle refers to identification of people’s lives by the products they own, their clothing preferences, vehicles they own, etc.

Question 2: Define product.

Answer: Product refers to an item (tangible) or a service (intangible) that has been made for being sold in the market.

Question 3: ‘Advertisement is able to influence us.’ What is the meaning of the term ‘to influence’?

Answer: ‘To influence’ means the ability to change one’s thinking, beliefs and actions.

Question 4: Who is a consumer?

Answer: Consumer refers to the person for whom the goods are manufactured and who pays money to purchase and use them.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1: With reference to costs explain how advertising fails to address the concept of equality.

Answer: Advertising involves enormous costs. Advertising a brand usually involves crores of rupees. The money that is spent on advertising is for

The high costs involved mean that only large companies can advertise. People owning small businesses cannot afford to do so. Hence people who sell home-made pickles, papads, jams etc are not as valued by consumers as the branded products. These homemade items have to be sold in local weekly markets only. It also leads to the loss of livelihood of small businessmen due to very low demand of their products.

Question 2: How is an advertisement created?

Answer: Creating an advertisement involves the following steps:

  1. Determining the consumer profile: This is done by conducting market surveys.
  2. Visualizing a campaign: The campaign intended must appeal to the target audience.
  3. Devising a new strategy: This involves:
    • Emphasising on an aspect that is different from that of the competitor. This could be highlighting the product features, personal and social values etc.
    • Giving a brand name: This step also involves naming the brand. The brand name should represent the concept used in the advertisement.
  4. Making a presentation to the client and getting their feedback
  5. Finalising and releasing the advertisement campaign: When the marketing strategy is considered successful, the advertisement campaign is finalized and released in different media along with the launch of the brand.

Question 3: Write a note on the influence of advertisements.

Answer: Advertising has deep influence on our minds. Many changes in our lifestyle come because of advertising. A very good example is growing popularity of packaged flour in Indian market. About two decades back, people used to take wheat to the nearby flour mill to get it ground into flour. Now-a-days, most of the middle class children may not even have seen the neighbourhood flour mill.

Till the 1970s majority of people used datun (wooden twigs) to clean their teeth. In modern times, you may not even understand what a datun is. Try to buy a datun in the city where you live. Chances are, you may not find it easily.

Instant noodles, oatmeals, cornflakes, etc. have become quite popular thanks to constant bombarding of advertisement. It is not doubt that they offer convenience but advertising played great role in establishing them in the Indian mindset.

Advertising also has some negative influences on our mind. Some people may even purchase an item which they do not need at all or which they cannot afford. Some people may get an inferiority complex because of failure to buy a certain brand.