Advertisement - the phenomen of communication

Bc. Alexander Okonkwo

Bachelor's thesis

Abstract:

This thesis looks at advertising as a communication tool, digging into its origin and its particular features in the contemporary media environment. This study traces the origins of advertising and the various channels that different actors in the society; aristocrats, religious influencers, politicians but also firms and organisations have used advertisements, in persuasive and manipulative manners, to reach their audience. A particular focus on television advertising validates the influence the use of images and sound had on the society all through the 1960s till the advent of internet in the 1990s. Finally, I attempt to appraise the impact social networks and social media how brands adapted to these phenomena and modified their communication approach, and how the new generation of consumers has evolved from a passive element of the marketing chain to a contributor and creator. The second part of thesis looks at three different European societies in an attempt to identify their similarities and differences in social perceptions towards media. By doing a questionnaire survey of randomly selected respondents under different demographic segments from France, Czech Republic and Russia, I attempt to understand how these populations with dissimilar historical backgrounds respond to constant advertising and promotional campaigns they are confronted with. The aim was also to observe if any divergences exist in their purchasing behaviour, and to analyse if all these has a relation with the vestiges of the Cold War era still noticeable in some parts. While examining the characteristics of advertising as a means of communicating, I take a closer look into its impact on our society, both positive and negative on the consumer behaviour. Finally, the purpose was to observe how advertising methods and media have changed during the past decades and the challenge was to try and predict how brands and individuals will communicate in the coming years as we drift into an invading digitalised era where different regions of the world become more than ever connected to one another.

Keywords

Marketing, communication, advertising, advertisement, consumer, social media, manipulation, social networks, company, influence, television, message, media, development, generation, persuasive propaganda.

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 13. 4. 2017

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 1. 6. 2017
• Supervisor: Ing. Jiří Šnajdar
• Reader: Mgr. Pavel Kotyza

University of Finance and Administration

Bachelor programme / field:
Economics and Management / Marketing Communication