Discounters kill lifestyle
Noted: The trend toward emotionalization in and through advertising is reaching its limits, not least because of Aldi & Co. What’s needed today is a new objectivity.
Column Emotionalization in and through advertising is reaching its limits, not least because of Aldi & Co. What is needed today is a new objectivity - is advertising taking on a life of its own? At a time when people are holding on to their money because they are worried about their jobs and pensions, the commercial emotionalizers are coming to the fore. A classic statement from their repertoire is: "I used to trade in illusions, now I sell dreams." Such slogans are not just nonsensical, but very dangerous for many advertising companies. According to the media theory of my St. Gallen colleague Beat Schmid, there are two levels of implementation in branding: The first concerns the performance and quality of a brand, the second its anchoring in the minds (or hearts) of buyers. There can be no doubt that the second stage is much more important today than it was two decades ago. Some providers sell above all a lifestyle. This applies to car rental companies, fast food chains, jeans, sports shoes, but also to sales giants such as Media Markt or Saturn.
For certain products, the formula "the main thing is attention" is absolutely right. However, communication becomes a meta-market. In this market, the commercial has to sell itself. However, the opinion of many advertisers that products advertised in a lifestyle way are interchangeable only applies to a narrow sector. Especially for companies targeting people with a small budget, the theories of some creatives about brand identity and its emotional values are often simply trendy drivel. The assumption that only advertising can differentiate in oversaturated markets is also increasingly proving to be wrong.
The Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research recently reported that only a third of consumers now believe that buying branded goods is worthwhile. And a whopping 53% of Germans now believe that a brand name alone does not justify a higher price. The situation is not much different in Switzerland. Aldi and the other discounters therefore know exactly what they are doing when they proclaim in their brochures: "You will never see television advertising for this product. It doesn't need it, because its quality speaks for itself." Another slogan of the Aldi management is: "Why trust advertising promises that unprovenly award the best quality to well-known brands?"
In the communications metamarket, there are always two parties that want to be known: The products and the companies that manufacture them, and the advertisers, the agencies. The emotionalizers are increasingly detaching themselves from the interests of their customers. The result is l'art-pour-l'art campaigns that collect creative prizes. But does brilliant emotional advertising sell better? The managing director of the General Association of Communications Agencies in Germany says: "Benetton was a trailblazer for provocation in advertising, but also an example of how easily it can fail." For years, half of Europe talked about the bloody babies and HIV sufferers who advertised sweaters; meanwhile, Benetton retailers complained about falling sales.
Conclusion: Not all products are interchangeable and the idea that product performance can generally be replaced by beautiful emotions is the industry-standard exaggeration of a trend that does exist and should not be generalized. At a time of low growth, rising unemployment and major disasters, more and more people are asking themselves what is necessary and what is superfluous. For many products, advertising must therefore also say something about the substance and not just produce beautiful appearances.
> Peter Glotz is Professor of Communication and Media Management at the University of St. Gallen.
For certain products, the formula "the main thing is attention" is absolutely right. However, communication becomes a meta-market. In this market, the commercial has to sell itself. However, the opinion of many advertisers that products advertised in a lifestyle way are interchangeable only applies to a narrow sector. Especially for companies targeting people with a small budget, the theories of some creatives about brand identity and its emotional values are often simply trendy drivel. The assumption that only advertising can differentiate in oversaturated markets is also increasingly proving to be wrong.
The Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research recently reported that only a third of consumers now believe that buying branded goods is worthwhile. And a whopping 53% of Germans now believe that a brand name alone does not justify a higher price. The situation is not much different in Switzerland. Aldi and the other discounters therefore know exactly what they are doing when they proclaim in their brochures: "You will never see television advertising for this product. It doesn't need it, because its quality speaks for itself." Another slogan of the Aldi management is: "Why trust advertising promises that unprovenly award the best quality to well-known brands?"
In the communications metamarket, there are always two parties that want to be known: The products and the companies that manufacture them, and the advertisers, the agencies. The emotionalizers are increasingly detaching themselves from the interests of their customers. The result is l'art-pour-l'art campaigns that collect creative prizes. But does brilliant emotional advertising sell better? The managing director of the General Association of Communications Agencies in Germany says: "Benetton was a trailblazer for provocation in advertising, but also an example of how easily it can fail." For years, half of Europe talked about the bloody babies and HIV sufferers who advertised sweaters; meanwhile, Benetton retailers complained about falling sales.
Conclusion: Not all products are interchangeable and the idea that product performance can generally be replaced by beautiful emotions is the industry-standard exaggeration of a trend that does exist and should not be generalized. At a time of low growth, rising unemployment and major disasters, more and more people are asking themselves what is necessary and what is superfluous. For many products, advertising must therefore also say something about the substance and not just produce beautiful appearances.
> Peter Glotz is Professor of Communication and Media Management at the University of St. Gallen.
