Response to Kristen Begin

But, after all the money that is spent on all different types of advertising for literally everyone to see, wouldn't it be more efficient to use more of a marketing approach instead? Wouldn't it, as a manager, make more sense to focus the sales on those that you are confident already trust your product, or can at least be more easily persuaded to switch to your goods or services, as opposed to posting thousands of dollars worth in posters and commercials in hopes that someone will actually notice it and be convinced to immediately switch providers?

I think that it would be a much more efficient way of doing business; that is, following a marketing approach. It seems to me that the idea of a target market is extremely effective and less "hit-or-miss." When I see billboards, the variety of messages I see reminds me of throwing darts at a dartboard with a blindfold on! There are examples everywhere.

In a way, though, advertising so openly and in such a hit-or-miss way can also lead to awareness. For example, everyone can get cancer or heart disease or help someone with a stroke, and these messages affect us all. It's the "DISCOUNT MATTRESSES!!!!!" billboards that don't really affect everyone.

There are appropriate uses for all three of the categories we discussed (marketing, propaganda, advertising), and some people just have different perspectives as far as which is best, most profitable or monetarily useful, or whatever! Managers have a lot of different ideas as far as what's best and I think that's why there are fewer uses of the "target market."

Propaganda vs. Advertising vs. Marketing

Picture credit: http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/03/02/sex-sells/

This is a takeoff of propaganda in the form of advertising. I chose this picture to illustrate the difference between propaganda and advertising. It inspires similar feelings - a "Redolution," but at the same time it is clearly an advertisement because it markets a product. The product, M&M's, are a candy. Unlike propaganda, it is asking for an online vote for the favorite color and in that way is pushing the brand and the website.

Credit for this picture goes to http://www.mstrum.com/onmywaytokorea/2009/07/13/north-korean-propaganda-series-anti-usa-1/

This picture is an example of propaganda from North Korea. It depicts a North Korean soldier targeting an American government building with some kind of missile or bullet. Generally propaganda is created so that a government can push a position onto its people. When people see pictures like this one, eventually they may be led to believe that it's the right thing.

Marketing is a more abstract than the ideas of propaganda and advertising. It encompasses both in a way, because it is more like the overall process of selling a brand or an idea to the consumer. There are companies that exist solely to market brands of other companies. The concept of marketing can be learned in a class and by experience and its form of expression is advertising. In propaganda, there are sets of ideals that are marketed to people to convince them that something is true or not true.

What is the most convincing form of marketing a message? Propaganda or advertising? We see advertising all the time, to the point where we sing along with catch phrases, recite the scripts of our favorite ads, and even tattoo ourselves with the brand, but propaganda plays on our patriotism in our own country. So, what is more powerful?