Advertising Analysis Examples, Essay Example

The United States is not only one of the world’s largest auto markets but also one of the biggest importers of oil. The price of oil directly impacts the demand for automobiles and fluctuations in oil prices have been quite frequent over the last decade. These fluctuations coupled with the recessions such as the internet bubble bust and the recent financial crisis have created an environment of economic uncertainty in the U.S. Moreover, the U.S. unemployment rate has reached levels that have not been seen in the last few decades and globalization has also contributed towards lower job securities due to outsourcing. These economic worries have made Americans more sensitive to the costs of operating their automobiles and the cost of fuel has now become an important component in the automobile purchase decisions. The good news is that the customers do not have to choose between fuel efficiency and power anymore. Electric cars are now quite competitive in terms of power and styling as compared to their gas-sipping cousins.

GM had a famous experiment with an electric car in the 1990s but the trend didn’t catch on as expected. The car was ugly, slow, and recharging it was a hassle. But this time it seems that the trend is here to stay with projects from numerous manufacturers including GM, Toyota, Nissan, Tesla, Fisker, BMW, and Ford etc. Electric car technology is not new but the economics was never there due to low oil prices. But now the customers seem ready to embrace electric cars and the government is also encouraging adoption by providing financial incentives to both the car companies as well as individual customers.

Electric car manufacturers are aware of the general customers’concerns as well as their perceptions of the electric technology and have attempted to address them in the product ads. The most direct example may be a GM ad for Chevy Volt that was meant to increase the customers’ enthusiasm and build buzz for the product. The ad lists various features that customers want in a car and implies that customers have to make choices among these features. The ad ends with the message that Chevy Volt will liberate the customers from making difficult choices because it will fulfill all of these wants in a single package. The ad is also trying to change customers’ perceptions that despite being a low emission and low fuel cost car, Volt will be fun to drive because the general perception is that alternative automobile technologies are still in infancy and cost savings comes at the expense of power. The ad also implies that GM wants the product to be a mass-hit because the ad says that the car is targeted at all of the market segments from cost-conscious customers to thrill-seeking drivers.

GM is not the only company trying to change customers’ perception. The fact that customers still equate alternative automobile technologies with low power and boring driving experience is also reflected in Tesla Roadster’s ad. The ad’s tagline Burn rubber, not gasoline attempts to convince the customers that Tesla Roadster doesn’t sacrifice power at the expense of fuel economy. The ad attemptsto convince customers by being more specific that Tesla Roadster accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in about 4 seconds which means it rivals sports cars powered by gas-fueled engines in performance. But the ad doesn’t forget to mention the car’s other positives such as a fuel economy of 135 mpg and an ability to cover 250 miles before requiring a recharge. This message is specifically aimed at customers who may think that the electric battery has quite limited capacity and is not suitable for long distance drives. The strength of the ad is that it uses numbers to convince the customers instead of making general claims that may arouse skepticism among the customers. Tesla Roadster’s ad like Chevy Volt’s ad is mindful of the fact that Toyota Prius has become the standard in alternative technologies automobiles and the car gives an impression of being bulky and slow. Thus, both ads try to dispel customers’ perceptions that their products are as much fun to drive as they are easy on the wallets.

While GM and Tesla are more focused on convincing customers to embrace electric technology in cars, Fisker wants customers to know that being an electric car doesn’t have to be ugly. The third ad which is by Fisker Automotive attempts to convince the customers that electric technology has advanced to such an extent where it can power beautiful and powerful cars. Fisker ad shows the legs of a female model who is inside the car and not visible. This ad does commit the crime of sending a potentially sexist message as it implies that the car will help its owner seduce beautiful women. Ads like these contribute towards the general perceptions in the society that women are materialistic and thus, can be bought with displays of wealth. The ad does show the car being electrically charged to emphasize the fact that such a beautiful car is actually powered by electric automobile technology and still packs 403 Horsepower engine. The company has adopted the brand motto Pure Driving Passion to demonstrate its commitment to fun driving experience. Unlike the above two ads, the emphasis in this ad is more on the visual elements than the text which is limited to merely six words. Fisker has attempted to portray its car as a luxury product and unlike the other two ads that emphasize fuel economy besides driving experience, Fisker focuses more on looks and style of its product.

Overall we have seen that all three ads have attempted to change customers’ perceptions of alternative fuel technologies that the cars employing these technologies and specifically electric cars are not boring to drive or have weak engine power. The companies behind these ads want customers to believe that the technology has progressed considerably since the introduction of Toyota Prius, thus, customers should feel confident in embracing the advertized products. In other words, the customers have now a perfect substitute to gas-fueled cars because the latest electric cars have looks, power, and provide the driving experience usually association with gas-fueled cars. All three ads have specifically employedstatistics to appear more convincing which shows how much the automobile industry is aware of unfavorable customers’ perceptions regarding alternative automobile technologies.