Sophisticated Techniques to Luring Clients - Essay Example

LUTZ With increasing competition in the business world, many firms are resorting to sophisticated techniques aimed at luring clients to buy their products. Due to this, the use of business ads in print and broadcast media is gaining popularity by day. However, critical analyses of such ads indicate a presence of vested interests at the expense of revelation of truths. This leads to calculated misinformation of clients who end up taking the ads as the entire truths behind the subject products. However, later revelations of the prime reasons behind the ads are likely to stir emotional and physical reactions from the clients, a development that is likely to negatively affect the brand image (Goshgarian n.p.). Based on the observations of Lutz, it is sad to note that people are often too short sighted to discover carefully articulated phrases. In this case, the impact of public understanding of linguistic strategies behind ads is explored. Without a doubt, the alcohol industry is marred by use of weasel words in attempts to lure clients into adopting drunken behaviors. In line with Lutz observations, double speak is a common occurrence. As a global brand, Heineken is acceptable to many as a responsibly brewed alcoholic beverage with esteemed quality. The firm has partnered with many institutions in an attempt to attain publicity that would be essential in promoting its brand integrity. Further, Heineken has sponsored many athletes and public figures, all targeted towards promoting its brand image. Through reviews, it is evident that many youthful populations find themselves endeared to the public figures, a fact that drives them into imitating what the public figures do. Further, football is a widely accepted and followed sport across the globe. Specifically, the European champions’ league provides an ideal platform for various firms to seek fame. In such avenues, clients tend to endear themselves to the products on offer. Reviewing Heineken marketing strategy, the firm advertizes its alcoholic brand just before and after the champions’ league matches, creating its esteemed image as a stable firm with the capacity to sponsor the league. In this advert, the starring exhibits accurate ball shooting ability. In this sense, the brand is trying to indicate that consumption of the drink improves energy and accuracy of the client. In reality, this weasel image created is far from truth. If I were a client to Heineken, realization that consumption of Heineken is likely to affect my stability, preventing me from exhibiting accurate shooting skills, I would definitely shy away from the brand. However, continued and persistent advertisement of a lie makes it to appear closer to truth, a prospect that drives gullible persons into embracing it. Towards the end of the video commercial, the company displays the capitalized words…”DRINK RESPONSIBLY”. Based on Lutz work, the ad is a strategic attempt of Heineken to pretend to be communicating when it does not. This section of the ad, in line with the propositions of Goshgarian, could be taken as a form of joke aimed at stirring amusement among the clients. On the contrary, I would take such a revelation as a serious warning against the use of the product. In this regard, I would shun the use of Heineken. To this end, it is arguable that the firm has been successful in maintaining its clients. On the contrary, though, this section of the ad is targeted toward ensuring behavioral change, a prospect that would promote long term sustainability of business by Heineken. Indeed, the brand would not survive if its clients were to die. A realization of this deeper intent of the ‘Drink Responsibly’ ad is likely to promote existence of a mutual relation between the firm and its clients. For quite a long time, Tusker Larger, an alcoholic beverage produced by the East African Breweries Limited has stood tall as a market leader, diligently navigating its way into the western market (Brand Junky 1). This product has been seen as a true product of African origin, and the black soil that targets to unite people in the region. Further, it is evident that Tusker is currently showing commitments towards conquering the world. As such, it is expected to employ global strategies that are less biased towards a communal or societal setup. In its advert, Refresh Your Roots, Tusker attempts to outline the exceptional quality of the beverage in their bottles. This ad further portrays the liquid gold drink as an ideal one for diverse social setups. However, a critical analysis would reveal that the golden appearance and the focus on quality are linguistic orientations adopted by the brand’s advocates to improve its sales. In health perspective, Tusker portrays the drink as a healthy choice. In reality, health experts have associated enhanced use of the alcoholic drink to increasing instances of health complications including the surge of cirrhosis. To this end, the realization of the strategic coded use of the term ‘healthy’ in the advert is likely to keep me off the brand. In fact, towards the end of the televised commercial, it is outlined that…”­Excessive consumption of alcohol is harmful to your health”. This last statement reveals another stream of sentences with hidden meanings. Firstly, the brand fails to define the term excess and the limits of alcoholic consumption that could be deemed as excess. Secondly, the use of the world harmful does not specify the probable forms of health defects that can result from the alcoholic behavior. Critical analysis reveals that this line of warning is often displayed in small letters, and disappears from the screen within seconds. Moreover, upon realization of the grave implications of this last line of the advert, a line shared with many other alcoholic beverages, my attraction to the brand would definitely fade away. Moreover, Tusker is a drink targeting the diverse age classes, both the youth and the old. In this ad, however, its orientation towards the old is more evident. As such, the wrong audience targeting exhibited by the ad could affect the acceptability of the brand in the competitive beer market. At a personal level, I would go for a brand that is more youthful. In East Africa, for instance, many adore the beer for its origin from the land. On the contrary, I would be more attracted to innovative brands from Keroche and London Distillers. In fact, latest trends in the market indicate that the two firms are gaining ground against EABL. In my view, it would be fairer for Tusker to look ahead and note the awaiting consequences of this ‘Old Turk’ ad that is likely to ward off its useful clients (Brand Junky 1). From the discussions above, it is clear that discovery of coded languages used in an advertisement can promote public appeal of the advert. On the other hand, understanding of the true intent of the weasel words may derail business performance of other brands. Nevertheless, it should be appreciated that the use of weasel words promotes creation of a culture within a target populations. According to Lutz, the firms will always adopt newer strategies of deceiving their clients. Without a doubt, the occurrences in alcohol industry are a fabrication of lies that make serious situations to appear less harmful, a view that Lutz vividly points out. Work Cited Brand Junky. “Tusker Lager ‘Refresh Your Roots’ Advert Review”. Wordpress.com, 2009. Web. [Accessed 5th March, 2015; at 11:00 GMT) 1. Heineken Ad 2. 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