My blog posts are usually about some aspects of writing: plot, characters, flow, etc. Today’s post is also about writing but of a different sort. I want to talk about copywriting. More specifically, advertising copy The persuasive kind of writing that suckers you into buying things you don’t need or that are actually detrimental to you.
When I was growing up, advertising was geared primarily to families. Dads were urged to buy this car or that drill. Moms were steered to bargains in food or clothing. Little kids were a big market, because admen knew they could pester their folks into buying expensive junk that would break or be ignored within a month. Today, the markets seem to be changing.
From what I can see from internet ads, there are currently two big markets: young adults and older, childless adults. Teens and adults aged 18-25 are big because they have the most disposable income. Their parents cover all the basics of food, clothing, housing, etc. so that any extra can go into that expensive junk I spoke of earlier. Older adults who are single and childless seem to be the other growing market, replacing the ads formerly geared to families. I’d like to illustrate this with two specific examples.
First off, there is gambling. If you watch social media ads, it won’t take long before you see ones for online gambling, although it is no longer called gambling. Now it’s gaming, as if it’s just a video game, or trading. The latter sounds much more sophisticated, as if you’re a high-stakes commodity or stock broker. Yet it’s all gambling. Placing bets. Will the lions win? Will gold go up or down. You bets your money and takes your chance.
It is easy to see why young adults are targeted for online betting—that disposable income thing. When they lose, as they invariably will, they go to mom and dad (or nowadays dad and dad or mom and mom or just mom) :-)) for more. This is unfortunate, but it gests worse. A lot of the ads present gaming as a way to earn extra income, or in some cases to make ends meet when you’re broke. The young suckers don’t seem to understand that the chips are stacked against them. The house always wins, which is why they are willing to front you $100 or $200 just to get you to play. But play for even a little while and you’re going to lose because these businesses (yes, it is a business) need to make money from your obsession. Rather than make ends meet, you end up with gambling debts that add to your money problems.
The other type of ads I’d like to cite are those for “fresh” pet food. You’ve probably seen these, most likely for The Farmer’s Dog. These ads are geared to the growing market of childless adults who treat their pets as children. The thing that you need to know about these ads is that they are not selling health or nutrition. They are essentially selling palatability. And not even palatability to pets.
Palatability can be a big issue in cats but usually not in dogs. Dogs get hungry and they eat what is placed in front of them. The point of the advertising is to appeal to human palatability concerns. They ask the question, wouldn’t you rather eat a soft, savory mix of meat and vegetables than dry old kibble? They even stress ‘human quality’ ingredients. They appeal to you as if your pets are human children rather than animals. Well, before you fall for this, recognize that it comes at considerable cost.
First is the upfront financial cost—this crap is expensive. Next is the inconvenience. You can’t just go to Pet Smart or Walmart when you run low, you need to wait for delivery. So-called “fresh foods” have to be refrigerated, which eats up room in your fridge and is a real hassle when traveling with your pooch. Finally, there are health costs. Dry kibbled diets enhance dental health. They are less likely to cause plaque buildup and the crunching stimulates gums. Furthermore, the major petfood producers such as IAMS, Purina, and Hills do the bulk of the research on canine nutrition and have perfected production to ensure consistently high-quality nutrition in every bag. I personally would not trust that “fresh food” formulations would be as nutritious or consistent.
So, as a veterinarian and a pet owner, my advice is to stick with high-quality kibble as recommended by most vets. And as an adult who has taken his share of risks, I would advise you to stay away from online betting. Both are gambles. In both cases, you lose.
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