In the 21st century, consumption and consumerism are prevalent in local and global economies in the world, where consumption is the act of using goods and services that have an exchangeable, reciprocal value, and consumerism is the concept where an ever-expanding consumption of things is advantageous to the economy. With the advance of technology today, advertising is very important to all companies, as this is the way that they can connect to the majority of consumers very easily. In 2015, television was the preeminent medium that companies used for advertising to reach consumers at 37.7%, followed by 19.9% on online advertising at 19.9%. The promotion of products from companies may reflect the tastes and interests of individual nations, as each country has its own particular culture. Personally, I agree with this statement for numerous reasons.
First, there are countless products being purchased daily by consumers such as USB drives, electronic devices, and diapers. These particular items have become the top three products sold to consumers in Malaysia. This information conveys that technology is important to the citizens of Malaysia as evidenced by the USB drives and the electronic devices, and that infants and young toddlers are a mainstay of the culture based on the huge consumption of diapers. Further proof of this assumption is supported by the fact that the median age of the citizens is 26.3 years, a youthful population interested in new consumer products in the field of technology and establishing families.
Second, there are several ways to advertise a product in Malaysia. It can be advertised on television, through online advertisements, or via billboards and so on. These are the easiest ways for a brand or a corporation to connect to consumers, as Malaysian citizens watch a great deal of television and surf the internet quite a bit in their daily lives. The reason I would like to include billboards playing an important role in an advertising campaign is because a lot of citizens prefer to drive in Malaysia rather than take public transportation. Advertisements for vehicles include the brands Honda, Ford, and Chevrolet, as well as the airlines Air Asia, Malaysia Airlines, and Asiana Airlines which can be seen on many billboards along Malaysian freeways and streets. These methods are the easiest ways for corporations to promote their products to all of the consumers. However, not every product is allowed to be advertised such as alcohol and tobacco due to Islamic law.
Third, advertising in other countries may be have a wider range than advertising in Malaysia. For example, in the United States, a product can be advertised through product placement, celebrity endorsement, and so on. Furthermore, there are no restrictions for advertising alcohol and tobacco products. In this case, they are more companies in the United States that can reach out to consumers very easily.
Fourth, the most popular items that have been sold in the United States and the United Kingdom are electronic devices such as Playstation, smartphones,and laptops. This may also signify major differences between cultures, as the United States and the United Kingdom are very wealthy and well developed, whereas Malaysia is a third world country and technological devices and materials are not as advanced. As a result, Malaysian citizens are more out-dated compared to the citizens of these two countries. For example, a lot of elderly people use low tech phones which do not offer internet services and offer very few apps or advanced operations.
Fifth, there are numerous ways to advertise in the music field. Artists can market themselves through blogs, live music performances, social media, and so on. Due to advancements in technology today, people can use the internet to share their products very easily to the world. Furthermore, artists may use the internet to do some online collaborations, which is a very good means for them to communicate their ideas.
Sixth, it is essential to know that each country has its own culture, and not all products are allowed to be advertised in public. For example, alcohol and tobacco products are not allowed to be advertised in my country. However, there are a lot of countries such as Mexico, and the United States which allow such products to be marketed. Moreover, Malaysia is not a very advanced country. In this case, advertising a product that is complicated and advanced might be very difficult for companies because many of the citizens will ignore these products and they most likely won’t be successful. In conclusion, I agree that advertising can tell us a great deal about of a country for the reasons cited above.