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Economics

Advertising - Let the Buyer Beware!

Advertising - Let the Buyer Beware!
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 6 to 12
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   6.18

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    advertisers, footrace, persuasive, favorable, champ, celebrity, endorsement, negative, agency, deception, emotional, better, guilty, viewer, commercial, pitching
     content words:    Champ Sneakers-footwear, Federal Trade Commission

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Advertising - Let the Buyer Beware!
By Cindy Grigg 		  
1     Every day you are surrounded by advertising. You see it on television all the time. For every hour of TV you watch, you are probably seeing fifteen minutes of advertising. You also see it in magazines and newspapers. You see ads on billboards, too. You hear it on the radio. Advertising is everywhere! Advertising can educate and inform consumers about products. But it can also influence consumers to buy things they don't really need and can't afford.
 
2     Advertising can also be misleading. Most manufacturers rely on advertising not just to tell people about their products but also to persuade consumers to buy the products. They tend to tell you only the positive things and omit the negative ones. The more you are aware of the techniques advertisers use, the more you will be able to look objectively at a product and make a sensible decision.
 
3     Here are six ways advertisers try to grab you. First, there's the bandwagon technique. This type of ad tells you everyone else is buying the product and you'd better get on the bandwagon, too, if you don't want to be left out. Don't be motivated by this type of peer pressure. Look for a better reason to buy a product. Here's an example of a bandwagon type of ad: "Every kid on the block is wearing ‘Cool' brand jeans back to school. Get your pair of ‘Cool' jeans today and be part of the crowd!"

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