Today the High Sales of Popular Consumer Goods
Written by Lilie
7.5 in Academic Writing
July 11, 2021
Today, the high sales of popular consumer goods reflect the power of advertising and not the real needs of the society in which they are sold. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
This essay question is from Cambridge IELTS 6 Test 1 Writing Task 2.
Sample Essay
Nowadays, popular consumer products sell well because advertising is so powerful, not because society really needs them. I agree with this statement for two reasons.
Firstly, advertisers are very good at tricking consumers into believing their products can make them happier. They do this by depicting the lives consumers want to live and the people consumers want to become. Take for example a Gillette commercial in which a clean-shaven man is getting a promotion and marrying a beautiful woman. After watching this commercial, men may think if they have a smooth face like that, they might get more out of life. As a result, they may buy some Gillette razors even though their old ones still work perfectly.
In addition, repeated targeted advertising can increase the desire to buy. Consider those who have looked at a Nike backpack on Amazon. They might have been able to resist the temptation to purchase at first, but targeted advertising means they will see advertisements for the backpack everywhere online: they will see them when they scroll through their Facebook feeds; they will see them when they watch YouTube videos. This repeated exposure will heighten their desire to buy. The result may be that they cannot contain themselves anymore and finally purchase one even though they do not need it.
In conclusion, the high sales of trendy consumer goods do reflect how powerful advertising is. For one thing, it is extremely effective at making people believe they would be happier with the products being promoted. For another, repeated targeted advertisements can intensify consumers’ desire to buy. (262 Words)
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People these days live in a consumer society where they are constantly tempted to buy new products. As a result, they tend to overspend and purchase thins which they do not require at all. Many people claim that this overbuying is caused by tricky marketing tricks.
First of all, it can be said that mankind is bombarded by advertisements. For example, one cannot go for a walk without noticing colourful billboards on the streets. Those commercials suggest to people that the only way to the success is the buying their product. If one saw this advertisement once, one might forget it but after arriving home one will constantly encounter the same advertisement both online and in the television. Thanks to this repetitive temptation one will find out at the end of the day that they really need this given product.
Secondly, it can be observed that since people follow influencers the sales of branded goods have been doubled. Given the fact that influencers are paid for their contributions by brands, they will strive for convince their followers to purchase them. Unfortunately, teenagers are extremely exposed to this phenomenon due to the peer pressure and many times they are willing to sacrifice essential things to purchase the given product.
To sum it up, people’s shopping habits clearly show how skillful is the given company in marketing strategies. On one thing has to be kept an eye: excellent advertising does not guarantee great quality.