The communication strategies employed by agencies representing youth brands have been heavy on my heart in the last couple of days and I will not sit back without mentioning how negatively PR/Adverts coverage are affecting the young minds.
Brand managers must now heed the clarion call to be more sensitive with their PR and marketing; for most of the images and ideas are interpreted to be encouraging rebellious attitude in youths. These days all you see on bill boards are seductive or rebellious images that do not speak well. Am I sounding like an old wacko, who has lost touch of socio-economic changes; then its time for a lil spanking.
When we were kids, our parents will ensure that we get to bed on time, so as to avoid all the rubbish adverts that fly across the screens; but with the emergence of X-factor and all other late night programs/shows, little can one do to keep teenagers off the TV. Now, advert agencies have targeted this popular TV programs to showcase all the dirty and irrelevant materials from their filthy minds. Dont get me wrong, this has nothing to do with the products, its just the way and manner the adverts are created. no morals anymore to learn from.
Some adverts try to make out that they are art. This is usually where advert isn’t connected with the product in any way that you would ever figure out unless you were a contestant on the never-popular game show 3,2,1. For goodness sake, what has romantic scenes and sexy underwears got to do with perfume adverts, or where is the connection with wearing a bikini and selling snacks. Any sane mind would not go for this products, cos they don't identify with the brands idea of communication.
Day in day out, we hear the news of rape, violent disturbances, gun and knife rivalry, under-age drunkards, drug abuse and lots more; yet we wonder if there is a good future for the media industry.
When did our ads become so awful? Once, I'd actually asked a friend who is a copy writer, what he thinks about an alcohol advert boldly displayed along the road, apparently welcoming people to the town. His response was 'well, visitors now have a clear sign that they are travelling into a drunk town'. no be me talk am o!
My advice would be for brands to invest in role models and icons, who are conscious of emphasizing positive attitudes through their lifestyle, career and attitude. Brand owners/managers should see themselves as being embedded with the responsibility of using their products/service to instilling the much needed change in the society. More-so, brands could encourage their captive audience with sponsored apprenticeships or career opportunities; for as the saying goes 'an idle mind is the devils workshop'.
If we must change the ills affecting youth delinquency in the larger society, then PR and brand managers must look outwards to change their marketing strategy.
