Persuasive Essay On Direct Advertising

Direct mail advertising is inherently risky, and, of itself, rarely guarantees success. If executed poorly, recipients are likely to regard it as spam and quickly dispose of it, thus being a waste of money, time, resources, and, potentially, reputation (Suttle, 2015). In fact, 44% of direct mail recipients throw the mail away immediately, without opening it (Suttle, 2015). Nevertheless, when complementing the right campaign, and when utilised correctly, direct mail is an invaluable asset. As with all successful advertising, a strong, clear, and persuasive message, and intimate knowledge of your target audience is critical.
Unfortunately, for too long, the American tobacco industry have been aware of this, and have run direct mail campaigns that encourage smoking, particularly targeting younger demographics. Empirical studies have consistently proven that these campaigns are effective. Unquestionably, this is an issue that needs to be addressed and rectified, and the best way to achieve this is by combatting it openly. Consequently, we will run a direct mail campaign that warns of the dangers of smoking and the tobacco industry, aiming to nullify, and hopefully eradicate, their influence. As the central focus of this campaign will be to counteract the negative consequences of direct mail tobacco advertising, it is imperative to first understand precisely what these consequences are. Although demographics most likely to be influenced by direct mail tobacco advertising are difficult to exactly pinpoint, there are three major, and rather diverse, groups that have been identified as particularly susceptible. Lewis, Delnevo and Slade (2004, p.257) established that, “…current smokers, whites, and persons aged 25 to 64 years reported greater participation”, while a subsequent study by Lewis, Manderski, and Delnevo (2015, p.37) concluded that “…25.1% of young adult smokers [18-26] reported receiving direct mail from a tobacco company.” Furthermore, Brock, Schillo and, Moilanen (2014, p.505), found that, “…these types of [direct mail] promotions appear to be most appealing to smokers who are younger, female, African-American, price sensitive and heavier smokers.” Therefore, these at-risk groups will be the main target audiences of this campaign. Evidently, these groups are already receptive to direct mail advertising, alleviating one of the major risks of this strategy. Further, and perhaps more worryingly, these campaigns not only reach people, but they majorly influence their behaviour. Lewis, Delnevo and Slade …show more content…
People must be aware of the dangers of smoking, and the tobacco industry cannot be allowed to monopolise this medium and take advantage of vulnerable people. The ubiquity of tobacco direct mail influence is particularly worrying, as it reaches smokers and non-smokers alike, causing people to begin and continue smoking, and discouraging quitting. Effectively, it influences people to smoke in every conceivable way. This campaign must rectify this, shifting the balance of power away from the tobacco industry, and informing people most likely to receive these pro-smoking messages of the medical and social dangers of smoking. For most, these dangers are well known, however, many who are stuck in this cycle of direct mail tobacco advertising are unaware of the risks is poses. If direct mail can encourage people to smoke, and it clearly can, then surely, when confronted with the facts and made aware of the numerous dangers of smoking, direct mail can discourage them from smoking. While this may be a lofty goal, it is a noble one, and certainly one worth striving to