Ad Exposure Observation

Advertisement is all around us. Each and every day, we see it pass by us without even giving it a second glance, or do we? Do we really see the ads that are in front of us, or do we choose to ignore them? Some of them we take notice to, either showing interest in them or not. For all of April 20, 2010, I chose to take the day to monitor how much advertising I was exposing myself to on a daily basis, regardless if I noticed the ads or not. Other than focusing on all the different advertising I was exposed to that day, I made it my goal to determine whether or not I’d make a conscious effort to pay attention to each one or not.

At the start of my morning, I read a magazine while eating breakfast, which included ads for television shows and other entertainment items that were now on the market. While getting ready to head out to school, I noticed all of my posters for concerts and other sports events that had went to in the past, which I still counted as advertisement. After I left my house and on the way to school, I listened to a podcast involving PC gaming and different venues where you could play it, while also passing buy a plethora of billboards and picket signs advertising different events going on at KU and in the mediate area. Surprisingly, I didn’t see any type of ad when I went to my only class of the day, even going as far as looking at people with possible t-shirt advertising. Sadly, this did not occur. On my way back home, more billboards followed.

Getting ready to head out to work, I went online and visited advertisement rich sites such as: Major League Gaming (MLGpro.com), which mainly focused on gaming related products, their own trademarked items, and other types of sponsored advertisement, like Old Spice deodorant and Dr. Pepper; Google.com, which I used to do a bit of research for my science class and gmail; and Amazon.com, which was heavy with advertisements wanting me to buy related products. This showed me that these ads were triggered by certain cookies or spyware that were trying to determine what I liked to buy and do; my demographics. I work at GIANT foods, which basically surrounded me with just food and ads. They advertise new deals for cheaper prices on goods, a sign for hiring new employees, discounts on certain products, etc. It was all surrounding me. Here, the company made it their goal to focus on selling the products at all costs, luring the customers into buying things with all sorts of tactics. Afterwards I headed home and did homework, which lead me back to the sites I previously mentioned. Before heading to bed, I played a little bit on Xbox LIVE, which showcased new titles coming out, as well as upcoming gaming events that would take place over LIVE.

Overall, I’d say I was pretty exposed to the world of advertisement. On a scale of 1-10, I’d give myself an 8 ½. For one, I wasn’t exposed too much advertisement as I thought when I reached KU for class. Second, I didn’t watch any TV, nor did I listen to the radio the whole day, which is chalk full of advertising. I did notice, however, that much of the advertising I was exposed to fit my age group, demographic, and/or my community. I was amazed at how much my target audience was a part of my daily life, but then again my activities also chose the audience. Lastly, I took account of what I would normally notice and pay attention to in terms of advertisements I’d be exposed to. I learned that I would most likely pay attention to things that pertained directly to myself, such as what I liked to do for fun, like gaming, or am directly a part of, like GIANT. Whether I choose to take notice or not depends on whether or not my interest level is achieved, mainly something that will entertain me.

Although ads surround us all the time, it takes real work to make sure the target audience is correct for the ads to do their job. If the ads aren’t chosen for the right demographic or target audience, they won’t attract possible customers, and that is the true battle in advertising.