According to Wilcox, Cameron, & Weber (2015), “Today minorities constitute a third of the U.S. population, and the U.S. Census Bureau projects that they will constitute the majority of the total population by 2042” (p. 278).
Select a product or service (e.g., beauty, fashion, nonprofit, or food) and identify two advertisements that you believe are directly aimed at different demographics in the United States. This could be based on age, social identification, ethnicity, religion, or any other major demographic category.
For each advertisement, identify the demographic that you think it targets and briefly (in 1-2 sentences) identify why you think it is aimed at that segment. Then compare the two advertisements considering the following questions:
What do you think about the adaptation of the same product/service to different demographics? Are the representations fair/appropriate/ethical?
Do these ads risk alienating other groups who might see them?
What do these ads suggest about how we view “diversity” between groups in the United States?
Finally, we know that advertising and marketing efforts can both help and hinder public relations—especially because they can build an organization’s reputation or hurt it. What do you think are the public relations opportunities and risks posed by each of these ads?
Reference: Wilcox, D., Cameron, G., & Reber, B. (2015). Public relations: Strategies and tactics (11th ed.). Pearson.Yes
