IELTS Essay: Consumers and Advertising

These days consumers are faced with an increasing amount of advertising from various companies.

To what extent do you think consumers are influenced by advertising?

What measures should be taken to protect them?

Analysis

1. Advertising has become an increasingly pervasive and, arguably, compelling presence in the modern world. 2. In my opinion, marketing greatly influences the average consumer and there should strict regulations in place to ensure it does not become overly invasive and manipulative.

1. Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
2. Write a clear opinion.

1. Shoppers are persuaded by advertising because it exploits vulnerabilities in human psychology. 2. For decades, advertising agencies have been researching and refining their approaches. 3. Over this time, key tenets have been established that maximize the money spent on marketing. 4. These principles include the so-called “fear of missing out,” social proofing, and various ways of raising brand awareness. 5. For instance, many companies will offer limited-time deals such as the famous “Black Friday” sales in the United States. 6. The best evidence of the effectiveness of these techniques is that corporations continue to employ them and advertising is the single wealthiest industry in the world.

1. Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
2. Explain your main idea.
3. Develop it with specific or hypothetical examples.
4. Keep developing it fully.
5. You can sometimes include the counterpoint here too.
6. Finish strong.

1. In order to guarantee advertising does not pose a threat to society at large, it should be strictly regulated by the state. 2. A standout example of this relates to health. 3. Companies that manufacture products that are naturally addictive to humans, such as junk foods high in sugar, fat, and carbohydrates, often aim their advertisements at the most vulnerable segments of society including children and obese individuals. 4. Governments can play a key role at this stage by legislating that certain audience segments cannot be targeted. 5. This would likely include preventing companies from accessing private information about online users and from directing their marketing budget towards locations near schools and playgrounds.

1. Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
2. Explain your new main idea.
3. Include specific details and examples.
4. Add as much information as you can and make sure it links logically.
5. Continue your development.

1. In conclusion, advertising is an effective practice and must be stringently regulated by the federal government. 2. These laws will only become more essential in the future as marketing becomes more sophisticated.

1. Summarise your main ideas.
2. Include a final thought.