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 …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