The Impact of Advertisements on Perception in HRM Context

This report delves into the significant impact of advertisements on human perception and, consequently, on employee culture within the realm of Human Resource Management. It examines how companies strategically design advertisements to shape their brand image, influence consumer behavior, and foster positive employee relations. The analysis covers various aspects, including the role of segmentation, cultural background, and the use of CSR activities in advertisements. The report also addresses the potential negative consequences of poorly executed advertisements, such as those that offend cultural sensitivities or create a negative brand image. Furthermore, it discusses the importance of having employees from the same community for fostering a sense of belonging and reducing cultural conflicts. The report highlights the dynamic nature of modern-day advertising and the need for companies to be mindful of their messaging to avoid causing harm or offense. It concludes by emphasizing the critical role of advertisements in shaping both consumer perceptions and the internal dynamics of an organization.

HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT

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How advertisements change perception
Advertisements have a greater impact on the perception of the people. Perception of people
plays a major role in designing of the advertisements. Companies make changes in their
advertisements on the basis of the type of segmentation they have done. This also accounts to
which cultural background people belong. For changing perception, it is essential that
companies first understand what people think about their brand. By doing this, company will
be able to mould their advertisements accordingly. First thing that people thinks when they
see advertisements is that how the company wants to project their company’s image in the
market (Hill & Brierley, 2017). Generally company shows their strengths in their
advertisements which helps in luring the person considering that customers want similar
things from that product. Mostly companies show the problems that their products can
resolve. This helps them in changing the purchasing behaviour of people and converts
potential customers into actual customers. This can be easily seen in the case when company
designs its offers. More numbers of offers given by the company creates an image in the
minds of the people about the company that this particular company wants to create better
brand image in front of the customers. Advertisements play with the minds of the people
(O'guinn, Allen, Semenik & Scheinbaum, 2014). This can be easily seen at the time of
festivals where company launches its campaign according to festivals. This creates an image
about the firm that the company is culturally attached with their customers. This helps in
making better customer relationship, which is necessary for achieving the desired sales.
Sometimes it is seen that people have negative image about the company and hence
companies also make the advertisement so as to create a positive image in the minds of
people (Morgan & Pritchard, 2012). For instance when there was lots of quality issues found
in the Maggi Noodles in India, company lost its image in the market of selling quality
products. After company made changes in their product, Nestle brought an advertisement in
which it shown itself as a company that serves quality food but the approach was different. Its
advertisement played with the emotions of the people as it showed that how Maggi is
attached with the lives of people and the way in which they keep their promise.
If a company shows their CSR activities in their advertisements, they create an image in the
minds of the people that they are doing for the society (Johnson, 2013). Sometimes the
aggressive marketing has a direct impact on the feelings of the people about the company.
This is seen by the example of Tesla where they want to show themselves as the company
that works on innovation for the future. This creates an image in the minds of people that

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Tesla’s products are advanced. This helps them in creating positive image about the
company.
The companies that give women as a priority in their campaign create an image that company
thinks about women. This helps them in creating positive impression in the minds of the
people. Women also feel attached when they see that any company works for them (Baker,
2014). Advertisements are generally made seeing the interest of the segment that company
wants to target. A successful advertisement is always judged by the fact that whether their
target segment got attached with that advertisement or not.
People also start creating bad image about the company when any wrong advertisements are
broadcasted. This sometimes produces agitation against the company. In the markets where
the culture does not talk about nudity, the advertisements that has even partial nudity is not
liked by the people. This creates a bad impression about the company. Since the religious
beliefs changes all across the globe which every advertisement has to take care about. If any
advertisement violates the sentiments of any particular community or people of any religion
then the people of that religion starts hating the company (Akaka & Alden, 2010). This often
results in long term hatred against the company.
An example of negative image created by any company due to its advertisement is the
advertisement by Coca-cola celebrating 75th anniversary of the Fanta. This advertisement
explained the German unit of Coca-cola came up with Fanta because they could not access to
soda syrup. But the advertisement failed to explain why that shortage existed. It faced
criticism on the online platforms since it claimed that it wanted to bring “the Good Old Times
back” but some of the people found it as an offensive reference to Nazi regime. This created
an offensive image about Coca-cola that it supports Nazi Regime. After that company had to
explain that they have no association with Nazi party or Hitler.
A company that is not able to connect to local culture and do something that is offensive
always faces criticism. It is having negative effect on the organisation as it impacts on the
interest of the stakeholders (Eisend, 2011). This might also result in some of the investors
withdrawing hands from the company. The major thing in the modern day business is that the
competition in the industry has gone to much higher levels. Due to this, companies are also
doing innovations in their advertisements. In these innovations company needs to be very
careful so that it may not hurt people.

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Employees from same community
It is the fact that cultural variances are necessary for the organisation but at the same time,
when employees sees that the place where they want to work already has people from their
community. This is because it gives them the feeling of comfort where they can share their
problems related to culture and the way they can move ahead in the organisation. This is
because when the employees see that there are no employees from the same community, they
feel alienated. This feeling demotivates them and hence sometimes their performance gets
degraded or they leave the organisation (Yidong & Xinxin, 2013). The feeling of security
comes in the minds of people when they see that other employees are also from the same
community. This also reduces the chances of cultural conflicts due to bad treatment by
majority group on minority group.
A person from the same community helps them to understand the cultural challenges they
might face in the work in a better manner and steps that they can do to work effectively. This
becomes much better when the people from same community have achieved higher position
in the market as they start learning from them (Jones, 2010). Sometimes problem arises in
terms of the fact that they face communicational barriers within the firm. When they see
people from same community they know that they will not face many problems in achieving
their professional goals.
People are generally attached with their community’s way of living life such as they want
holidays at the time of festivals. If they are alone then it is not easy to convince management
about their cultural needs hence they want that more and more people are from same
community works in the organisation where they want job. It is also seen that people in the
initial stage gets scared about the way in which he or she will behave within the organisation
(Yidong & Xinxin, 2013). Their organisational behaviour improves when they are with the
people of similar community and hence people gets attracted towards that company. This
becomes important in the case when the person is living in some other country as they feel
that they are alien in that country. In this situation people love to be in the companies that
have people from their community.

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