John Lewis (Influence) Flashcards
PLAN
1 Hour 20 Mins to Complete
SECTION ONE: Introduction
Media, in its various forms, has a profound impact on shaping individuals’ behaviours and attitudes, both intentionally and unintentionally. This influence operates through several mechanisms and contexts, reflecting the complexity of the relationship between media consumption and its effects on the audience. Since launching its first advert ‘Shadows” in 2007, John Lewis (JL) has established its Christmas adverts as the launch and focal point of the Christmas season. JL would argue that its 2014 and 2015 Christmas adverts have had a positive influence on society. However, as a commercial company, it could be argued that JL’s primary purpose is to influence potential consumers to maximise sales, increase profits and raise awareness of the brand to maintain and grow customer base.
SECTION TWO: Underlying Theory
According to Uses and Gratification theory, people actively choose to engage with the media based on their own needs and desires. The media serves specific purposes for individuals, such as entertainment, information seeking or personal identity formation. It explains why individuals choose different media sources and content, highlighting the intentional use of media to influence one’s own mood, knowledge or social connections.
SECTION THREE TO SIX
All 7 paragraphs from Meeting Needs:
Entertainment, Personal Identity, Consumerism, Profit & Brand
SECTION SIX: Conclusion
In conclusion, the easiest and most obvious stance to take is that JL’s adverts do intentionally aim to influence and persuade the audience to purchase their products and services, through various mechanisms including emotional appeal. As a commercial organisation, this must be their #1 objective. However, both ‘Monty the Penguin’ and ‘Man on the Moon’ demonstrate how commercial adverts can be used to raise awareness and influence viewers to think about those less fortunate and take positive action to achieve more socially desirable outcomes.
