Consumer Insights in Potato Chips Advertising

Freedman and Jurafsky analyze different potato chip advertising texts in their article, Class Distinctions in Potato Chip Advertising. They make a comparison of language using between expensive potato chips and inexpensive potato chips. Thus, food-advertising texts should be related to one’s socioeconomic class and authenticity, such as culture, lifestyle, and language. Language using in potato chip advertisings reflect different group identities through distinguishing the complexity and wordy choices. Vocabulary and metaphors designed are important to make connections between different levels’ potato chips and various cultures and social class.

For instance, Freedman and Jurafsky first point out that education and health are important factors related to socioeconomic status. They analyze linguistic complexity in order to differentiate inexpensive chips (56; about eighth grad level) and expensive chips (48; about tenth to eleventh grade level). It shows expensive chips always use more complex and longer words than inexpensive chips. Moreover, expensive chips always highlight health in their packaging, in contrast to the less complex language using in inexpensive chips advertising. Furthermore, Freedman and Jurafsky state, “advertising on more expensive potato chips is vastly more likely to use language that compares the brand to other brands, or that relies on negation to implicitly denigrate undesirable properties of other brands.” Obvious examples of expensive chips advertising are they always try to make distinctions with other chips, such as to emphasize “unique,” to make a “comparison,” and to label in “negation,” all aim to appeal more target clients in upper class and middle class.

In my eyes, the most interesting part in their analysis is the stress of “authenticity.” The mention of naturalness and ingredients in expensive chips bags are in contrast to the highlight of historicity and locality in inexpensive chips bags. The reason is that the upper and middle class always emphasize the quality of life, whereas the lower class pays more attention to their customs and geographic identity. It is an interesting contrast because it differentiates the pursuits of different consumers. It mastered the consumer insights and we can use this method to create advertising for other things.

Car is a very good example. Car, the same as food, is related to one’s identity. The language in Porsche and Ferrari’s advertisings must be different from Ford and GM. Rich people are often willing to take challenge. They focus on the quality of life and are willing to pursue the passion of life. Complex and fancy words are required to use in Porsche and Ferrari’s advertisings. In contrast, since people who buy Ford and GM are always lower class and middle class, their advertisings should focus on family and friend instead of athletics competition. Different socioeconomic statuses require different consumer insights in advertisement and they are closely connected to language and cultural expressions.