Match the objections to advertising in List-I with the replies given by its supporters in List-II:
| List-I | List-II |
|---|---|
| (A) Adds to cost | (I) Buyers can clear their doubts by analysing the information given in advertisements and other sources. |
| (B) Undermines social values | (II) Higher demand brings economies of scale, so each unit becomes cheaper to produce. |
| (C) Confuses the buyers | (III) The desired level of quality depends on the economic status and preferences of the target customers. |
| (D) Encourages sale of inferior products | (IV) The job of an advertisement is to inform; the final choice to buy rests with the buyers. |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → (A)-(II), (B)-(IV), (C)-(I), (D)-(III)
| List-I | List-II | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| (A) Adds to cost | (II) Higher demand brings economies of scale, so each unit becomes cheaper to produce. | Advertising raises demand, and higher production brings economies of scale. The total cost rises, but the per unit cost comes down. |
| (B) Undermines social values | (IV) The job of an advertisement is to inform; the final choice to buy rests with the buyers. | Critics say advertising promotes materialism. Supporters reply that it only informs, and buyers buy only if the product meets a need. |
| (C) Confuses the buyers | (I) Buyers can clear their doubts by analysing the information given in advertisements and other sources. | Many brands make similar claims. Supporters say buyers are rational and can clear their confusion by analysing the information. |
| (D) Encourages sale of inferior products | (III) The desired level of quality depends on the economic status and preferences of the target customers. | Quality is a relative concept. The right level depends on who the target customers are. |
NCERT (2026-27 Edition): “1. Adds to Cost: … True, advertisement of a product costs lot of money but it helps to increase the demand for the product as large number of potential buyers come to know about the availability of the products, its features, etc. and are persuaded to buy it. The increased demand leads to higher production, which brings with it the economies of scale. As a result, the per unit cost of production comes down as the total cost is divided by larger number of units. …” “2. Undermines Social Values: … This criticism is not entirely true. Advertisement in fact helps buyers by informing them about the new products, which may be improvement over the existing products. If the buyers are not informed about these products, they may be using inefficient products. Further, the job of an advertisement is to inform. The final choice to buy or not to buy anyway rests with the buyers. …” “3. Confuses the Buyers: … The supporters of advertisement, however, argue that we are all rational human beings who make our decisions for purchase of products on factors such as price, style, size, etc. Thus the buyers can clear their confusion by analysing the information provided on the advertisements and other sources before taking a decision to purchase a product. …” “4. Encourages Sale of Inferior Products: … In fact superiority and inferiority depends on the quality, which is a relative concept. The desired level of quality will depend on the economic status and preferences of the target customers. …” |