Advertising Tactics Are Used In U.S./Taliban War Of Words Advertising is called propaganda in some South American countries; some authors identify advertising as “white” propaganda and World War II Nazi propaganda as “black”; and it’s no secret that marketing communication learns new techniques from propaganda tactics after every major global conflict. How do advertising and propaganda compare, and will marketing learn anything new from the current U.S. versus Taliban war of words?

In the last week, CNN has reported on the United States’ propaganda campaign by comparing the techniques of both sides in the conflict, focusing on the U.S. “you are condemned” messages, and reviewing how major motion picture studios helped in World War II propaganda efforts. Advertising is often painted by the broad brush of propaganda by ad critics. From teaching guides for elementary school teachers on Internet to more scholarly studies in distinguished public opinion journals, advertising is labeled as modern propaganda. In fact, advertisers and propagandists share many of the same communication and persuasive tactics. Both manipulate symbols to shape opinions, use emotional appeals, and work best with enhanced control over messages. Both use words, art and slogans to persuade, and while advertising attempts to control its messages by buying its way onto newspaper pages and on TV air-time, the propagandist often enjoys control as a governmental authority such as the White House or Taliban. Advertising and propaganda are both advocacy disciplines. Each advocates one side of a story: advertising advocates product and service benefits, and propaganda advocates the propagandist’s version of various events. Where the two differ is in intent: the propagandists wants to condition unthinking responses to communication, while advertisers provide promotional material that can be combined with information from other marketing sources such as competitors, sales people, packaging, etc., to help consumers make informed buying decisions. So far, advertising and U.S./Taliban propaganda share little more than the use of words and images to promote the sponsor’s view of the world. The Taliban makes claims and disseminates inflammatory images, and the U.S. counters Taliban claims and attempts to negate Taliban messages. The U.S. dropping of leaflets on Afghans by aircraft is, however, a purely propaganda technique. It is designed to condition the population to follow our direction. Advertising shares the basic creation and distribution of interpretative materials in the form of product or service pamphlets and brochures with this propaganda tactic but once again, advertising’s intent is to inform rather than condition. http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/10/17/ret.us.propaganda/ U.S. Propaganda To Taliban: “You Are Condemned” http://members.aol.com/MrDonnUnits/sdflag.gif http://members.aol.com/MrDonnUnits/Propaganda.html Propaganda Techniques In Advertising, Media, Politics And Warfare http://carmen.artsci.washington.edu/propaganda/ Propaganda Analysis Home Page http://www.africa2000.com/PNDX/psypanel.jpg http://www.africa2000.com/PNDX/pndx.htm Propaganda And Psychological Warfare Studies An example of “black” propaganda is: Advertising. Taliban media messages. World War II Nazi propaganda. U.S. anti-Taliban messages. C A purely propagandistic technique being used in the current U.S./Afghanistan conflict is: U.S. advertising in Islamic newspapers. The dropping of leaflets on Afghan citizens. Anti-Taliban slogans appearing on the Goodyear Blimp at sports events. All of the above. B How do advertising and propaganda compare and contrast? Both are advocacy disciplines, manipulate symbols to shape opinions, use emotional appeals, work best with enhanced control over the messages, and share tactics such as the use of words, art and slogans. They differ in intent: advertising provides information to help consumers make informed buying decisions while propaganda hopes to condition unthinking responses on the part of its targets.