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Mostly, though, the French are invariably astonished
by the much greater frequency of commercials on American television.
In France, movies and TV series are often interrupted by a single
commercial break, or even not at all. Some differences are more
subtle. Americans tend to priorities value, and will usually opt
for products with the best quality/price ratio. This translates
into a majority of direct and pragmatic ads, that emphasize practical
qualities. The French appear to be more swayed by a product’s
image, its symbolism, its je-ne-sais-quoi. But the people of both
nations do share one point in common: they all wish they had more
money to spend!
SPENDING ON ADS
The advertising industry brings in considerable amounts of money
and is a dynamic force within the communications field. On the global
scale, current leaders are the American firms. Interpublic and Omnicom,
which are part of a group known as the "big four." The
French advertising agency Publicis is now a part of that group,
after its acquisition on March 7, 2002, by the American advertiser
Bcom3. In 2001, the slowdown of the economy led companies to cut
their communication budgets. In the U.S., advertising spending decreased
by 4.1 percent to $233.7 billion. French advertisers did not avoid
the trend but, this year, business has once again picked up.
Companies have steadily increased their budget
for improving their images and boosting sales. Since 1992, their
spending has risen a total of 7.7 percent, reaching 30 billion euros
in 2001. The retail sector is the most important, representing 11.1
percent of advertising investments in 2001, followed by food and
transportation, which make up 10.5 percent and 10.1 percent of investments,
respectively.
Since companies are demanding more and more advertising
space, the French and American media have also increased their efforts
to sell more innovative space. New formats for advertising are constantly
being developed, and the last several years have seen a marked increase
in cell phone advertising, with text messaging and Internet access
offering added possibilities. French media made a combined $9.620
billion in 2001.
In the U.S., outdoor advertising is given preference,
allowing the 125 million Americans who drive to work to see the
ads. The big business of T.V. advertising, however, remains a dominating
force, with $50 billion spent in 2001. This has even led to the
questioning of the independence of T.V. networks since they are
financed entirely by commercials. True to its creative image, advertising
has demonstrated its adaptability to a changing public and its resilient
versatility.
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