Abstract
Marketing techniques have been developed in print media for more than a century in order to increase demand for newspapers and magazines. Readers' choices are determined to be impacted by the promotional practices that have become a crucial financing source for newspapers in the free market economy and the related competitive advantages existing in our country. As an effective promotion method used by companies at press organizations to introduce themselves to their potential customers or to increase their sales, promotional materials were distributed in the past for any entertainment and sales-boosting purposes, without considering their pedagogical effect or the potential harm to the children. It was later agreed that such materials should mainly include educational aspects, as decided by the government. Therefore, the main purpose of this chapter is to describe the recreational promotion products as well as a basic background on the reasons for distributing such products.
TopIntroduction
In today’s extensive communication environment, reaching masses and drawing their attention is of great importance. At this point, the concept of entertainment has a crucial place in the lifestyle defined by consumer culture. Therefore, commercialization is evident in all sectors involved within daily practices, particularly in the concept of entertainment. In that sense, the concept of commercialized entertainment offers happiness and relief packed in entertainment to masses in practices of everyday life. The individuals of consumer society tend to practically consider the whole time they spend without entertainment a tool for accessing entertainment. Commercialized entertainment invites individuals to get entertained with discourses of equality, happiness, and freedom. Therefore, print and verbal media enterprises are utilized for the most effective use.
Press enterprises are organizations that produce news and ideas and are involved in the “cultural industry”. Unlike other service organizations, this function is performed by means of manufactured goods that is the “newspaper”. In short, press enterprises provide communication services by putting out an actual product. Press and media, expanding economic operations of all goods, being able to compete with similar corporations, giving out another product with the newspaper or magazine to increase or maintain the demand for printed products that are manufactured and sold is an accomplished technique that has been performed in Turkey for a long period of time. The foremost method for increasing newspaper sales in Turkey is promotional activities. Promotional methods in media have rapidly developed and become widespread from 1960s to 1980s. The promotion craze that has started in the post-1980 era has pushed the limits and cut across the boundaries with offers from dress fabric to water heaters, motorboats to free trips, houses with swimming pools to airplanes.
Having continued in the 90s, the promotion craze has inflicted a deep wound in today’s media. Corporations that became stronger with promotional activities in the free media market founded large media conglomerates. Thus, they have acquired power in media which has led to monopolies. The issue of promotion in media was widely debated in Turkey especially during the 90s and is still a matter of discussion due to its negative effects on today’s media.
Promotion is one of the crucial means of advertisement and propaganda in free media market. But it is merely a tool. The Turkish printed media in particular has turned it into something beyond a tool and made it a goal. As a result, the newspaper has been replaced by the promotional product, and reader by the consumer. The study provides a comprehensive framework discussing such problematics. The study is also supported by a literature scan by means of personal experiences.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Entertainment: This covers the activities which enables the people to have joyful time particularly in their free times, helps them relax and forget especially the current situation.
Media: This is a term which covers all the means of communication which have functions such as informing, raising awareness, education, socialization, entertainment and agenda setting, including all kinds of oral, written and visual images.
Marketing: It covers all of the processes, available from the purpose of a commodity in the phase of production to the profit target in the consumption phase.
Consumption: This stands for all of the commodities and services used to cover the requirements of the people in daily life.
Promotion: This is an effective demonstration tool which is used as a provoking, sales-increasing marketing method in written and oral media.
Globalization: We can explain it as the integration of societies in cultural, sociologic, economic and politic terms after the mass communication became widespread and as the fact that the geographical borders have lost their importance, affected societies and brought them closer.
Press Enterprises: It is a financial and social organization which has an effective role in producing news and information and creating and shaping public opinion.