Consumer Protection and Empowerment - Class X

Advertising is the primary tool used to create brand awareness, differentiate products, and establish brand identity in the minds of consumers.

Branded products are mostly expensive. There are certain brands in clothing, cosmetics, vehicles etc which are very costly. Many people cannot effort such branded products because of their financial condition. They rather satisfy for a cheap product that fulfils their needs.

Social advertisements are indeed created by government or private agencies to convey messages of public interest or social welfare.

In addition to branding the product for marketing building brand value is as important to make a profit and attract customers. Brand value can be constructed by signifying the source of the product and maintaining high standards for design, emotionally connects with the customers by interacting them with a consistent tone of voice and gaining their confidence.

Advertising is all about building brands. Brands are an integral part of advertising. The significance of a brand and the need to promote the uniqueness of a product is a key part of advertising.

Advertisement world is glamorous. The products and things we see in the advertisement largely display the lifestyle of rich people. There are advertisements for products which a common man cannot afford or even care to buy.

Branding is the process of giving a specific name, symbol, or design to a product to distinguish it from competitors.

Under parliamentary privilege, newspapers do not have the freedom to publish portions of proceedings that have been officially expunged by the Speaker.

Consumers protection has a wide agenda. It not only includes educating consumers about their right  and responsibilities, but also helps in getting their grievances reddened.

Right to heard says that the consumer has a right to file a complaint and to be heard in case of dissatisfaction with a good or service.

Right to seek redrenal provides a number of relief to the customers including replacement of the product, compensation paid for any loss or injury suffered by the consumer. 

The consumer protection act provides six right to consumer. which are right to safely ,right to be informed , right to choose right to be heard Right to choose , Right to seek red renal.Right to consumer education. 

The full form of CPA is consumers protect  act which seeks to protect and promote the consumers interest through speedy and inexpensive redrenal of their grievances. 

As Ravi buys the mobile phone from seller so the is known as customer where as sita who is using that phone is called consumer.

Advertisements draw our attention to various products and describe them positively so that we become interested in buying them. Advertisements appeal to the consumers in various ways and are powerfully linked to the consumer's self-image.

We see lots of advertisement these days. They may be of a product such as a car, shampoo, oil luxury items etc. or of services or events. When we see the advertisement we discuss them with other people. We often tend to share a bond with people who use similar products like us. Sometimes advertisement provides us with useful information such as how to get rid of diseases etc. Many times they encourage people to keep a healthy and clean environment etc. Thus, advertisements play important role in social and cultural life.

Branding means stamping a product with a particular name or sign. This is done in order to differentiate it from other products in the market. Branding actually came from cattle grazing. Cattle of different owners grazed together in ranches and they often got mixed up. The owners thought of a solution. They started marking their cattle with the owner’s sign by using a heated iron. This was called branding.

An advertisement is used for marketing purposes. It is an announcement, display or notice in public promoting a particular product, service or any event. Advertisement can take place through mass media and through public display by hoardings, boards etc. They draw our attention to various products we choose to buy or not but we get information about different products and their benefits.

Branding means creating a name, putting or printing a symbol, mark or design that identifies the product and distinguishes it from other similar products. It is a marketing technique. These marks, signs, symbols carry the reputation of the manufacturer.

Values such as treating our guests well and making sure our children get nutritious food are used by brands to create brand values. These brand values are conveyed through the use of visuals and words to give us an overall image that appeals to us.

A consumer is a person who purchases/buys any goods or services for his personal use that is not for further selling them or manufacturing. The consumer pays price for the product or service he purchases.

Branded products cost much more than products that are sold loose because they include the costs of packaging and advertising. So, many people cannot afford them. Gradually, people come to believe that only branded products are good and will want to buy the products that come in a sealed packet rather than which is sold loose.

The advertisement involves techniques to advertise products that are different from what we normally observe in our daily lives. The display, use, and benefits are superficial than compared to the real utility of the product.

By linking our personal emotions to products, advertisements tend to influence the ways in which we value ourselves as persons. Advertising, because it appeals to personal emotions also tends to make people who cannot afford certain brands feel bad. They feel that they are unable to give their loved ones the best care that brand products appear to offer.

An individual who buys products or services for personal use and not for manufacture or resale. A consumer is someone who can make the decision whether or not to purchase an item at the store, and someone who can be influenced by marketing and advertisements. Anytime someone goes to a store and purchases a toy, shirt, beverage, or anything else, they are making that decision as a consumer.

Advertising a product costs a lot of money. Usually, crores of rupees are spent advertising a brand. Producing and showing advertisements in the media is very expensive. Because there are so many advertisements in the market today, companies have to show the advertisement, again and again, to have it stick in people’s minds.

Advertisements are an important part of our social and cultural life. Social advertisements refer to advertisements made by the State or private agencies that have a larger message for society.

The purpose of advertisements is to promote a particular product or a particular brand. For example, say there are lots of advertisement of detergent powder, every advertisement encourages us to buy detergent powder of a particular brand to get instant and effective results.

Branded products cost much more than products that are sold loose because they include the costs of packaging and advertising. So, many people cannot afford them. Gradually, people come to believe that only branded products are good and will want to buy the products that come in a sealed packet rather than which is sold loose.

In India, it is mandatory for all food manufacturers to indicate as to whether the food item contains any non-vegetarian ingredients or not. To enable the consumer to know whether any packaged food is vegetarian or non-vegetarian, this will be indicated in the form of a brown circle in square or green circle in a square on the package. A brown circle is used to indicate the presence of non-vegetarian ingredients in the food item, while a green circle indicates that the food item is vegetarian. The green circle and brown circle in a square are indicated as veg & non-veg logos respectively.

In India, it is mandatory for all food manufacturers to indicate as to whether the food item contains any non-vegetarian ingredients or not. To enable the consumer to know whether any packaged food is vegetarian or non-vegetarian, this will be indicated in the form of a brown circle in square or green circle in a square on the package. A brown circle is used to indicate the presence of non-vegetarian ingredients in the food item, while a green circle indicates that the food item is vegetarian. The green circle and brown circle in a square are indicated as veg & non-veg logos respectively.

A part of the bill amount goes to the government which is known as Tax. The government uses this money for our welfare. Thus, the consumer has the right to complain about a product if he/she is dissatisfied with it.

AGMARK seal provided by AGMARK standard set up by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection of the Government of India in 1937, ensures quality and purity of a product. The Certification of agricultural commodities is carried out for the benefit of producer/manufacturer and consumer. All agricultural commodities that are grown or processed organically are certified under Agmark and have a symbol printed on the container. 

BIS Hallmark is a purity certification of gold and silver articles in accordance with Indian Standard specifications. The Bureau of Indian Standards, the country's apex standards body, is involved in the development of technical standards (popularly known as Indian Standards), product quality and in all matters concerning standardisation, certification and quality. Gold and silver articles are evaluated and tested at an official Assaying and Hallmarking Centre and then certified that the metal used conforms to the national and international standard of fineness and purity.

Right to Safety means the right to be protected against the marketing of goods and services, which are hazardous to life and property. The purchased goods and services availed of should not only meet their immediate needs but also fulfil long-term interests. Before purchasing, consumers should insist on the quality of the products as well as on the guarantee of the products and services. They should preferably purchase quality marked products such as ISI, AGMARK, etc.

In October 2005, the Indian government passed a law known as RTI (Right to Information). It gives us the right to know about the functioning of various departments in the government offices. The basic object of the Right to Information Act is to empower the citizens, promote transparency and accountability in the working of the Government, contain corruption, and make our democracy work for the people in real sense. 

ISI mark is a certification mark for industrial products in India. It is the most popular and recognized certification mark in India. This mark ensures that the product conforms to the Indian standards mentioned by Indian Standard Institute. LPG Cylinders, Electrical equipment, Packaged foods and drinking water, Thermometers, Packaged Grocery items, Kitchen appliances and equipment etc are some general products with ISI mark.

The Woolmark brand is for compliant products containing wool. The Woolmark logo is a certification trademark and products that carry it is tested at independent Authorised Laboratories and approved by The Woolmark Company. The brands provide consumers with guaranteed fibre content and an assurance of quality. Thus, consumers can be assured that the products which carry the mark have been rigorously tested and awarded a mark of independent quality.

Consumer Education means the right to acquire the knowledge and skill to be an informed consumer throughout life.Ignorance of consumers, particularly of rural consumers, is mainly responsible for their exploitation. They should know their rights and must exercise them. Only then real consumer protection can be achieved with success.

RTI Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on 11th May 2005, and in Rajya Sabha on 12th May 2005. It received the assent of President of India on 15th June 2005 and was published in the Gazette of India on 21st June 2005. RTI Act, 2005 came into force with effect from 12th October 2005 and known as Right to Information Act, 2005. It is derived from our fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 of the Constitution. The Act mandates timely response to citizen requests for government information.

The Right to be Heard gives the consumer the right to represent himself or to be heard or the right to advocate his interest. In case a consumer has been exploited or has any complaint against the product or service then he has the right to be heard and be assured that his/her interest would receive due consideration. This right includes the right to representation in the government and in other policy-making bodies. Under this right, the companies must have complaint cells to attend the complaints of customers.

Right to Choose means the right to be assured, wherever possible of access to a variety of goods and services at competitive price. According to this right, every consumer has the right to choose the goods or services of his or her likings. The right to choose means an assurance of availability, ability and access to a variety of products and services at competitive price and competitive price means just or fair price. The producer or supplier or retailer should not force the customer to buy a particular brand only. The consumer should be free to choose the most suitable product from his point of view.