Consumer’s Presupposition on Explicit and Implicit Information in Malaysian Milk Formula Television Advertisement

Abstract

Milk formula brands in Malaysia have increased their advertising on television advertisements over the years, with a growing demand on milk formula for children above 2 years old. However, not many consumers are aware of the implicit and explicit information that the brand includes in the television advertisement. With this, it is important for consumers to know and understand the importance of the information that is implicitly or explicitly in cooperated in the milk formula television advertisement. The study uses qualitative method, focusing on Fairclough’s (1995) critical discourse analysis, the second dimension which is discourse practice analysis under the sub category of intertextuality which is presupposition. A total of 20 Mother/ or Father with children drinking milk formula will be exposed to 5 different brands of Milk formula television advertisement and will be interviewed on their presupposition of the explicit and implicit information contained in the milk formula advertisement. The finding shows that parents are only aware of the explicit information in the television advertisement as it is directly mentioned, as opposed to the implicit information as the parents don’t have much time to make their own inference on the implicit information. It is hoped that further studies will be done on the importance of explicit and implicit information in television advertisements.