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123 Dayang Permai (2022)
The Internet's growing popularity has made the globe a smaller and more intimate place. It has become more important for governments to
accept diversity as a consequence of technological breakthroughs in globalization (Khalim Zainal & Salleh,2010). When a product is made
available to a broad audience via the use of an advertising medium, we say that we are engaging in mass communication. To put it another
way, advertising is an attempt to educate customers about the product in question and persuade those consumers to make a purchasing choice
based on that information. Because of the size of a community, advertising has the potential for enormous effect on the public's perceptions
of certain products, according to this claim. The ability of the message to be effective An ad is a means of disseminating information. It also
serves to persuade and remind the community about its moral values. When it comes to transmitting a positive message about unity and
togetherness among people of various races, advertising play an important role. A positive message is defined as any commercial with an
optimistic tone, encouraging viewers to embrace the notion of unity and acceptance, as offered by the local community, as determined by
the study's definition (Heath and Hyder 2005). community. Educating individuals is the best way to increase their comprehension.
People of different racial origins must be able to communicate effectively. When a message is successfully delivered to its intended audience,
it is considered a successful communication. DeVito (2016). Text, pictures, and spoken words may all be used to convey a message. In
today's worldwide world, advertising is increasingly being used as a means of bringing people together. The improvement of race relations
has been the focus of many advertising agencies, including those in Malaysia. However, Petronas is based in Malaysia. This agenda was
promoted via aesthetically engaging material (Haque, Al Mahmud, Tarofder, & Ismail,2007).
Additional efforts should be made to improve everyday interaction and communication amongst Malaysia's many ethnic groups in order to
foster tolerance and understanding. An increase in the feeling of community and a deeper understanding of other races may be achieved via
effective intercultural communication (Samovar, 2014). Learning about intercultural communication may help people learn about other
cultures and improve their ability to communicate effectively. claimed that from the dawn of time, national unity and integration have been
at the top of our country's priority list. (Sarjit, 2012). Integration is a key component in ensuring that Malaysians can sustain their present
peaceful state. Ethnic tensions and threats to national security might result from misunderstandings between different ethnic groups, notably
the minority communities and the majority Malay population (Guan, 2002)
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM
After Generation X, this generation includes Generation Y, the dot.com generation, echo boomers, and millionaires. According to various
surveys, Generation Y is defined as people born between 1978 and 1994, despite the fact that the precise age range is still up for discussion.
Kotler & Armstrong, 2010, P. 98; Solomon, Dann, Dann & Russell-Bennett, 2007, P. 98; Christine, 2000; Kotler and Armstrong, 2010, P.
98) (Evelyn, Eva, and Robin, 2011; Pricewaterhouse Coopers, 2009).
By 2010, Malaysia's Gen Y comprised 40 percent of the country's population, or 11 million people (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2011).
In comparison to earlier generations, Malaysia's population consists mostly of members of Generation Y. 38 percent of Malaysian internet
users were between the ages of 15 and 24, 26 percent were between the ages of 26 and 35, 23 percent were between the ages of 36 and 44, 9
percent were between the ages of 45 and 54, and 5 percent were beyond the age of 55. Generation Y (15-35 year olds) makes up the majority
of Malaysia's Internet users (49 percent), according to these statistics (Com Score, 2009).
Promoting Malaysia's unity and peace via festive ads with strong cultural values may inspire all Malaysians. Using well-crafted and culturally
relevant ads as a model sets a great example for the rest of us to follow. In the United States, people of diverse ethnicities (Bollnow, 1989)
Li (2011) claims that advertising may build trust amongst individuals of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds. This allows them
to depend on one another. This research might benefit from the use of cultural values found in festive advertising to better understand the
effect of media content on race relations. Ads have a crucial role in promoting healthy cultural values, and this is undeniable. The majority
of Christmas advertising appeals to people's emotions.
When it comes to acceptance and tolerance among Malaysians of various races, there are still many unanswered questions (Khalim Zainal
and Salleh, 201). Therefore, academics should explore this problem from the perspective of advertising. It was the goal of the researchers
to investigate whether the Christmas ads they selected emphasised the importance of family and community among people of all ages.
Diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds In this way, people will better appreciate the message's relevance in the process of nation-building.
Many Malay, Chinese, and other ethnic groups are represented in a number of local filmmakers' films, such as Yasmin Ahmad and
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