Chapter 7

Sorry this is a day late..I was having trouble posting this from campus computers...

As a marketing major this chapter really interested me. I have taken many
courses in advertising, marketing research, and consumer behavior etc.
This chapter was very on point with some of the things I learned in those
classes.
        The ‘consumer societies’ section did a great job of explaining pretty
much how a society demands certain tangible goods and how we the
consumers have many choices of what we want. The “Diet soda ad” was a
good visual, showing four different flavors of soda and that the consumer
is the boss and has the option of picking what they want. “In a consumer
society, there is a constant demand for new products. Old products are
sold with a new look, added features, a new design, or simply new slogans
and ad campaigns.” With new products comes new ways to
advertise/market/visually communicate these products to the consumer.
        ‘Envy, desire, and belonging’ section really hit the ‘nail on the head’
with what some advertisers/marketers try to do with their products.
Everyone has seen commercials or billboards of ‘top tier’ products like
BMW, MB, Polo, Tommy Hilfiger, etc. that almost makes you feel inferior.
For me, I’ll admit when I think of BMW or MB I think of successful. For
some weird reason ‘success’ is what comes to mind. I don’t know if it’s
because of their unbelievable marketing schemes or because most of the
people I know that drive those cars are, that’s just what happens to me.
The book uses the ‘Grey Goose La Poire’ ad to show how it targets, fine
art, French culture and people who drink vodka. The thing about this
advertisement is that clearly its target market is upscale, “successful”,
“prestigious”, people. You won’t see a Grey Goose advertisement with 21
year old college kid drinking it at a party. The most incredible part of
this kind of marketing is that it gets people who aren’t in their key
demographic to buy their products (if they can afford them) so they feel
‘top tier.’ These brands visually communicate (in most cases) status to
the consumers.
        Belonging is often seen today in advertisement with Chevrolet. Belonging
in advertisement means “attaching concepts of the nation, community, and
democracy to products.”I personally think everyone on their marketing
team should be fired but some people (maybe because of today’s economy),
getting sucked into their campaign. Everyone has seen the Chevy
commercial with country music playing in the background with American
flags blowing in the wind, etc. It is targeting the hard working American
middle to lower class. They want them to buy American for their country.
They are not only trying to ultimately sell them a automobile but sell
them the idea that they are helping our county buy not buying foreign
made cars. Maybe Chevy can blame their marketing/advertising team for the
huge lay-offs they just had to go through with.