FInal for Priciples of Advertising

1.       For the sake of being a business, I think marketing to college students is genius. Better yet they have the “popular” students doing it for them. I really feel that this is a genius plan on the corporation’s side. Then again this really isn’t the most morally correct situation. Students around this age are very vulnerable to such techniques, and they might feel obligated to purchase these products instead of buying it on their own free will because of a guy walking around with American Eagle coupons. Students have to learn about budgeting, especially if your broke, and they might see the popular kids walking around in all American Eagle clothes, then they go out and spend $300 on clothes, but then again this is exactly what these companies want. They could care less if they’re broke, as long as they’re spending the majority of their money at these stores, then the company is happy and they’re pockets are full of poor college students money. Then they have those students walking around as self administered billboards, then the cycle starts all over again.

6.    The movie objectified really opened my eyes to a different look at advertising. Instead of looking at it through the companies eyes of how many they can sell at a price they’ll make a ton of money. You get to look at some designers from around the world. It’s different for them. They could care less about how much money they make, the bottom line is that they’re making things that someone can use every day and perhaps make their day a little easier, but the way they do it is different. I consider them artists. To be honest I thought they were all a little off, but yet they were absolute geniuses. Take Karim Rashid for instance, I feel that his products advertise themselves, and that is exactly what designers need to do. They give advertisers they’re jobs. The designers give them stuff to brag about in their products.

       

        Another thing I learned was that the way we attach ourselves to products we grew up with. Fr instance Rashid said that he had a little stereo when he was a teenager, that whenever he woud come home from school he would listen to music. SO whether he had a crappy day at school from getting made fun of all day, he would forget about everything with this little stereo. So in a way it was more than just a radio, it was a gateway for him that he could escape from life for little while and be in his own world. This really got me thinking as to the power that certain products have. He got me thinking and I too have an item that is more to me than just the object itself. My very first I pod was exactly like Rashid’s radio. Designers in one way or another are creating something for the consumer to call their own and then the consumer develops a relationship with that product.

        Designers are an all in one package. If you think about all the steps in creating a product like using tools and drawing and getting the perfect color. In more ways than they’re a carpenter, painter, and architect. And I feel that most are overlooked at the site of a product when all the consumer sees is the product itself and don’t really see the art and feeling that gets put into each product. The designer in a way puts himself into each object and the object they design can be many things that they are feeling.

Blog #8

My Thoughts on Advertising

One of advertisements most widely used concepts is that sex sells. I’ve always been fascinated by how much showing a little skin can do to catch your eye. Yes, I am a guy but there is still a bundle of ads that I consider to be one of my favorites. The point of view where these ads are demeaning to women is a very good point, but let’s face it, it catches your eye and that’s exactly what these companies are trying to do.

So let’s take a look at where this may have sprung from. We all have heard about a 1950’s icon that was one of the hottest celebrities at the time and everyone still tries to look like her. Her name is Marilyn Monroe, and this ad about shampoo is maybe nowadays not so bad but at the time I’m sure this was really turning some heads. And women look at this ad and say to themselves that if I use this shampoo I’ll look like her.

            This next way of advertisement is a little odd, but yet I think it’s very under-used and should be exploited more. When going into bathrooms I feel that the signs above urinals are very eye catching. What better to do when you’re doing your business, then read a little advertisement. The read is guaranteed to get a full look at it, and the reader is almost thankful they have something to read (for reasons I won’t get into). I feel that these are very under used, but yet a great way to advertise, and maybe best of all, you know your marketing group. If you put your sign in the men’s bathroom, I’m pretty sure just men will be reading it and you can therefore make the ad very personable, meaning that it will appeal just to men. A very useful tool a small business could put in a local gym or shopping mall.

            Another method of advertisement I feel is under-used is marketing to college students. Maybe it’s just here in BSU, but college students are young, and they are on verge of starting a life on their own where they have to make a choice on which brand to buy. If I was a small business, I would definitely start with students. We talked in class about how if we as students start buying a certain brand now, we’ll stick with it for a long time. Like for instance, a man approached me at Guitar Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. After conversing with him for a little bit about our interests in guitar amplifiers, he gave me a discount on a Marshall tube amp. They usually run about $3,000, but I got mine for a little under $500. That right there got me hooked on this amp, and I know for a fact that this will be the only amp I buy for the rest of my playing times. It’s simple stuff like this that really go a long ways not just in the music industry but in any kind of industry where it’s very competitive.

            By no means am I saying that I’m an expert in advertisement/marketing, but there is untapped goldmines out there that, I’m not sure why, but they haven’t been experimented with like the urinal ads. The advertisement industry is THE most competitive industry out there, there is always a little three inch space on something for someone to put their company name on and get their name out there. For this I’m fascinated, and always will be appreciative with annoying ads, and being flooded with thousands of advertisements a day.

The images i used:

http://pzrservices.typepad.com/vintageadvertising/2009/02/vintage-ad-marilyn-monroe-for-jonjoy-cosmetics.html

http://www.break.com/findpix/urinal/family-off/

http://mikephillipsguitar.com/amps.htm

Prescribed to Commercials

After watching an episode of Intervention on T.L.C. I was in awe at a young man who was addicted to oxycodone. Oxycodone is used to treat severe pain, and is in the opiate family of drugs and narcotics. Then I got to wondering how someone can get their hands on it so easily and better yet, do you think it’s because of all the advertisements on television that is to blame of this new prescription drug abuse issue we’ve been having? Well I decided to dive into some research and maybe figure out what is wrong with advertisements, and I guess our countries new mentality of prescription drugs.

According to www.chaada.org, 46% of Americans use a prescription drug every day. However according to www.abcnews.go.com, In 2006 Harvard’s Pharmacy program’s advertising budget hit a new record of $4.2 Billion. There is no doubt in my mind that people watching primetime television and see a commercial for some sort of pharmaceutical drug, and they see how the commercial glorifies the product so much, they think why not. So then they go their doctor and they get prescribed whatever drug they want. According to N.Y. Times, big drug companies are getting paid to prescribe their drugs. Now let’s take a step back and look at this whole situation. Prescription pills more often than not, have some-what harsh side effects. So another point The Times brought up is that the doctors prescribing these pills, gives the patient a higher susceptibility rate for a stroke or heart attack. So in a way, the pharm. Commercial, after pharm. Commercial on prime time television, is causing you harm in more ways than you think.

What people will do for money amazes me almost every single day. The top 10 pharmaceutical companies earn $352.5 billion dollars annually. As long as their making loads of money, what do they care? But wait, isn’t a pharm. supposed to give you medicine, and help you when you’re sick? In theory yes, but they have to make money as well, and I guess they don’t mind getting people hooked on their drugs that “help” them in the process.

The next time you watch a commercial for a drug, take a second thought and ask yourself, do I really need this? Most of the time the drugs do help whatever your ailment is. So keep that in mind as well.

the sources I used:

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/01/drug_dealers_pharmaceuticals.html

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=4385754&page=1

http://news.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/doctors-getting-paid-to-prescribe-drugs/

http://seekingalpha.com/article/287269-the-50-largest-pharmaceutical-companies-by-sales

The images I used:

http://mangozeen.blogspot.com/2011/11/drug-of-right.html

http://www.drug-rehab-headquarters.com/addiction-information/

http://www.lucernepharmacy.com/pharmacy/

Blog #6: Ethics in Advertising

What People will do for Money

                A couple days ago I happened to be strolling through Target with my roommates and we were shopping for the best deals on food because, well, we’re college students. We happened to be walking past the little girls place. Something caught my eye that made me laugh, thong underwear. At first I thought someone must have put it there because they didn’t want it anymore, but then I looked at it further, and it indeed was meant for that rack.

                Let’s take a further look into this issue. First of all, what happened to the innocence of children? Not only are they being portrayed much like adults, they’re image is becoming more and more like sex objects. Even women these days are made to look like our youth.  They are posed as having a vulnerable look and or position. And the models they use look very youthful and expose a lot of skin. Whatever kind of method the company uses; one thing has been proven over many years, sex sells. No one can deny that, and of course there will be a group of people that don’t conform to these ads, but nonetheless, when skin is exposed, it grabs people’s attention whether you’re male or female.

                Another thing that’s wrong with intimate apparel for our youth is, that companies would even think of this. Yes, it is untapped as far as no one has tried this before, but there is a reason for that. Look at models for Victoria’s Secret. They are flawless, being thin, very good looking, and most of all they have guys chasing them wherever they go. Now that there is intimate apparel for girls, young girls will be chasing that image of a model. Also if they can’t achieve that image and or look they will take it out on themselves. This has already been proven; in fact there is a show on T.L.C. about it. According to Medical News Today, as many as 40% of models are suffering from some kind of eating disorder. If this doesn’t raise any concern for our youth then I’m not sure what will.

                We can also take a look at the beginning of this. Barbie dolls in general teach girls how to look good and teach responsibility for their belongings, but a look deeper into the dolls might raise eyebrows. Barbie dolls are eight inch figurines, and they are girls or women that are perfect. They are tall with long legs and are very thin. Of course a little girl is going to look like a Barbie doll. Barbie’s in a way are advertisements themselves to look good, and better yet start them at a very young age to strive for that look, and again, if they don’t achieve this look they might take it out on themselves. I remember playing with my G.I. Joe action figure and thinking that I wanted to be ripped like him and fight evil, but until I really realized how impossible that is to grasp, I gave up on my dreams.

                Advertising to our youth is very tricky because you really don’t know what you’ll get. Of course you’ll win the children over, but it’s the parents who are buying the toys. So not only do you have to market to the children but also to the parents. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. I feel that putting children’s lingerie on the market is based on the parents. Parents who feel that their children need this particular type of apparel, then that’s up to them. This kind of issue is bringing our society to the epitome of the sex sells theory. If we’re selling this to young children then when will corporations draw the line as morally wrong, or a chance to make millions.

Picture from: http://rickbowes.com/2011/10/06/dolls-for-boys-pfeiffer-1898-to-g-i-joe/

Information from:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/76241.php

Blog #5: Global, cultural and other diversity in advertising

Diversity. . . Where to start?
by Andrew Lehman

            As we all know, the world is filled with different people. Different people make up anything and everything we see. America for that matter is the epitome of diversity. No one is American. Everyone in this country has ancestors or they themselves are immigrants. The media for that matter really reflects the different minds that make advertisement unique but yet relevant to everyone, or at least the target audience.

            Take alcohol for that matter. Though commercials for this delicate item are slightly restricted, yet it’s one thing that always does well even if there is a depression, prohibition, or a recession. According to a graph done by CATO Institute, you’ll see alcohol consumption sky rocketing during the depression/prohibition and then when the prohibition/depression is over, it returned back to the normal level. Marketing alcohol is a simple yet complex subject, but the one thing it has is its no need of adversity. If you don’t drink however, this obviously does not apply to you. But nonetheless, everyone enjoys a cocktail or beer to take the edge off or socialize with friends. This is a market that will never be unsatisfied because of diversity due to the demand.

            Advertisement as a whole is getting to the point of, well, what the constitution states: “All men are created equal”. Although there have been ample incidents in the past of intolerance, I feel that race and or color of skin is becoming non important as far as advertisement and marketing to these groups. Although there is certain items that are strictly race related.

            Sports are a perfect example of adversity and its relevance to marketing to everyone. Super Bowl Sunday, the biggest day for commercials to show their stuff and pay an arm and a leg for thirty seconds of time on the television. Well let’s take a look at the audience: according to the Huff Post, 111 million people tuned in. That made it the most watched television program in history. That’s over a third of the population in the United States. That’s a lot of people, but better yet, that’s a lot of potential for advertisement and sales increase. So knowing that let’s look at the ethnicity of the players. One should know that there are all kinds of star football players from around the world. This gives you a perfect chance to get your product out to different races, and disbanding from one kind of person. I feel that sports by itself are a tremendously huge area of advertisement that has everything to do with diversity, and how they try and exceed their traditions and reach out to some different people.

            For a while now I’ve devising this plan on the mixing of nationalities and becoming one whole organism. The concept is quite simple but yet no one really notices it. It’s Music. Whether you actually realize it or not, music has such a wild impact on not only Americans but the whole world. AC/DC, Guns & Roses, The Backstreet Boys, N’Sync, U2, and other big name bands are from different countries but yet you don’t think about it. Different minds from different places thinking all in one room towards a positive idea will and always will have an outcome that is sure to turn heads. We watched a program about diversity in the marketing world, almost everyone that was interviewed was of a different nationality. This I feel is a very important tool because when you have diversity you get a view from every angle and you can perfect your idea to appeal to everyone, and that is indeed the main goal.

            Diversity is a tricky thing, but when you have a way to achieve it and better yet take advantage of it, powerful and positive things can come of the ideas. Marketing is in a way overcoming diversity in an attempt to grab EVERYONES attention and not just one group of people.

Picture from:
https://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-157.html

I also used:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/07/super-bowl-2011-ratings-s_n_819559.html

The power of advertisement

            As much as we get annoyed of constant advertisement, with all of the billboards, commercials, banners at the top, sides, bottom, and the middle of every website, and of course pages and pages of it in our favorite magazine. It’s very easy to forget the thoughts and ideas that go into each particular advertisement. Because of being bombarded with advertisements, we start to just feel annoyed and don’t pay much attention to them. One person who we’ve all heard plenty about within the last couple weeks, has time and time again taken his own ideas and made them into gold. The late Steve Jobs has undoubtedly had a role in the advertisement and marketing world that we know today.

“A lot of people in our industry haven't had very diverse experiences. So they don't have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one's understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have.”

Steve Jobs

            He is known for many famous quotes, but this one I feel gives you a look at his philosophy of how you have to be diverse in your marketing schemes. If I were to plant an apple orchard, I wouldn’t want to plant many of the same kind of apple. You’d need to plant as many different apples as you could. Then when they’re all ready for eating, you’d have many different apples to choose from. I derived this from his quote. The more dots (apples), you have, the dots to connect and have a very broad influence on the given matter. Meaning that apple had a great deal of products that not only appealed to a certain crowd, but to a huge amount of people.

           

            I also would like to point out how Steve Jobs’ eye sight worked. When he saw something people would want, he produced a product that not only met everyone’s expectations, but exceeded them in almost every aspect. I greatly admire, and look up to him for that. Because it’s one thing to program, research, develop and whatever countless steps there are to making a product, but he didn’t care about that. He just used his imagination and provided technology that will be aiding people in a lot of different aspects.

            I attended the Belle Plaine public school which is about an hour south of the twin cities, and it was nowhere near a large well funded school. I grew up using Mac computers, and it’s amazing to see how powerful getting people hooked at a young age can develop customer loyalty. The very first computer I ever used was a Mac, and from there on would demonstrate why I’m typing this blog on a Mac right now. Steve Jobs recognized the opportunity to not only get young kids hooked on his software, but he saw the chance to help schools out by helping the funds needed for their education with computers. I talked to Belle Plaines grant coordinator and she said that it’s really easy to get a grant with Apple. Which I feel is very enlightening because of how large a corporation they are.

           

All in all I feel that Steve Jobs, is THE most important and influential person in business and electronics the world has ever seen. It’s a shame to see him pass at the height of his career, but the weird part is that he was always at the height of his career, and for this he is recognized and looked up to so much.

Here is a site I used: http://www.ehow.com/how_2316088_get-grants-apple-computers.html

blog # 3

The champagne of beer

We’ve all seen those commercials of with the heavy set black guy, who goes around liquor stores and asks the proprietor of the establishment how much he’s selling Miller High Life for. If it’s too expensive he takes all the beer out of their cooler and continues to verbally punish them. If anyone has ever tasted a high life you’d know that, well, it’s not the best tasting beer in the whole world. So Miller of course will sell it cheaper than their other beers. So therefore they are making their liability of not tasting the best, into their strength of selling it cheaper.

Another way they are making their weakness better is carbonating the hell out of it. On the side of the bottle it even says their slogan, “the champagne of beer”. With comparing it to other beers I would agree, it really is the champagne of beer because of its carbonation. My thoughts on putting more carbonation in it are killing the flavor and making it. We’ve all tried to chug a soda to realize that your tongue is on fire. That’s from the bubbles, and I could see why they want it more carbonized for drinking it and then the taste will soon turn into a slight burn.

Another thing they are using to get their liability of a bad taste, into a positive issue, is appealing to a younger crowd. In the show and movies of Jackass, every beer you see them drink is miller high life. Is this a coincidence? I think not because I’m almost certain that they’re being endorsed by Miller. Also there aren’t many older people watching, it’s all pretty much the younger generations tuning in to see their crazy antics. And with appealing to younger audiences, the taste of the beer doesn’t really have that big of a role because younger beer drinkers don’t have that sophisticated of a palette because they haven’t experienced that much as far as tasting different beers.

Older people on the other hand are a different story with beer. Consumer loyalty is a key factor in beer choice. Let’s take my grandparents as an example. Every time I see them with a beer in their hand, they’re either drinking McMasters whiskey, or Milwaukee’s Best Light. For 20 years, that’s a lot of the same brand of beer, and I can name numerous people that stick to their favorite beer and that’s all that they drink. I think it somewhat has to do with the status of every beer. It’s kind of like a car, different brands relate to your social status. Like let’s take Chevrolet, they’re the backbone of America because, the buyer likes a good quality vehicle, but it’s not going to break the bank. I would consider them more upper middle class. The beer that they drink is probable either Miller Lite or Bud Lite. These beers have a lot of taste, but yet a case of it isn’t very expensive compared to other beers.

Miller High Life uses a lot of twists and bends in their advertisement by using they’re flaw into their strength. Funny commercials and the slogan of the beer is what got me hooked. In a lot of rap songs you hear about popping bottles of champagne, well I can’t afford champagne, so I just figure the next best thing is the champagne of beers. I will admit their advertisement has gotten me hooked, So I would consider it as being successful.

History and the role of professionals and institutions in advertising

I remember sitting on my couch when I was eleven or twelve years old in 2003, right next to my dad watching the Winston Cup Series which is now know as the Sprint cup for NASCAR. I also remember asking my dad what Winston was, and he always gave me the same answer. “It’s something that kills people”. I always thought wow, why would NASCAR be sponsored by something that kills people. Until I learned the damages of cigarettes, I then understood what my father was saying. And I also get why they changed it from Winston to Sprint.

            On April 1, 1970, Richard Nixon Signed a bill banning tobacco advertisements from television and the radio. Congress, television corporations and radio companies all debated this bill for over a year. The problems they encountered were mostly about money, not that tobacco causes cancer. Advertisement is becoming more and more expensive, so the income that these companies were getting from tobacco advertisements, would be lost.

            The advertisement of anything, will result in more income, that’s why there is advertisements everywhere you look. But the concept of tobacco users and advertisements is a lot different. Nicotine is a toxic chemical in tobacco that gives you a little buzz when it enters your bloodstream, also it is quite addictive. Therefore Nicotine being addictive means that people will go to great lengths in order to get it. This is why advertisement of tobacco is not necessarily a necessity for the big tobacco companies. It is useful but not really necessary anymore. I have never seen a tobacco advertisement that made me want to buy their product (except this one), and that’s simply because they’re not around. So how do tobacco companies keep making money? How and why do people keep smoking despite being overwhelmed with stories of people getting lung cancer, heart disease and all sorts of ailments? I believe the answer to this is the social status at a young age. We all can remember people in high school that did odd things to get people’s attention and perhaps fit in with a certain crowd. Some High school students think that smoking will make them “cool” or “badass”. So they begin buying cigarettes and smoking them where people will see them, maybe they make a few friends that way.

            Along with 90% of college students, we’re all going through a “fun” phase in our lives. This is where I picked up this disgusting habit. Often being stressed out with school, some of us feel the need to let loose and have a little fun, so after having a few beers or drinks, who doesn’t like to light up a smoke? I’ve often even caught my own parents, who used to smoke, at wedding parties with a cigarette between their fingers. The fact is that a little nicotine buzz when your drinking is sometimes nice. But this is where it starts, I’m a definite example. At first you start with one smoke when your drinking, and before you know it you need nicotine when you wake up, and then you find yourself making frequent gas station trips for cigarettes.

            So the ban on advertisement created a very big dilemma for tobacco companies. They needed to get their poisonous products out there, even if it was short and brief but just enough so they could get their customers hooked. I saw a story in the news a couple days ago about a 2 year old kid that was addicted to cigarettes.  This news story really opened my eyes to the lengths these companies would go to get people hooked and buy their products. Since certain advertisements were banned in the U.S. We’ve all seen “The Marlboro Man”, but we haven’t seen him in a while . . . at  least in the United States. He is ever present in Indonesia, on billboards, newspapers, and magazine ads. The fact that they’re targeting to such a low income country goes to tell you how desperate they’re getting. People are dying because of their products, but they’re making a boat load of money so why do they care?

            Tobacco advertisement is in a whole other league compared to just about every other product. The fact that their consumers become addicted is the epitome of consumer loyalty. The companies know that their customers will keep coming back for more.

Here are the websites I used:

http://www.tobacco.org/resources/history/Tobacco_Historynotes.html
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/smoking-baby-causes-web-controversy-10757122
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprint_Cup_Series
Pictures I used:
http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/ad_gallery/
http://www.tvacres.com/admascots_marlboro_man.htm
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/addiction-in-society/201102/obamas-smoking-and-drug-injection-sites

"I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke"

We've all sipped on either a Pepsi, or a Coca-Cola. By now, the majority of the U.S. have consumed enough to where your quite familiar between each beverage and can differentiate between Coke and Pepsi. In 1985, Coca-Cola changed the formula to their very recognizable flagship soft drink.

These two soft drink corporations have had a very heated rivalry, and they're always trying to think of new ways to out do one another, but Coca-Cola generally was ahead in sales. In 1985 Coca-Cola realized that Pepsi was catching up in sales, so they attempted switching formulas, and devoted millions and millions of dollars to advertise their modification. This was one of the riskiest and possibly one of the biggest marketing blunders in history. Coca Cola's sales dropped substantially in the short amount of time that they introduced the new and "improved" product. Consumers reported the taste as being better than Pepsi. . . But drinking the whole can turned out to be a real chore. "It was good at first, but the flavor was very rich and way too sweet to drink a whole can".

Soon After Coke realized what they had done to their beloved and loyal customers, they changed their formula back to the original, thus the current name of Coke Classic.

http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/heritage/cokelore_newcoke.html

http://www.sodamuseum.com/Coke/posters.html

Interview from Mary Lehman