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Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
To the 99 - Occupy Boston
"Rise like Lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number,
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you-
Ye are many — they are few"
-The Masque of Anarchy, Percy Bysshe Shelley
In unvanquishable number,
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you-
Ye are many — they are few"
-The Masque of Anarchy, Percy Bysshe Shelley
Examining Frontline’s “The Merchants of Cool” – Encouraging Awareness of Teen Marketing to the Kids of Today.
Teens have grown into a valuable goldmine to marketer and advertising companies. They are also a notoriously difficult group to sell to in a more traditional manner…but once swayed, marketers aim to “brand” them for life, from cradle to grave. This is why teen marketing is a major drive to success for many popular brands. In my own opinion, this style of marketing has grown exponentially since the dawn of MTV in the 80s.
Why exactly do marketers love teens so much as a demographic? There are a variety of reasons that can be listed, as pointed out in the Frontline story “The Merchants of Cool” , but the one I think everyone can agree on is this – teens as a collective whole have money to burn and less “real world” responsibility to take the money they have from them. As a result, the items that they buy are largely recreational and luxury items, like clothing, electronics, movies, games, and music. What better market to pander to? They make many consumer choices independently of adult or parental input, indeed, many parents throw money at their kids to make up for not spending enough time or attention on them. They have significant influence on family purchases as well, most notably, entertainment. Marketer Gene DelVecchio estimates that “kids influence about 70% of household purchases.” [Gene Del Vecchio, “Creating Evercool: A Marketer’s Guide to a Kid’s Heart”, Pelican Publishing, 1997, p. 23.] But perhaps most importantly, companies hope that once they have “converted” (branded) certain persons to prefer the product they sell, they have made a consumer for the long term.
How do marketers find these kids? Sending out “coolhunters” is one method, as shown in the article we read “The Coolhunt” by Malcom Gladwell, or they can employ focus groups and cross marketing, which was highlighted in the Frontline special “The Merchants of Cool”. Advertising to teens (and adults) can be found everywhere, just look around you…advertising is easily found in magazines, in movies, in most TV shows, and on the internet (more and more in the arena of Social Media, as well). Licensed products, in the form of clothing brands, personal products, accessories, games, and media in all forms abound. Schools happily make contracts with snack and beverage companies and then sell prominent visual advertising space and sponsorships to companies that provide the highest financial incentive. Companies mine demographic info about teen spending habits and preferences from seemingly innocuous internet surveys, or social gaming apps (answer these questions for FREE credits!), providing the marketing industry with important tools to discover the new “cool”. Marketing comes at kids from all directions, all day and night, everywhere. The music industry is particularly effective at this. None of it is meant to provide a happier experience so much as to keep the production line moving - “The MTV machine doesn’t listen to the young so it can make the young happier…The MTV machine tunes in so it can figure out how to pitch what Viacom has to sell.” - Mark Crispin Mille (The Merchants of Cool)
Then what do Marketers to do with all of this information? Marketers know very well how to capitalize on important issues and anxieties that have a particularly strong effect on teen markets – it is, after all, their goal. Universal fears are purposely raised, such as body image, or desires such as peer acceptance, coolness, and a desire to be the leader, the forefront – to be a Trendsetter. These themes are used repeatedly in advertising in general, but can be seen as potentially more damaging when directed towards youth culture. Marketers also often zero in on themes and attitudes that parents might find inappropriate or offensive. The most notable example may be sex, a main theme of most pop music marketed today…such as the “midriff” archetype mentioned in The Merchants of Cool (and exemplified by Britney Spears). Other themes may include anger, acting out (Rage Against The Machine or Limp Biskut are fine examples of marketing an outward theme of aggression and disenfranchisement) , or even violence, alcohol and drug use (as exemplified by many current rap artists such as Rick Ross or Eminem), further escalating the perceived “cool” associated with the product being sold. And the changes are continuously noted, and adjusted - “We’ve embarked on a pretty massive transformation of the brand, overhauling everything we were doing in programming and marketing,” said Stephen Friedman, general manager at MTV in New York, as “we said goodbye to Generation X” — born, roughly, from 1965 to 1979 — “and embraced the millennials.” [Stuart Elliot, “MTV Strives to Keep Up With Young Viewers”, New York Times, January 30, 2011 ]
Is this advertising effective? I believe that can be seen in how many teens currently want to emulate such artists as Eminem, Kesha, or Nikki Minaj ….they are presented with a certain look and attitude, and consequentially, those items can soon be found for purchase in stores. But advertising works best when it creates insecurity, doubt, or fear. Common insecurities that particularly invite exploitation are doubts about appearance, and perceived sexiness among their peers. A successful ad will convince the viewer that something needs fixing, and then enthusiastically offers the solution. It just happens to be the product they are selling, imagine that! The message applied is that teens (or even adults) aren’t really good enough the way they are, but buying this product will help them fix that problem. Many kids buy into that message, consciously or not, and as a result, can become excessively hypercritical of themselves if they don’t fit into such a carefully crafted false image created by marketers. They come to believe that having the product is necessary for their happiness. Marketers are more than happy to fill those perceived voids, acting as a sort of fun-house mirror, warping real perception for something else, which can be improved upon, over and over, selling more products with each doubt raised.
Is this truly harmful? The current generations is undoubtedly growing up in an increasingly materialistic society, more so than we have ever had previously. On all sides inundated by images of the consumerism ideal – “Buy This, and You Will Be Happy”. There is less patience and more desire for instant gratification. Worst of all, many of the things that are advertised to teens do not promote healthy development. Some people feel this is “harmless”, but think about how much MORE all of us, but especially vulnerable teen demographics, are exposed in a constant manner to Marketing. Not only do we have the constant barrage from traditional media, but we are always on our smartphones and tablets these days, on Facebook, and other social media, now being asked to “like” a product in order to win! To impress friends! To keep abreast the trends! Sure, that seems less harmful…don’t you like what your friends like too? They have good taste, right? The question here is - is it REALLY a friend giving a good recommendation, or just more marketing being presented to all with a bit of a new spin?
If there is truly a concern for the well being of teens and the culture of consumerism, we need to primarily become AWARE of how we are being sold to, and delineate where an individual’s REAL needs and desires are, rather than literally buy in to what we are being handed even as the marketing and advertising industry pull the cash they so desire from our pockets. Become an informed and aware consumer. Teens especially need to become more critical viewers of advertising, recognize what’s behind the hard sell. Learn to, and teach our youth, to identify the themes advertisers are using to connect with them. We could all benefit from learning to recognize when a supposed need that we
have has a quick and fast solution in a product being sold to us. Is the product really going to have the impact that the ad implies? I’d place my bets with “Not as likely as you think”.
Works Cited
[Gene Del Vecchio, “Creating Evercool: A Marketer’s Guide to a Kid’s Heart”, Pelican Publishing, 1997, p. 23.]
[Malcolm Gladwell, "The Coolhunt", New Yorker magazine, March 117, 1997 http://www.gladwell.com/1997/1997_03_17_a_cool.htm]
[Stuart Elliot, “MTV Strives to Keep Up With Young Viewers”, New York Times, January 30, 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/31/business/media/31adcol.html?pagewanted=all ]
[PBS, Frontline, “The Merchants of Cool”, 2001]
Why exactly do marketers love teens so much as a demographic? There are a variety of reasons that can be listed, as pointed out in the Frontline story “The Merchants of Cool” , but the one I think everyone can agree on is this – teens as a collective whole have money to burn and less “real world” responsibility to take the money they have from them. As a result, the items that they buy are largely recreational and luxury items, like clothing, electronics, movies, games, and music. What better market to pander to? They make many consumer choices independently of adult or parental input, indeed, many parents throw money at their kids to make up for not spending enough time or attention on them. They have significant influence on family purchases as well, most notably, entertainment. Marketer Gene DelVecchio estimates that “kids influence about 70% of household purchases.” [Gene Del Vecchio, “Creating Evercool: A Marketer’s Guide to a Kid’s Heart”, Pelican Publishing, 1997, p. 23.] But perhaps most importantly, companies hope that once they have “converted” (branded) certain persons to prefer the product they sell, they have made a consumer for the long term.
How do marketers find these kids? Sending out “coolhunters” is one method, as shown in the article we read “The Coolhunt” by Malcom Gladwell, or they can employ focus groups and cross marketing, which was highlighted in the Frontline special “The Merchants of Cool”. Advertising to teens (and adults) can be found everywhere, just look around you…advertising is easily found in magazines, in movies, in most TV shows, and on the internet (more and more in the arena of Social Media, as well). Licensed products, in the form of clothing brands, personal products, accessories, games, and media in all forms abound. Schools happily make contracts with snack and beverage companies and then sell prominent visual advertising space and sponsorships to companies that provide the highest financial incentive. Companies mine demographic info about teen spending habits and preferences from seemingly innocuous internet surveys, or social gaming apps (answer these questions for FREE credits!), providing the marketing industry with important tools to discover the new “cool”. Marketing comes at kids from all directions, all day and night, everywhere. The music industry is particularly effective at this. None of it is meant to provide a happier experience so much as to keep the production line moving - “The MTV machine doesn’t listen to the young so it can make the young happier…The MTV machine tunes in so it can figure out how to pitch what Viacom has to sell.” - Mark Crispin Mille (The Merchants of Cool)
Then what do Marketers to do with all of this information? Marketers know very well how to capitalize on important issues and anxieties that have a particularly strong effect on teen markets – it is, after all, their goal. Universal fears are purposely raised, such as body image, or desires such as peer acceptance, coolness, and a desire to be the leader, the forefront – to be a Trendsetter. These themes are used repeatedly in advertising in general, but can be seen as potentially more damaging when directed towards youth culture. Marketers also often zero in on themes and attitudes that parents might find inappropriate or offensive. The most notable example may be sex, a main theme of most pop music marketed today…such as the “midriff” archetype mentioned in The Merchants of Cool (and exemplified by Britney Spears). Other themes may include anger, acting out (Rage Against The Machine or Limp Biskut are fine examples of marketing an outward theme of aggression and disenfranchisement) , or even violence, alcohol and drug use (as exemplified by many current rap artists such as Rick Ross or Eminem), further escalating the perceived “cool” associated with the product being sold. And the changes are continuously noted, and adjusted - “We’ve embarked on a pretty massive transformation of the brand, overhauling everything we were doing in programming and marketing,” said Stephen Friedman, general manager at MTV in New York, as “we said goodbye to Generation X” — born, roughly, from 1965 to 1979 — “and embraced the millennials.” [Stuart Elliot, “MTV Strives to Keep Up With Young Viewers”, New York Times, January 30, 2011 ]
Is this advertising effective? I believe that can be seen in how many teens currently want to emulate such artists as Eminem, Kesha, or Nikki Minaj ….they are presented with a certain look and attitude, and consequentially, those items can soon be found for purchase in stores. But advertising works best when it creates insecurity, doubt, or fear. Common insecurities that particularly invite exploitation are doubts about appearance, and perceived sexiness among their peers. A successful ad will convince the viewer that something needs fixing, and then enthusiastically offers the solution. It just happens to be the product they are selling, imagine that! The message applied is that teens (or even adults) aren’t really good enough the way they are, but buying this product will help them fix that problem. Many kids buy into that message, consciously or not, and as a result, can become excessively hypercritical of themselves if they don’t fit into such a carefully crafted false image created by marketers. They come to believe that having the product is necessary for their happiness. Marketers are more than happy to fill those perceived voids, acting as a sort of fun-house mirror, warping real perception for something else, which can be improved upon, over and over, selling more products with each doubt raised.
Is this truly harmful? The current generations is undoubtedly growing up in an increasingly materialistic society, more so than we have ever had previously. On all sides inundated by images of the consumerism ideal – “Buy This, and You Will Be Happy”. There is less patience and more desire for instant gratification. Worst of all, many of the things that are advertised to teens do not promote healthy development. Some people feel this is “harmless”, but think about how much MORE all of us, but especially vulnerable teen demographics, are exposed in a constant manner to Marketing. Not only do we have the constant barrage from traditional media, but we are always on our smartphones and tablets these days, on Facebook, and other social media, now being asked to “like” a product in order to win! To impress friends! To keep abreast the trends! Sure, that seems less harmful…don’t you like what your friends like too? They have good taste, right? The question here is - is it REALLY a friend giving a good recommendation, or just more marketing being presented to all with a bit of a new spin?
If there is truly a concern for the well being of teens and the culture of consumerism, we need to primarily become AWARE of how we are being sold to, and delineate where an individual’s REAL needs and desires are, rather than literally buy in to what we are being handed even as the marketing and advertising industry pull the cash they so desire from our pockets. Become an informed and aware consumer. Teens especially need to become more critical viewers of advertising, recognize what’s behind the hard sell. Learn to, and teach our youth, to identify the themes advertisers are using to connect with them. We could all benefit from learning to recognize when a supposed need that we
have has a quick and fast solution in a product being sold to us. Is the product really going to have the impact that the ad implies? I’d place my bets with “Not as likely as you think”.
Works Cited
[Gene Del Vecchio, “Creating Evercool: A Marketer’s Guide to a Kid’s Heart”, Pelican Publishing, 1997, p. 23.]
[Malcolm Gladwell, "The Coolhunt", New Yorker magazine, March 117, 1997 http://www.gladwell.com/1997/1997_03_17_a_cool.htm]
[Stuart Elliot, “MTV Strives to Keep Up With Young Viewers”, New York Times, January 30, 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/31/business/media/31adcol.html?pagewanted=all ]
[PBS, Frontline, “The Merchants of Cool”, 2001]
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
A not-quite-precise recipe for veggie burgers
I'm going to have to start making note of actual measurements when I cook if I'm going to write about it.
This is not one of those.
I had about 2 cups of cooked chick peas. I had already made a curry, and the falafel idea didn't quite work as they kept falling apart. So, it needed a bit more to bind it. And it was bland.
I threw those 2 cups of garbanzos in my food processor, along with maybe 3/4 cup of a bit overcooked brown lentils, 3 garlic cloves, half a tomato and half a white onion, a chunk of red pepper, a few random slices of cuke, 2 rather smallish organic eggs (with insanely yellow yolks!) a few tablespoons of sesame seeds as well as poppy seeds, a palmful (1/4 cup?) of a corn/soy flour mix, salt, lemon pepper, red pepper flakes, grey salt, a few good shreds of fresh ginger, 1/4 cup of a green zatar blend (a middle eastern seasoning), a good glug of EEVO and a dash of sesame oil.
this made a batter like "dough". Let it sit and blend a short while. Go smoke a bowl, have a glass of wine, grab a quickie while the flavors marry. We'll wait.
...better? Hey you might wanna put that out, cigarettes will kill your tastebuds.
EEVO in the pan again. A nice cast iron skillet is best, but hey, work with what ya got.
Get it hot and just about to smoke, slap in a patty, then lower the flame. Let it brown nicely. maybe salt to lightly. When the edges are firm enough, drizzle in fresh oil, jack up the flame again and flip that baby. Just like you were getting flipped over while we were out here waiting, you hussy.
Smell good? Yeah, you bet it does. Repeat for as many as you like, and let drain on some paper. Get your hands outta there, I know where they've been. Geeze, let's be civil here!
Now, fuel up. Savor those bitches. NOM NOM, right? Fab. Now, I'm outta here!
Hello blog! My it's been some time since I did any journaling in earnest. I wanted to fade into the land of 140 characters for a bit, I suppose. Besides, the old blog, with all the secrets and the EMO....not so useful to me now. So! Here we are in a shiny new blog! Do you like what I've done wit the place? Sure, I need to claim the space and have yet to make it mine, but my, how I do enjoy a blank slate.
That said, if you are old blog/lj or FB/G+ folks...you know me, at least a bit...or perhaps to an embarrassing degree? In any case, hi, nice to have you over again, it's been too long!
And those of you new to my brainspace? S'up. Wander a bit, I'm still putting the books on the shelves, so to speak.
In any case, I will squawk. It might very well be loud, brass or sarcastic. It might be nauseatingly sweet. It might just make you ravenous and wondering why you haven't made a nice dinner for yourself in so long. It may make you want to go take some classes. It might make you reflect on how effed up some of the things that happen around me can be. It may make you feel like you've snuck into the dressing room at the stripclub and have discovered voyeur heaven...careful though, if they catch you you make not end up as fond of those high heels as you might be.
Hang with me. I'll be right back with a recipe. Or something.
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