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Monday, January 27, 2020

Techniques Used By Advertisers To Influence Consumer Behaviours Media Essay

Techniques Used By Advertisers To Influence Consumer Behaviours Media Essay The development of modern advertising from the late 19th Century was driven and heavily influenced by psychological advertising and the technological changes of the time. Inspired by World War I propaganda and behavioural psychology, psychological advertising aimed to build upon consumer fears, needs and desires to promote and sell goods. It is fundamentally the grounds from which modern advertising was built upon. Technologically, The Depression had ended and with it saw the beginning of mechanised production. This led to the introduction of corporate manufacturers who turned to advertising to create a demand for their products and services. Other influences that advertisers used to promote consumerism were the use of the breakdown of social barriers, building on and creating needs for consumers (whether this be material or social), creating images and ideals related to products and market targeting. It was a time of social change influenced by these new technologies and forms of ad vertising which saw traditionalistic standards and morals be replaced by a materialistic and consumer driven culture particularly in womens role in society. Of all the forms of advertising the insurgences of nationally branded goods have had the most impact in shaping a consumer driven culture. After the depression, which spanned between 1870 the late 1890s production became mechanised which inturn allowed for the mass production of goods. The changing nature and significance of consumption grew not from the autonomous changes in the life of the citizen or the family but from the intersection of such changes with the emergence of large scale consumer goods industries.  [1]  However, the industry began to overproduce and therefore advertising was required to encourage consumers to buy the products the manufacturers began creating their own demand for their products. They were the first to have large scale national campaigns with a strong emphasis on branding and product identification and many of the enterprises still maintain strong market domination (in the United States) and continue large-scale advertising campaigns. These inc lude: Proctor and Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Campbell Soups and H.J Heinz.  [2]  With this influx of branding came a new style of advertising, there was less emphasis put on informing the consumer it was now about grabbing their attention making them feel like they need your companies product over the competition. As Schudson states eye catching appeal became a more vital attribute of a product, examples of which are; Good morning! Have you used Pears Soap? And National Biscuits, Lest you forget, we say it yet, Uneeda Biscuit. Slogans lead to the differentiation of almost identical products, creating a synonymous relationship in consumers minds. The late nineteenth century saw the introduction of the department store, this was a turning point for consumer industry as people were now shopping in a setting driven by choice and competition -one simply did not enter a shop and askà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦for an item. In the department stores, things were displayed and the shopper had a range of things to observe.  [3]  Due to this increase in consumer choice it fuelled an influx of advertising in newspapers as the department stores competed for the consumers attention. The need for product differentiation and therefore the advertising industry was evident. From the late 1880s techniques in advertising began to change. Editorial space in newspapers was dropped from seventy percent to fifty percent to allow more space for adverts and of this, twenty three was department store advertising  [4]  . Department store advertising was also responsible for pressuring newspapers to adopt new techniques in printing processes drawn from the poster. From 1867 large lithograph could be printed, allowing for larger type, illustrations and colour to be used in advertisements. Eventually they gave in and at the turn of the nineteenth century newspapers began dropping their column limitations allowing for the introduction of pictorial advertisements. This caused traditionalistic standards of advertising to disappear and give way to the vigorous inventiveness of advertisers as they sought new ways to promote goods and services.  [5]   One of these new ways of promotion was that of radio advertising. Radio had a strong presence in Britain due to the popularity of the BBC. However advertising through this medium had a negative stigma attached to it due to radio being viewed as a fundamentally cultural and entertaining medium. Radio advertising in Britain had begun with subliminal or sponsorship advertising in its cultural and entertaining programs with products and services being introduced through its radio dramas and entertainment (much like product placement in modern day television and films.)  [6]  Advertisers feared that there would be a negative reaction by the radio listeners for intruding in a medium that provided cultural, entertaining and educational resources. However once radio gained national coverage in the United States advertisers could not resist in the new medium to grab consumers attention. One of the main persuasions was radios ability to override consumers choice in viewing an advertisement , in comparison to print media if the consumer were tuned in to the radio they would hear the advertisement regardless of their interest in the product or service. The other persuasion was its ability to reach women during daytime programs. During this time, in the early 20th Century women were the decision makers when it came to consumer choices, they carried out the household shopping, and so there was an influx of advertisements appealing to the typical housewife. Radio as an advertising medium began to flourish during the 1920s and many of the large companies assisted their print ads with radio advertisements. Once advertising in radio was established there was now no media that was free of advertisings influence driving the notion of the 1920s as a consumer driven culture. Advertising techniques also included the endorsements of products by industry professionals. These advertisements normally featured some kind of medical professional or ministers testimony and they played on the idea of influencing the consumers emotions, creating an idea in their mind of the need for the product. At the turn of the 19th century patent medicine, like department stores were a fundamental part of the advertising. Essentially patent medicine advertising sought out to establish a comprehensible and memorable name for their product one which the consumer could remember and feel comfortable with. Secondly was the promise that the medicine was intended for, for example they promised to cure womens illnesses, colds and flues and various sexual ailments.  [7]  However, almost all of these products were unreliable and did not follow through with their promise and so advertising was needed in order for the products to be successful. Transportation, particularly the introduction of intraurban rail lines changed the spatial possibilities of daily life  [8]  . It allowed for people to work and shop further away than walking distance. It was an inexpensive and reliable transportation method and it caused a breakdown of social barriers the rich and the poor began travelling together.  [9]  These social barriers were also broken down through the portrayal of America as an affluent, classless society  [10]  in the advertisements of the early 1900s. The ads strived to convey the message that equality could be achieved as the middle-class could purchase the same product or service as that of the very rich. This was emphasised through slogans such as any woman can and every home can afford.  [11]  Domestic products were portrayed in a luxurious fashion and they borrowed characters and images from that of royalty in Europe. After the establishment of the mechanisation of production and new technologies were being supported, an influx of new inventions was released onto the market. Manufacturers identified that extensive advertising was required in order to create a demand for the products. These advertisements not only had to inform the consumer of the new technologies but they played upon new social standards particularly that of the modern day woman as many of the new inventions were electronic domestic appliances, for example; sewing machines, vacuum cleaners, washing machines and electronic stoves and ovens. The manufacturers aimed to demonstrate that by using these appliances more time would be left for the most fulfilling reward leisure time.  [12]  And so, advertisers placed less emphasis on the actual product and portrayed the housewife carrying out leisurely activities, as reinstated by Marchand The desirability of the depicted substitute activity was the very essence of the ads appeal.à ‚  [13]  In most of these types of advertisements the actual product was absent or inferior to the activity that resulted due to the use of the product or service. Evidence of this can be seen in the advertising campaign during the 1920s of the American Laundry Machinery Company. This campaign, which was printed throughout numerous mass-circulation magazines, accentuated the pleasures that would arise from sending the family washing to a commercial laundry service. These ads showed women enjoying sociable and entertaining activities as opposed to slaving away with the washing. A quote from an advertisement published by the Association of the Laundry Owners National asks women the question Does the weekly washday take its heavy toll of hours that you could spend so joyously, so profitably in other ways?  [14]  Apart from the associations logo, the actual task of washing is not illustrated in the advertisement. The advertisements of this time, in comparison to those prior to th e turn of the nineteenth century, emphasised less on factual information and more on the actual consumer. This emphasis on the consumer led to, what academics refer to as a consumer culture. Traditionalistic values of the morals and ethics of hard work and self-denial were being replaced by an emphasis on materialism and individual pleasures as the way of leading a happy and fulfilling life and many conservative critics believe that advertising was responsible for this new consumer driven culture.  [15]  In 1890 Weber wrote material goods have gained an increasing and finally an inexorable power over the lives of men as at no previous period in history.  [16]  Evidence of this can be noted from the success of the Listerine advertisements of the early 1920s where consumers were persuaded to use Listerine mouthwash to combat the so-called disorder of halitosis. At the time of these ads going to press sales of Listerine dramatically increased. The advertisements drove the consumer to discover a new need  [17]   something that without the advertisements the consumer would not ha ve strived to fulfil. Therefore it can be concluded that the success of these types of advertisements, whether it be creating a new disorder, as in the Listerine ads, or telling women that wash day will steal their youth and beauty play upon influencing the emotions of the consumer and creating in their minds a false need.  [18]   There are many arguments regarding advertisings influence on the society and culture during the first half of the twentieth century. Changes in the market due to new technologies and the increase in production created a need for advertising that prior to the time was not required by manufacturers. Techniques used to sell this influx of merchandise were effective and somewhat immoral in cases. There is no argument however to ignore that on a whole, particularly in the United States that the society of the time had become more material dominated and traditional standards of living were becoming less dominant. However there is not enough evidence to suggest that advertising caused a consumer culture but rather both the technological advancements and the influence of advertising and other mediums of the time drove the social change.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Analysis of Chegg Essay -- Renting Textbooks

In a recent study that was conducted the rate of individuals attending college has increased. This increase in students comes at a time when the country has been described as being in a recession. With job losses, companies closing and lack of job availability many people are returning to school. This return to the classroom comes at a cost. The rate of college tuition has risen in the last few years. In my home state of Kentucky, it appears both of the major Universities have asked to raise tuition every other year. When college cost rise so does the tools needed to attend college. One of the most expensive tools is books. Last year I enrolled my son in college when calculating the books for his classes, we soon learned that the cost of his books and the cost of my books were almost on month’s salary. My family soon learned if we were going to be able to not only attend college but have the necessary tools needed, we would have to consider alternatives to buying book s. I did some research and soon discovered that technology had again come to the rescue. I found a company called Chegg that is an online book rental company. This company provides students with an alternative to buying books by renting them for a portion of the price. According to their article in CrunchBase named â€Å"Chegg edit† the company began at Iowa University in 2005 as a â€Å"hyper-local† classified directory. It was not until 2007 that the company introduced their textbook rental service. When looking at the company from an Information Systems standpoint I would say it ranks up there with the creative ideas of the century. You go online type in your order and it is processed within a matter of days. During the next portion of this paper we will loo... ... planting of a tree with every rental. Works Cited Associated Press. Barnes and Noble starts textbook rentals†. San Jose Mercury News. 1-11-10 http://www.mercurynews.com/education/ci_14165487?source=rss. Crain, Marilyn. Non-Fiction Books Examiner. Is it time to rent a book? April 28. http://www.examiner.com/x-7711-NonFiction-Books-Examiner.7/27/10 CrunchBase. Chegg edit. http://www.crunchbase.com/company/chegg.7/27/10 Forbes Insight. Business Meetings The Case for Face-to-Face. Forbes 2009. King, Peter. A Textbook Case of Renting Books. The Wall Street Journal. April 23, 2009. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124045232885846381.html.7/27/10 Schmit, Julie. Chegg CEO Rashid applies Netflix concept to textbooks†. January 2009. http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/entre/2009-01-11-chegg-rashid _N.htm.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

My Sociology Paper Essay

High speed car chases are one of the most highlighted broadcasts in television today. Using aerial shots to give viewers a better preview of the scene, the media even interrupts regular programs to bring special reports of these fast-moving headlines. The media launches multiple fleets of helicopters (which main purpose for existence is to watch and update traffic conditions in real-time) to follow these car chases until they end either losing the perpetrator or catching them; sometimes without casualties, and sometimes with multiple damages added to the casualties of innocent bystanders. Throughout modern history, television entertainment and racing has been closely related spawning many different events to the fore such as F-1 and NASCAR racing. Many would owe their popularity to the adrenalin rush these high-performance vehicles incite in their viewers, and likely, this reason also trickles down to high speed car chases, which are growing more prominent over the recent years. More to this, the growing debate on whether the police are to blame for the chases they give to problematic drivers incites more people to add to the fray, as well the intrigue surrounding the matter of why the driver didn’t pull over in the first place. This and many other factors have made car chases a media staple – something that viewers will look forward to watching (Settgast 2008). With death tolls, injuries and intrigue surrounding these special broadcasts, editorials appear criticizing the police for actually giving chase and not letting these vigilantes go on their way. But even bombarded with criticisms, the police don’t give up the chase and continue with the pursuit of these reckless drivers (Sowell 2007). There are many reasons as to why police officers give chase to reckless drivers. As a matter of fact, courts have continuously investigated on whether the chases are necessary and the use of force by the police to stop them are justified such as the case of â€Å"Scott v. Harris† where a police rammed the car of a 19-year old, rendering him quadriplegic (Settgast 2008). This, and other cases has set the media hogging up more airtime for police chases because of several reasons; one of which is because police car chases, by themselves, already have the star factor to attract viewers. The media exposition of the high speed car chases, from the thrill of the chase to the dramatic (or non-dramatic) ending, have always had viewers finding themselves hooked on the screen once it turns on. The interpretative model is one of the models that explain viewer behavior on media. As Giddens describes, the model views that the â€Å"audience has a powerful role†¦The interpretative model views audience response as shaping the media though its engagement or rejection of its output† (2000). This means that the media is actually beholden to their viewers if only because of the competition they have with other television media companies, and their desire to increase their rating. With more viewers attuned to them, the higher their ratings would become, therefore they would attract more sponsors and more sources of income. In this regard, the media’s duty is to please their viewers also because it is a necessity for them in order to survive. Because of the wide acceptance by the public of high speed car chases as a from of entertainment, the media has jumped at the chance to improve their ratings by showing these through â€Å"special live reports†. One of the most famous and iconic showcase of this is the car chase involving O. J. Simpson in 1994 where â€Å"For two hours, 95 million Americans ignored the sixth game of the professional basketball finals in the East and the sunset in the West to stare at the tube as a white Ford Bronco drove sedately along one strand and then another of L.  A. ‘s web of freeways† (Reuven 1994). With this kind of attention the media gets from the public and the media’s response to getting more of this on television, it is evident that audiences now have the freedom to watch what they want (Chinni 2005) . We see that the public’s attention to high speed car chases actually seems like a glorification of the crime, especially as they are portrayed in movies and are used to be redeeming factors no matter how disastrous a movie turns out to be (Dean 1993). Another side to the story is that high speed car chases sometimes involve violence and some people hope there would be some action if only for reasons of entertainment. Some even consider high speed car chases, themselves to be violence on its own as it capitalizes on aggressive behavior. There are multiple evidences that point to the fact that violence is a form of entertainment is multiple and that the media jump on the chance to be in the action increase their ratings. However, media influence on people is a part of the deal and cannot be ignored. Exposure to almost anything the media imparts creates a permissive atmosphere for aggressive behavior which translates to action over time. Whether the effects are little or the effects are large (in the midst of the ongoing debate of the extent of media influence over its viewers), the bottom line is with the media’s emphasis on aggressive behavior (such as high speed car chases) it is important to note that there is a high likelihood of people imitating the high speed car chases themselves due to drug or alcoholic influences (Felson 1996). In this case, not only do the people dictate what the media will showcase and highlight in their programs, but the media also influences how people perceive the world and influence their choices and preferences of shows and broadcasts. Also of considerable notice is the fact that people, devoid of the factors that control their inhibitions, are susceptible to be the perpetuators of high speed car chases themselves as can be read from the study. Such factors that contribute to the removal of inhibitions include the influences of drugs, alcohol, and others. As such, the likelihood that people would be experiencing and trying out for themselves the â€Å"thrill† of high speed car chases is high. We see that these two factors together (public influence on media and media influence on the public), creates a vicious cycle of the continuous glorification of aggressive behavior, such as high speed car chases.  This glorification is, first of all, seen in how people are attracted like moths to a flame by the star factor of this broadcast/report. Owing to the high speed car chases’ innate ability to arouse emotions (such experiences can also be found in pro-sporting events such as football and NASCAR racing), people become more and more addicted to watching them, and in the end, spurring the media to feature more whenever these incidences take place. Moreover, high speed chases in Hollywood add to the thrill effect of this dangerous pursuit making them more palatable to their viewers. Secondly, the glorification comes in the form of media sensationalizing these high speed car chases by making it seem more exciting than it actually is like adding the words â€Å"special† and other effects to these reports. Also, the media takes these high speed chases to the editorial newsroom to spur more of the excitement even if it only lasts for a few days. In essence, the thrill effect of high speed car chases and the sensationalism by the media glorifies this dangerous sport. Coupled with the emotion-evoking nature of high speed car chases, people are becoming more and more susceptible to its influences (Felson 1996) making the vicious cycle of watching, getting involved in, and broadcasting them unending.

Friday, January 3, 2020

The Middle East A Brief Overview Essay - 1116 Words

Erased/deleted old title which did not make sense within body of essay nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The Middle East is a region in Southwest Asia that includes the countries of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, U.A.E., Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus, Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan. The aspects that make up all that is geography in the Middle East include physical geography, economic geography, religion, and human history. The Middle East is known for its physical geography, being the largest area of dry climate in the world. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Southwest Asia is mostly desert and steppe climate because of subtropical high pressure over the area which keeps the region dry and the air warm. Some places around†¦show more content†¦Commercial farming is found in a few places, mostly Israel, but is widespread only in Europe. In the Middle East, they grow barley and wheat, citrus fruits, olves, figs, nuts, and grapes. Livestock is also kept on these farms. On these private desert farms, the practice of irrigation was first developed centuries ago. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;What does one think of when the Middle East? The popular answer is quot;oil.quot; Oil is the regions richest mineral resource, and is found mainly along the shores of the Persian Gulf, and in Iraq. Since a lot of the worlds oil comes from this region, those countries with abundant oil supplies joined together to create the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to better control the world oil prices. But even with the great oil economy in other countries, Israel is the only developed country in the Middle East because of te lack of other resources in the area. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The historical geography of the Middle East is great, and here, in the wetter river valleys of the region, called the Fertile Crescent, the worlds first civilzations arose in the area once known as Mesopatamia. 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