As you read about the way that our minds work and how we are drawn to certain iteams through subconscious thoughts, you will start to realize that you're a victim to it as well. We have all purchased something some time or another where it seemed like a great idea to buy it at the time but once you come back to reality you realize that you dont have a need for it or the purchase was based on what you felt at the moment of buying it. The way that we work with buying certain products or from certain companies ultimately is left up to our inner thoughts that works subconsciously. Its a scary thought but it is true. Often, we buy goods that have always been around or make us feel comfortable. Everyone has those certain company brands in their family that have been around forever and choosing some other competive brand seems as if you are not loyal to what you grew up with and what you think is the best. Thats how it is in my family. I am not saying that we are in love with certain companies or brands but its common to be called out if you don't get the right type of cold cut meat or wrong type of soap to clean the dishes.
One thing that I never understood was the consistant use of tobacco and cigarette use after millions of studies have come out about how bad they are for you and the damages that they leave you with. I think its safe to say that in the past we all have seen ads for cigarettes in magazines or in store fronts where they show pictures that have nothing to do with smoking. It could be a couple laughing at a picnic and be an ad for Morlboro. The health risks are prevalant and the way they trigger the brain to want to have one is shown in the reading in buy-ology. It was discussed in the reading that the health labels that millions of dollars were spent on trying to warn people who use, and send a signal about what can actually happen to you if you keep smoking. Through the study that was presented, the label only wanted people to smoke more when they saw it subconsciously. The warning set off a buzzard in their heads. Dr. Calvert stated that "cigarette warnings - whether they informed smokers they were at risk of contracting emphysema, heart disease, or a host of other chronic conditions- had in fact stimulated an area of the smokers brain called the nucleus accubens aka the craving spot"( Lindstrom). This quote shows how the labels do not have an affect on the smokers brain in any good way. This leads me to say that this is just not happening in smoking prevention. We are controlled by companies through ways that we do not even understand as consumers. It is as technical as bringing in a 4 million dollar machiene to analize brain activity which was discussed in the reading. Every little part of selling you something or triggering a thought in your brain is thought out before by companies in order to have you buy their product. In my option, this will not change until more people are aware of how much a grip consumer america actually has on us.
The health warning label that appears on the backs on cigarette cartons is implemented by the FDA in hopes to make smokers and non-smokers aware of the health risks smoking cigarettes can inflict. In fact starting next September, the FDA is requiring a larger, more prominent cigarette health warning on all packaging AND advertisements in America.
ReplyDeleteCigarette advertisers are extremely crafty and pretty smart, prior to this ruling they succumbed to the FDA by including the health risks on packaging, but made them so small it was nearly impossible to read without a magnifying glass. And yet, despite displaying all of the reasons NOT to smoke right on the package -- Americans continue to buy and smoke cigarettes.
But as you point out, it has to do more so with how a product is advertised. If a cigarette campaign features two people on a mountain top, overlooking a beauty lake -- how does that imply anything dangerous will happen to me if I smoke those cigarettes too? This has a lot to do with our careless mindset and in a sense our inability to plan ahead. We act on impulse and when we are faced with the consequence of that impulse we are not sure of how to respond.
while I agree with a lot of what you said, I think that there is more to the story. i think the case for cigarettes has as much to do with the human condition as much as it does with corporate marketing and control. through out history, people have continued to do things that destroy themselves in the name of seeking pleasure, be it physical or mental.. in terms of consumption of cigarettes, i think that this is still a big piece of the puzzle. essentially, "it takes two to tango." if you think about it, substance abuse has existed for way longer than advertising and marketing.
ReplyDeleteI feel like people have been smoking tabacco for a very long time. Even the Indians would smoke out of a pipe. But today, cigarettes aren't just tabacco but have a lot of ingredience in them that they do not tell us. They always are warning us about the risks of smoking, but no where on a carton of cigarettes does it say exactly what one is smoking. Maybe advertisements should add that in. Im sure if people saw an add saying there was tar, rat poision, household cleaners, methonal and led plus many more ingredients they would think twice before lighting up. Yes they are trying to stop us from smoking, but they are still hiding key information that would definitely influnce one to stop.
ReplyDeleteI feel like people have been smoking tabacco for a very long time. Even the Indians would smoke out of a pipe. But today, cigarettes aren't just tabacco but have a lot of ingredience in them that they do not tell us. They always are warning us about the risks of smoking, but no where on a carton of cigarettes does it say exactly what one is smoking. Maybe advertisements should add that in. Im sure if people saw an add saying there was tar, rat poision, household cleaners, methonal and led plus many more ingredients they would think twice before lighting up. Yes they are trying to stop us from smoking, but they are still hiding key information that would definitely influnce one to stop.
ReplyDeleteAll aspects of advertising are created and thought out to grab our attention, and the ways in which companies and advertisers do this is just unethical in many ways, and some even unconventional. the book Buy-ology talks about the different marketing schemes and studies used to lure us in to buying various products, even the ones that are harmful to our health. It's shocking to me the limits they are willing to stretch just to try something new in forms of marketing. From subconscious marketing to creating, and applying rituals, superstitions, and values to the form of consuming is almost unbelievable how hard marketers try all ways and any ways to try to pitch us as customers, and companies pour millions upon millions of dollars to figure out the best way to reach certain audiences, and most audiences as a whole. The funny thing is, we buy into most of these marketing schemes to feel better about ourselves as Americans, and we try even harder to conform to America's mass consumption culture. We consume more and more as time passes, and new products come out at exponential rates, and older products are "transformed" to make them more appealing, but none the less unnecessary. We are a country of over abundance and mass unneccessities, and we are sucked into this ritual of buying something new to satisfy our emotional needs and cravings, when as studies show, the more we buy, the more unhappy and unsatisfied we are and we as consumers and as citizens get caught up in an eternal vicious circle of consuming, and piling up waste; even when tobacco companies show the negative impacts of smoking to the public through ads and health risk warnings, even then it works as the opposite and makes smokers crave even more for their products, because of the "subliminal" aspects of these ads and "movements",as they trigger craving spots in smokers. So it is never easy to see the true intentions of any ad or marketing, even when you take it for what it is, it is usually never what it is, and we as a consumer socie are getting tricked left and right to BUY BUY BUY something. The use of racial tones, stereotypes, ethnicity singling out, and other negative incorporations are constantly used to sell certain groups certain products, and that condones racism and other negative views, which we think is irradicated for the most part, but it's there, mostly subliminal, but it is still being used as a marketing tool aka scheme. It is sad to see that today's world still relies on old, wrongful beliefs to market goods in today's American society. There has to be new policies introduced to control and regulate ads, marketers, and commercials, and the companies at the top of the food chain to make our commercial machine more controllable, and equal to all walks of life. This needs to be done to enlighten and progress our American society into a more bright future. Many marketers use unconstitutional and unconventional methods to pitch us, and they get away with it decade after decade, and it seems it only gets worse as time goes on, and prevents us from a societal awakening that our country beckons for, and is necessary to keep a higher level society. We all need to do something to attack these evil ways of corporations and companies in order to progress as a healthy, economically stable society.
ReplyDeleteKirill Kushensky section 01
This part reminded me of how companies will get a famous person to advertize the product, so thenfans of such person will go out and buy it. When Nelly made Airforce1's alot of kids I knew got them I also did. Parents didnt understand the fassenation with the sneekers, saying they were ugly, but if you have that kind of publisity people will buy almost anything
ReplyDeleteFrom a person who has never even seen a cigarette ad in a magazine (they are banned on TV I believe), I have to disagree with your argument on cigarettes. As a person who chooses to smoke, I believe that to categorize people who smoke as those who fell victim to some kind of hidden message is a bit of an assumption. I smoke even though I fully understand the health risks that may be in the future for me. I do this because, like you mentioned, it brings a sense of relaxation and happiness to my life. Heck, I don't want to live to be 90 anyway. I started and continue for a completely different reason; not because I saw ads that made me think I'd be happier with it in my life. I agree that ads are subliminal in a sense, I just find that your argument using tobacco is very unsupported.
ReplyDeleteJustin you bring up great points about the use of tobacco. Is it really that hard for people to understand that if they use this product they will have serious consequences to deal with? Yet, we just ignore the warnings and labels and just continue right along.
ReplyDeleteIt’s also pretty crazy how we are drawn to certain things. Only after taking this class I have realized how short the satisfaction lasts out of buying something that I’ve wanted for so long.
Oleg Morgunov Section 01
The fact that tobacco is so prevalent in sales is no surprise to me, I know sadly from personal experience. The readings stated that even with the vicious warnings people are still lured into buying cancer sticks is disturbing to even me! I didnt know that our brains' nucleus accubens was stimulated when we saw these terrifying words or images. The way our bodies deal with stress and pleasure is quite interesting given the fact that we know what we are doing is "bad" if not only for our bodies, for those around us as well. If all of these warnings are in fact doing exactly the opposite of what they are ment to do, why not just stop all of the warning labels from being printed?
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I think smoking is generally in decline as is bad eating. I mean generally speaking, most people began smoking as a social activity. Getting offered a cigarette or a Cigar, and being expected to smoke it was very much a part of American Culture and popular prior to the 90's. I mean Cigarette sale is still at a high thanks to its mildly addictive factors, but with regards to advertising and Cigarettes, I don't see blatant advertisements for them as much in mainstream media, as let's say the 90's. A more and more health-conscious American is definitely a great detriment for snagging new consumers.
ReplyDeleteStill on the topic of Warning signs on any commercial for dangerous drugs or substances, I can't begin to imagine that they would entice me (in particular) to buy the product on a conscious level, but I can definitely imagine that it can affect other people.
"We have all purchased something some time or another where it seemed like a great idea to buy it at the time but once you come back to reality you realize that you dont have a need for it " this comment really struck me. Mostly because I found myself victim to it this weekend. I, like many other women my age, have an addiction to shoe shopping. I buy shoes and never actually wear them. However, I was completely oblivious to this habit until this weekend when I decided to wear one of these "amazing" purchases and after an hour of attempting I realized I literally owned nothing that appropriate with these shoes. Needless to say this was a huge wake up call to my personal consumption habits.
ReplyDeleteIt is fascinating that the gruesome warning labels actually had little to no effect when it came to deterring people to smoke. I found it disturbing how the tobacco companies have resorted to subconscious marketing such as using red in certain bars and on NASCAR and Formula One cars. They are ingenious.
ReplyDeleteYou bring an interesting point when discussing the wide use of tobacco by society even with the warning labels and the known side effects that tobacco causes. I believe that somatic markers play a critical role here in our subconscious minds. Lindstrom illustrates that somatic markers are a kind of “bookmarks” in our brain; these bookmarks serve to connect experiences and emotions with a specific, required reaction. I believe the pleasure and the habitual routine that people experience when smoking is an experience that is bookmarked in people’s brains. These somatic markers drive our decision making, therefore even if there are label warnings against smoking tobacco somatic markers over take the rightful decision.
ReplyDeleteTo be frank, I do not believe all types of advertising, in any given situation, has the predicted outcome that companies think they might. I think that we are all a little to hysterical with the invisible forces that advertising has on us, and thus forget conscious, direct messages that seem to be the most obvious to sweep away. Instead of worrying how Hollister smells, why not reevaluate the decision to go to Burger King for that juicy burger that was just floating around on the television screen.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Chris on his comment about cigarettes. I think that ads use to play more of a role in getting people to smoke but now ads are actually banned from being played on television and not as many people read magazines anymore because why pay $5 for something you can get free off the internet? I think people begin smoking for many different reasons and if you asked them, very few would even be able to give an example of an advertisement for the cigarettes they smoke. People will probably be able to talk about an anti-smoker ad they have seen broadcasted on television; as you mentioned many this causes some stimulation in the brain as Lindstrom talked about. I feel many more people begin smoking because of social reasons then advertising reasons. Some people first begin smoking because someone else in their family does. Maybe the first time the family member smoked was because of an advisement they had seen, but how can we be certain for sure?
ReplyDeleteAmanda Smith 01
I have to admit im a person that frequently falls into the category of buying something and then later regretting it or realizing i have no use for it. I think it has to do with the consumer high of having the product and feeling in control for just those couple minutes or hours. However once that high comes down you realize that you were never really in control. Now for the cigarettes the warnings are from the FDA and people tend to ignore a lot of warnings like slow down, don't drink and drive, eat healthy. People are stubborn and tend to do what they want and not what's good for themselves.
ReplyDeleteI also found this point very interesting that even a warning label still triggered a craving part of the brain. I agree with your point of being comfortable with certain products and I think this is a huge aspect of why our cravings are still triggered. Smoking and chewing tobacco is often done in situations that evoke good emotions. So even seeing a warning label would still evoke the emotions that tobacco once brought. And this is why we must be careful of our consumption of products during other times. Our mind begins to associate products with the feelings we get from the experiences which is exactly what he corporations want
ReplyDeleteJosh Rengulbai 01
I feel like it would be completely incorrect for an individual to say that they have never fallen victim to buying something that they later would never end up using. I myself have found that if I go to the mall I'll end up buying a shirt or something else that will still have the tags on it months later. Cigarettes and other consumption of potentially dangerous products fall into the bad habit category. Even though we know something may not be good for our health or other people's health who surround us, we still continue to do it because its habit and what we are used to doing. As long as advertisers continue to predict consumer's senses and emotions this problem will exist in society.
ReplyDeleteI too feel more comfortable using the brand names that I grew up with. I don’t think this has as much to do with the brands marketing, but a nostalgic desire to feel at home using these products. When discussing the brand names that make it into our daily use, it is indeed startling to realize how much of a hold consumerism has on us. Companies really do their psychology homework when it comes to marketing. Once they decide on the audience t target for their product, they can produce subliminal advertising that feeds the innermost desires of that population’s id (in Freudian psychology). The real question is if this technique described in Buy-ology is actually ethical. I would argue that advertisers are exploiting our subconscious, and that leads to serious ethical consequences. Basically, it is the same technique used by propagandists during wartime but instead of gaining support for a war, they are gaining our money when we feel compulsion to buy their products.
ReplyDeleteI believe that we all have been a victim of binge buying. Many of us purchase items on impulse, or without thinking it through. Even if we have thought about buying it for a long time, it still wouldn't make sense to buy it. If you have to think long and hard, or ask advice and opinions from others... you probably don't need the item....most likely. I have been of victim of this myself. I have wanted to purchase a Michele watch for the last 4 years. Working at Nordstom and being able to get 20-40% off items (depending on the sale or day) I still contemplated on it. Everytime I would see a customer with the watch, it made me want it more. I just could not see spending about $2,000 on a watch. I would try it on and my heart would skip a beat. I do not know why this happened cause I went home without everyday and survived!! Around February, I went out of work on disability and 3 months after I was unable to return. Now I am unemployed and recently came across this watch again. I was faced with the challenge again. This time I found it at the outlets for "$588 dollars." I bought it of course. I thought what a good deal, what a score, "I'm never going to have this chance again. Blah. Blah. Blah. After taking this course, I realized that I am going to return this watch. It is true that the most people that are out spending money are unemployed, or housewives. We have the most time our hands then the employed. Despite being a full-time student, I always find time to shop. Starting in the middle of October, I stopped shopping as much. All of the readings and assignments put much into perspective. Everything is being "sold" to us by movie stars, actress or actors, singers, models, our friends and family, advertisements....everyone. You really just need to choose what is right for you and not what others will think of your purchase, or think of you if you don;t have this stylish new item. Same thing goes for studying at Starbucks. Make coffee and home and bring it to the library. You really don't need to be spending $5.00 on a cup of coffee and $3.00 for a muffin. I mean you might need 2, or 3 cups of coffee, if you are studying or depending on how long you are there. All of those cups are being thrown away too! More garbage for the world as well. It is true that these companies are profiting off of our compulsion of buying. We are even shopping when we are studying.
ReplyDeleteI believe that we all have been a victim of binge buying. Many of us purchase items on impulse, or without thinking it through. Even if we have thought about buying it for a long time, it still wouldn't make sense to buy it. If you have to think long and hard, or ask advice and opinions from others... you probably don't need the item....most likely. I have been of victim of this myself. I have wanted to purchase a Michele watch for the last 4 years. Working at Nordstom and being able to get 20-40% off items (depending on the sale or day) I still contemplated on it. Everytime I would see a customer wearing the watch, it made me want it more. I just could not see spending about $2,000 on a watch. I would try it on and my heart would skip a beat. I do not know why this happened cause I went home without it everyday and survived!! Around February, I went out of work on disability and 3 months after I was unable to return. Now I am unemployed and recently came across this watch again. I was faced with the challenge again. This time I found it at the outlets for well, "....only, $588 dollars." I bought it of course. I thought what a good deal, what a score, "I'm never going to have this chance again". Blah. Blah. Blah. After taking this course, I realized that I am going to return this watch. It is true that the most people that are out spending money are unemployed, or housewives. We have the most time our hands then the employed. Despite being a full-time student, I always find time to shop. Starting in the middle of October, I stopped shopping as much. All of the readings and assignments put much into perspective. Everything is being "sold" to us by movie stars, actress or actors, singers, models, our friends and family, advertisements....everyone. You really just need to choose what is right for you, what you need and not what others will think of your purchase, or think of you if you don't have this stylish new item. Same thing goes for studying at Starbucks. Make coffee at home, put it in a canister and bring it to the library. You really don't need to be spending $5.00 on a cup of coffee and $3.00 for a muffin. I mean you might need 2, or 3 cups of coffee, if you are studying or depending on how long you are there. All of those cups are being thrown away too! More garbage for the world as well. It is true that these companies are profiting off of our compulsion of buying. We are even shopping when we are studying.
ReplyDeleteDonna Fricano
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