1. Rapaille's method of exploring 'why do people do what they do' seems to hint at deeper reasons for why we purchase the things we do. Contemplate this by looking at the things you buy and the decisions you make. Do you see instances that might go along with this line of thinking. Or do you feel he is just a con man trying to make some money off clueless corporations?
Rapaille made a valid point when he said that we buy out of want, not need. We try to rationalize why we purchase certain products. Our explanations for our purchases are disconnected from the actual reasons we make them. The real reasons are often subconscious. I can easily apply this theory to my own buying behavior. I am a loyal customer to the Jordan brand of shoes. When you think of these expensive shoes, star athletes come to mind. I, however, am a college student. I am going to school for advertising, not athletics, and I am not involved in any sports. I may try to rationalize that I buy Jordans because they help me run faster or jump higher, but it is fairly easy to conclude that athletic performance is not my real motivation. There must be some deep, underlying issue that is causing me to spend my money on Jordans rather than a more practical brand of shoes. I can not tell you what it is, which is why we have marketing "gurus" like Rapaille who analyze our decision making processes and make sense of such irrational behavior.
2. What about our friend from Fox News, Frank Luntz? He says he can give you the exact words that will sway people to vote one way or the other. Will this help us derive pinpoint and directed communication initiatives? And more generally how does political advertising affect you while voting?
Frank Luntz is correct when he says that certain words will sway a voter one way or the other. A few carefully chosen words can make all the difference in the world. Politicians have a habit of using certain terms to obscure issues. An example is using the term climate change, which sounds far less alarming than global warming. Also, use of the blunt term "death tax" in place of the milder "estate tax" stirred up quite a controversy. The change of wording caused people to start questioning the once uncontroversial practice. Politicians can tweak these words any way they like. While consumers are lawfully protected from the false advertising of products, politicians can legally say whatever they want. Some words just have the ability to sell an issue better than others. According to Luntz, 80% of our life is emotion and only 20% is intellect. Therefore, it is more important to understand how consumers feel than how they think. You have to know which ways are appropriate to talk about an issue and which are not. Political advertising definitely has an effect on me because a lot of the ads clarify political agendas that I would otherwise not understand. Whether they are misleading or not, the ads make complex political ideas a lot clearer, and therefore generate my interest.
3. What is narrow-casting? Why is this the future? Cite some examples of narrow-casting.
In The Persuaders, narrow-casting is the phenomenon of reaching out to voters on a one-to-one basis. It makes it possible to send very direct messages to small audiences. Politicians can say things to a specific target group that they may not want everyone else to hear. This way, they can be sure that those who hear the message will respond favorably.
Narrow-casting, which applies to advertising as well, is made possible by companies like Acxiom. Acxiom collects personal information about consumers and sells it to businesses and political parties. This information goes beyond the basics to include credit history, catalog subscriptions, and shopping patterns. By studying this info businesses can predict which products an individual is likely to purchase in the future. Now, probable consumers can be targeted directly which saves time and money.
Narrow-casting has many advantages in both advertising and politics. Today it is more necessary than ever before to understand the consumer on a deeper level. Through narrow-casting marketers gain an inside look on consumer's interests and personalities. This clip from the film Minority Report shows us a society with a very advanced narrow-casting system. The character is scanned by 3D screens as he walks through the mall. The screens are able to detect all of his personal information, credit history, and buying behaviors. The result is so effective it is frightening.
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