Audience analysis goes hand in hand with an advertising strategy called "target marketing." As public speakers, we analyze our audience to increase our credibility. . . but what are the ethical issues?
Watch this video and post your thoughts (by clicking "comments" right below the title of this post) on the ethical issues of target marketting for 10 quiz points (due June 24th by 10:00pm). (PS -- this is actually just a trailer, but you can watch the whole documentary here.)
Thursday, June 17, 2010
The Dark Side of Audience Analysis (Evening)
Labels: Evening, Quizzes
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11 comments:
This kind of commercial exploitation and manipulation of children is a thinly-veiled form of child abuse. It trains them to become materialistic, narcissistic, self-indulgent "bratz"! It is deplorable that the Madison Avenue moguls are allowed to exercise this kind of pervasive influence in our culture, to the most impressionable and malleable minds available to them. It is time for American legislation to restrict this kind of activity, just as European nations have already done.
Good ideas -- who wrote this??
I think this kind of advertising makes children selfish and materialistic. I found it quite interesting that children have a shorter life expectancy compared to their parents due to obesity. Think about it, why do you think children love to eat at Mcdonalds. They advertise some licensed toy in their happy meals. When I was a kid I loved Mcdonalds becuase I got a toy with my meal. It seems like every item is advertising to children, even cereal boxes. Of course children are going to go for the cereal that has the cool character or even sometimes also have a toy. Of course the main ingredient is sugar. They also sit and play whatever video game is the coolest at the time and they don't get as much exercise as they used to. And where do they learn about these video games? They are advertised on TV commercials during Saturday morning cartoons.
I would say that it's a generation gap, for the simple fact that back in the day children was not influenced with all the latest trends. The kid's now a days want to have all of the latest in everything from electronic's to undergarment's. The list can go on an on but we can all agree that world isn't what it used to be. What I mean by that is the world wasn't so complex as it is now. Parent's are responsible for lavishing their children due to the simple fact that most middle aged parents was never able to experience such things. So, yes the child industry is booming an will continue to make trillions.
I feel this is not only a social and political issue, but also a parenting issue. The government trys not to address it because their bread is buttered by corperate contributions, the social aspect is tainted by the fact that most people don't know or/and doesn't care about any of this. It's all easier to just live for today, not worry about the world we are leaving for our children's children. I read the book "Future Shock,"by L. Ron Hubbard, in the 70's and I've been watching it all come true. The hi tech is running us over, parents would rather not vote, not spend time with their kids. Its not all there falt though, over the years big bussiness has put both parents to work just to make ends meet. Its taken a few decades, but thats how they think, the information is out there but people don't want to know. Think about it, check it out, if you dare!
It is ridiculous how young children are targeted and manipulated into wanting and believing they need what is being sold. I have really never paid much attention to the outside sources of advertisements until now. Cereal boxes, billboard signs a few of many. But I am not sure if the drive to persuade younger people to buy has gotten worse, But just the change in technology. I remember the commercials as a kid and the toys in the cereal boxes and even cool cups inside the dog food bags for "scooping out the food" that just so happen to be pretty or cool looking. Sandy R
It is sad how much money is spent by advertising"vultures" that targets our children. In my youth, the venues were mainly television, print, and signage that were more easily controlled by parents than today. Electronic media available today gives parents very little ability to monitor what their children are hearing and seeing and I do believe we are creating "monsters" that we cannot control. Tom Jarrett
Marketing has always targeted children as shown on the video, but the extinct of power it has now, has gone beyound belief. It seems to me that no matter what we want or try to do, advertisements will always try to target children. They are the easist to manipulate and from parents today, the children seem to get what they want. Parents can't protect their children from everything they see, but they can teach them that no means no. It is not all the advertisers fault our society is getting to be the way that it is today, it is partly ours also. We have viewed off on the most important thing, our children. From working long hours, divorced homes, and single parents struggling just to make it,there is less time to teach our kids our own moral values. All children need is to learn no means no and that you mean it, to spank them when they throw a fit and not give them what they want just to shut them up, learn right from wrong, your moral values, and don't ever forget to love them unconditionaly. If not all our kids will know when they get older is debt.
Rob -- I did check out your video -- always turn a critical eye to persuasive media, though -- you might check out the radio DJ who is behind this media group (Alex Jones). He's kind of a seedy character, in my opinion. Thanks for sharing it, though -- I hadn't seen this one yet.
I think that the media knows how to sell, obviously. My kids can see the golden arches from a mile away and that's where we have to go eat. At grocery stores kid cereal is at cart level! Kids always have a never ending wish list of things that they see, that they just have to have. They are influenced even if they only watch Nickelodeon. It's a great marketing strategy, but not so great for parents trying to keep things simple. Kids are influenced easily and when it's geared toward them. That's all they know, this new thing looks awesome. We can't filter out everything, and marketing companies bank on that.
From the business perspective this is a great marketing tool for companies. Kids seem to want everything, and parents want to try to please their children. If companies can sell the kids the kids can sell the parents. From the parents view this is bad marketing to use children to sell their products, however the products are made for children so who else would they market them to. If parents realize that they are always giving into their children they should do something about it. This is a perfect opportunity for parents to teach their children good values and to reinforce good behavior. Parents shouldn't just give their kids what they want because they keep begging for it, but instead they teach their children how to earn what they deserve.
William Forsythe
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