Economical Monday Marketing Strategy

The purpose of this paper is to practice critical thinking by applying elements of reasoning to the article “Benetton Brouhaha”. The question I will answer: “Is Benetton’s approach to advertising as depicted in the article more strategic or structural in nature?” I will approach this question by applying critical thinking concepts with an eye to the established Elements of Reasoning as they apply to the case. I will analyze the “Benetton Brouhaha” by looking at concepts, theories, definitions, axioms, laws, principles, and models; specifically by applying

Pepsi or Coke? Apple or Android? Starbucks or Tim Hortons? These are seemingly insignificant choices between products; however, taken together they structure the lives of individuals. To reduce brands to anything less would be to negate the significance they hold in the fabric of individual’s lives. What is important, then, is to uncover the ways in which certain brands weave their way into this fabric through their advertising practices and promotional culture. This paper begins with a brief historical outline of consumer culture and it’s ties to neoliberalism, and then moves to an in depth exploration of the way in which companies work to create and maintain a positive brand image among consumers. Through a focus on branding, versus product-specific advertising, companies work to create attachments and emotional bonds, effectively creating a loyal and invested customer base. Corporations draw upon established systems of meaning, selling consumer’s values and beliefs back to them in the form of a brand. This process is not unidirectional, operating simultaneously through individual consent and participation. In our modern, neoliberal market place, notions of individuality have positioned “the choosing self at the center of consumer culture”, and individuals seek self-fulfillment and satisfaction from “active lifestyle choices” (Arvidsson, 2001, p. 48). The self has come to be defined by the brands one identifies with.

With high-quality garments and lower prices, Popular Club Plan’s sales began to multiply increasingly each year. In order to fit its “preppy” style, the company had decided to change

In his book “Fashion Myths: A Cultural Critique” Roman Meinhold criticizes fashion and exposes the reality behind fashion. Fashion as a socio-cultural phenomenon is a direct manifestation of human’s basic needs and desires. Meinhold discusses the different aspects of fashion advertisements, the motives behind them and the means by which they lure the consumer into buying the goods. Romans concentrates on the fact that big multinational corporations not only sell goods and services but also immaterial goods, values and myths. He refers to these as “meta-goods” which are the weapon used by advertising devices to lure consumers to buy certain goods.

This process, and the overall representation of cool in advertising, has significant broader ideological implications that I now turn to explore. Klein (1999) discussed how processes of commercial co-optation are speeding up at an ever increasing rate (p. 65). Inevitably, this will result in the commercialization of virtually every sub-culture and ultimately the loss of any truly authentic or independent counter cultural movement. There will simply be “marketing that thinks it is culture” (Klein, 1999, p. 66). It is arguably a very feasible possibility that the current of the mainstream will simply become too strong to swim against. Klein (1999) refers to this phenomenon as the “colonization [. . .] of mental space”, as the search for the self becomes grounded in all the “marketing hype” and the consumption of commodities (p.

The democratization in fashion led to rise of advertising, so that “fashion became an enterprise involving not only creativity but also advertising spectacles.”(Lipovetsky 57) The use of fashion and haute couture encouraged couturiers to seek methods of advertising. Developed in the nineteenth century, the introduction of haute couture gave birth advertising. Lipovetsky argues that fashion advertising exhibits the same principles as fashion: originality, change, creativity and captivating; advertising integrates individual freedom and randomness. (Lipovetsky 157) Advertising serves more purposes than increasing consumption; it is an effort to connect individuals to the products that

This essay will be addressing ideologies of consumer fetishism and pseudo-individuality through examining the commodity signs found in the mass marketing and advertising of designer cosmetics, particularly Chanel.

Since an increasing number of people focus on brand names instead of product, brands become important elements for customers to choose products (Carroll, 2008). When customers trust the brand, the benefits for the manufactures are generated. In the first place, brands can be used by products as the tool to identify and differentiate themselves from various products. Secondly, brands are helpful for companies to build a competitive advantage (Bick, 2009). Therefore, organisations take more attention to branding.

In society today, everything has a name for it. If the product doesn’t have a well-known name, it goes by name that a well-known product that is similar goes by. Branding has made its impact on society and it’s never going to go away. In this situation, all we can do from here is analyze more and more until we fully understand its presence in society and its effects. Branding has its biggest effects on consumerism, which makes us question consumerisms power in society. Has our society become one big, replicated consumer or can a consumer or even a person still be unique and individual? Branding creates competition amongst companies throughout the world and creates a competition for the consumers. Not only, it also creates issues, creates

Basically, branding is a philosophical expression of the human condition. It is about belonging/attachment. Belonging to a tribe, to a religion, to a family and to a product. The Branding establishes a sense of attachment. It has this function for both the people who are part of the same group and also for the people who don’t belong. The origins of branding are basically related to the nature of the human condition. A tribe is a brand—religion is a brand. When it shows itself in a modern, fashionable form, you are expected statingbranding that began in the 19th century. It was basically affiliation with fast-moving consumer goods. But that is a distortion of what branding is. That type of branding is a manifestation of differentiation. It’s a differentiation of onefast-moving consumer product from another. Brands are a direct consequence of the strategy of market segmentation and differentiation.

Regardless of where our travels may take us, where our minds may wander, and how we choose to carry out the day-to-day happenings of our lives, the people of the 21st century cannot seem to escape the ever-powerful grasp of corporate consumerism. While many are aware that consumerism is all around us, few understand the true extent to which it impacts our lives. With constant exposure to advertising it’s hard not to get sucked into consumerism. The advertisements we see influence our spending habits by convincing us that certain material possessions will improve our lives. This is problematic because we are controlled by our wants rather than our needs – establishing an attitude of “more,” in which we always want the faster car, better technology, fancier clothes, and bigger houses. All of these material goods promise happiness, but never deliver – creating a vicious cycle of excessive consumption to keep up with others and take part in the latest trends. Thus, one stands to question how fare we are willing to go to obtain material possessions. Moreover, we are asked to reevaluate if money truly can buy happiness. The exhibition I $hop Therefore I Am uses contemporary art from a wide range of artists to explore the theme of consumerism in modern society. This exhibition adopts a conceptual and narrative curatorial strategy to convey this all-encompassing theme.

6. The dedication to a brand as the pre-prominent premise for affiliation, is the main trademark that recognizes a brand group from different sorts of group. Brand groups base on a ""brand,"" which is essentially a typical antique, it can be phonetic marker (i.e. the brand name), a visual marker (i.e. a logo), or a style (i.e. the item plan). As multivocal images (Turner, 1967), brands turn into an aggregate asset and ' 'vault of which means ' ' and a ' 'referent of their personality ' ' (Cohen,1985: 118).

Many people have a dream of owning a business that involves high-end clothing and accessories. After that dream of theirs comes true, they begin to come up with new ideas and ways to make their company more successful. Majority of the people who work and run a clothing line are very creative and inspired by new ideas every day. For example in 1947, the clothing store, now called H&M, “opens in Västerås, Sweden, selling women’s clothing. The store is called Hennes.” (H&M History) About two decades later, “Founder Erling Persson buys Mauritz Widforss, a hunting and fishing equipment store. Sales of men’s and children’s clothing begin. The name is changed to Hennes & Mauritz.” (H&M History) This example shows that after many years of a business, new ideas arise and companies expanded their lines in hope of better profits and outcomes for the store.

In recent times, branding has played a pivotal role in some brands’ success. This has been made possible through the ability of some marketers to capture the essence and minds of people (consumers), and put the trends and characteristics into the personality of a brand. Customers have always found ways to identify themselves with certain products, and on several occasions, branding campaigns

In Orderly Fashion, Patrik Aspers discusses the social order in the fashion industry. In Sharon Zukin’s Point of Purchase, she examines consumerism through the twentieth century, which brings the arguments of the above-mentioned authors into synthesis.