Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id PAA19647 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 13 Jul 2001 15:20:36 +0100 From: Philip Jonkers <P.A.E.Jonkers@phys.rug.nl> X-Authentication-Warning: rugth1.phys.rug.nl: www-data set sender to jonkers@localhost using -f To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: RE: It's an ad, ad, ad world (does it ever end?) Message-ID: <995033871.3b4f030fe500c@www-th.phys.rug.nl> Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2001 16:17:51 +0200 (CEST) References: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745F6F@inchna.stir.ac.uk> In-Reply-To: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745F6F@inchna.stir.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit User-Agent: IMP/PHP IMAP webmail program 2.2.5 X-Originating-IP: 129.125.13.2 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> The only point they made which is one of the few aspects of
> advertising that works, and indeed may be the only genuine
> memetic aspect of advertising is what marketers call
> association, better known as endorsements. I don't have
> any problem with notion, that we like to copy the famous,
> successful etc. But, there are limitations. For all but
> the stalkers of this world, celebrity endorsements I think
> only really work in that celebrity's field of expertise- so
> when Andre Agassi promotes Head tennis racquets, I see no
> problem with people thinking 'he's good at tennis,
> that's the racquet he uses, so if I use that racquet I'll be
> good too'. But when Agassi starts promoting razors, coz he
> shaves his head, I don't really think the majority
> of people then go and buy razors on his say so.
Hi Vincent, I know I'm lagging behind but please forgive me as
I've been busy with applications and stuff.
If you use a celebrity for advertisement campains you
immediately draw the attention of the share of fans, groupies,
admirers and what not, attributable to such a role model.
To assume that men will go out and buy razor-blades offered
by a tennis-idol seems ridiculous to the highest degree if
you come to think about it in a rational way. But the effect
on fans and the like, may be very different. You cannot expect
people to act rational all of the time, hard nosed fans
certainly do not consistently operate that way.
Especially kids who frequently seem to be craving for
role-models or idols may be willing to do whatever is in their
power to be like their heroes.
It's funny you come to mention the telly-ad by Agassi. I happen
to know that Agassi has a higher than average beard-growth rate.
You can almost watch his beard grow on TV during an extensive
tennis match! So, after all, in this particular case there is
an rationale to associate Agassi with shaving and for using
him in a razor ad. I don't know the precise words, but when
asked - in the ad - if he's a demanding kind of guy
(regarding shaving) he vindicates his presence in the ad by
replying with `extremely'. You have to give credit to the
resourcefulness of the makers of this ad.
Advertising is a quintessential memetic arms-race indeed!
Philip Jonkers.
>
> Another reasonable advertising idea, which you point to here, is
> raising
> brand awareness. When people are looking for a product, and don't
> necessarily have a particular preference, then awareness of a brand
> can
> help. My issue with this, based on the article you posted, is that if
> awareness-raising was such a powerful tool, then how come TV, billboards
> and
> newspapers and so on are not enough for these people that we now have
> to
> have ads on everything?
>
> Maybe there's something memetic about the increasing ubiquity of
> advertising- it's extent outweighs its (demonstrable) impact so what's
> driving its spread?
>
> Vincent
>
>
> > ----------
> > From: Wade T.Smith
> > Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> > Sent: Monday, July 9, 2001 5:25 pm
> > To: Memetics Discussion List
> > Subject: RE: It's an ad, ad, ad world
> >
> > Hi Vincent Campbell -
> >
> > >Of course all these desperate efforts from advertisers to gain our
> > attention
> > >is simply more evidence that advertising doesn't work the way they'd
> like
> > to
> > >believe it does.
> >
> > Not that it don't work at all- simply knowing that something new is
> > available for a need that the old versions and brands didn't fill too
>
> > well is why I find myself trying recently introduced and advertised
> > things.
> >
> > (Of course, I also have, and have always had, thanks be to my sainted
>
> > mum, who many years ago warned me of the evils of advertising, a
> strict
> > rule to boycott, in my individual and paltry way, any product whose
> > advertising is false, ugly, or annoying. Plus, due to sheer economic
>
> > reasons, I tend to purchase generics....)
> >
> > Thus, if I'm dissatisfied with the performance of a product, I'm in
> > 'search' mode for a replacement, and at this point, advertising will
>
> > affect me. And, tangentially, if I'm happy with a product, I might try
> a
> > variation of it- like a new version of a favorite cereal. But, in
> almost
> > all instances, I'm in a 'search' mode for these items.
> >
> > And once found and enjoyed, a product becomes an object of loyalty. I
>
> > will look very carefully for a bottle of Moxie in a store, a product
>
> > which, in this day, has no advertising at all. And when I smoked
> > cigarettes, I waded through (yeah, I use that word as a non-name
> > sometimes too...) a myriad of cigarette advertising every minute of
> every
> > day, oblivious to all of them, because I would walk a mile for a
> Camel.
> >
> > All of this meandering, while attempting to underscore Vincent's
> point,
> > may also point out that perhaps I am not your typical consumer.
> >
> > - Wade
> >
> > ===============================================================
> > This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
> > Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information
> Transmission
> > For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
> > see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
> >
> >
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> This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
> Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
> For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
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===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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