tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215025352011-04-21T23:45:01.092-04:00Nicnoreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21502535.post-76637848699208143832010-03-12T21:36:00.001-05:002010-03-13T08:45:05.235-05:00

This blog is now located at http://marketing.twosevenone.com/. You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here. For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to http://marketing.twosevenone.com/feeds/posts/default.

Nicnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21502535.post-1151373971280443852006-03-03T20:38:00.000-05:002006-06-27T12:00:55.323-04:00

The class for which this blog was created has come to an end, but the blog will live on. It has now been integrated into my website as a research area, and I will continue to post periodically.The final exam for this class is now also available for reading:Culture, Consumption and Marketing: Final ExamThe objective was to summarize and integrate the themes developed in the class, while

Nicnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21502535.post-1140629811818367302006-02-22T12:20:00.000-05:002006-06-27T11:24:00.926-04:00

An interesting thought came to me during yesterday's class, and I'd like to explore it in more depth. The concept of "transubstantiation of goods" introduced by Brooks in Paradise Drive presents us with the disquieting notion that our spiritual yearnings are consummated through our various acts of consumption. I find this disquieting because it paints the picture that we essentially define

Nicnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21502535.post-1140503825840952312006-02-21T01:19:00.000-05:002006-02-21T01:37:05.853-05:00

It's funny, but sometimes I catch myself examining my own self from what seems, for a fraction of a second, an objective position. It always astounds me, in those circumstances, the number of things we take for granted that are patently absurd.I was watching television (Seinfeld, I confess) and during the commercial break, when a woman openly thanked Turbo Tax for helping her do her taxes so

Nicnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21502535.post-1140327998475731662006-02-19T00:41:00.000-05:002006-02-20T01:17:01.846-05:00

I had an interesting conversation last night, the other side of which may yet make it onto one of the class members' board. In broad terms, it was about the seminal moments that affect entire generations. What made it interesting was that it was more specifically about events in the world of music that affected entire generations. Without going into the specifics of that particular conversation,

Nicnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21502535.post-1140625571104370962006-02-16T22:42:00.000-05:002006-02-22T11:27:12.403-05:00

Another class I'm taking deals with the creation of social capital, and though this is a difficult concept to define, it mostly comes down to the quality and nature of certain relationships which allow groups of individuals to surpass their combined abilities. One of the most potent ways to form the requisite bonds should come as no surprise to any student of social psychology. Indeed, stories,

Nicnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21502535.post-1139804937608850442006-02-12T23:28:00.000-05:002006-02-13T01:07:51.493-05:00

This discussion on fences has broader ramifications. In a world where fences keep us apart from one another, and from other ideas, how much do we turn inwards and develop our sense of self? The reason I bring it up is simple: I want to ask a question of anyone who may stumble across this post. These "fences" exist everywhere, in all our interactions and relationships, and it isn't limited to

Nicnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21502535.post-1139802649297382872006-02-12T22:44:00.000-05:002006-02-13T01:01:55.966-05:00

Recently read on Naomi Klein's website (nologo.org):"Fences have always been a part of capitalism, the only way to protect property from would-be bandits, but the double standards propping up these fences have, of late, become increasingly blatant."The "fences" wo which she is referring are metaphorical of course. Klein rose to prominence as the author of No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies

Nicnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21502535.post-1139076773986268362006-02-04T12:38:00.000-05:002006-02-06T12:50:26.970-05:00

Here are the product and service domains discussed in class today. I wanted to reproduce them here because they represent an elegant categorization that I haven't yet seen for product categories.Symbols: Latent associations with images and brands;Substances: Things that change/interact with metabolism/consciousness;Recreational activities: The issue of "flow", tapping into the delicate balance

Nicnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21502535.post-1138987672160559082006-02-03T12:25:00.000-05:002006-02-12T17:02:26.796-05:00

I don't know whether Prof. Sherry will indeed release all the blog addresses for everyone to visit, but in the case anyone stumbles onto this blog, let me just apologize for the first few posts. Those who know me know that I'm a windbag in real life, so they won't be surprised to find that my writing style is equally inflated.That said, I hope this blog turns into something lasting for myself

Nicnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21502535.post-1138948006210783962006-02-03T01:05:00.000-05:002006-02-03T01:26:46.220-05:00

To clear up something I brought up in class discussion today (well, yesterday in fact), I need to be more specific.When we discuss the issue of "flow," that elusive state of being where mind, body and consciousness converge, I feel I need to add that the most potent aspect of this is that it is fundamentally unique in character. What I mean is that every occurrence is unique, irreplaceable, and

Nicnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21502535.post-1138767090480477422006-01-31T22:56:00.000-05:002006-06-27T11:47:48.236-04:00

I mentioned something in class today to which I'd like to give a little more thought. We were speaking of the "moments of clarity" we sometimes get when we decontextualize the messages that we are bombarded with on a daily basis, and it brought to mind Plato's allegory of the cave. This simple parable basically deals with the artificiality of a worldview constructed on derived experience rather

Nicnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21502535.post-1138603368369847782006-01-30T01:08:00.000-05:002006-01-30T01:46:09.343-05:00

I'm sitting here after combing through the code of this godawful template and attempting to wrest some measure of control from it (the results are plain to see), and this afforded me some time to reflect on the question put to us in the last class. To restate: Assuming the film we watched is accurate in its depiction, how would we change it?First of all, I have to say that a lot of the comments

Nicnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21502535.post-1138568226982426422006-01-29T15:45:00.000-05:002006-01-29T23:50:49.946-05:00

To most people, the subject of how languages and cultures are interwoven is of abysmal interest. But if we are trying to understand why and how marketers exert such influence, I think it's elementary to start at the beginning, and this example of how language and culture are interlaced is, in my humble opinion, both eloquent and illustrative in this regard.In subordinate clauses, German phrase

Nicnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21502535.post-1138567427811686872006-01-29T15:08:00.000-05:002006-01-30T15:33:19.533-05:00

One of my favourite quotes is by a lesser-known playwright and journalist named Joseph Michael Straczynski: "The quality of our thoughts is bordered on all sides by our facility with language." I've always found there to be an innately resonant truth about one's ability for critical thinking being dependant on an ability to manipulate and understand the written word. But in the context of the "

Nicnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21502535.post-1138213678170066012006-01-25T13:27:00.000-05:002006-01-29T15:07:20.370-05:00

So this is meant to be a chronicle of my ruminations and thoughts on culture, consumption and the marketing engine. To be fair, this isn't the first time I've lent thought to this general arena, albeit under different auspices. You see, I used to be a bit of a firebrand.I've long been fascinated with the reasons why people believe what they do. To be fair, this interest didn't always manifest

Nicnoreply@blogger.com0