So, That Was Slightly Offensive.
Known for its popular and widespread dominance over the media world, Mac has a huge following of committed Apple consumers. Whether it’s an iPod, the iPhone, or a Mac computer, Apple has created a league that is innumerable and undeniably great. There are a vast number of factors that go into the dominance that Apple has. One of their main tactics is a strong force of varied forms of advertising. In recent years, Mac has started a campaign involving an actor playing a Mac and an Actor playing a PC. The ads are generally featured on major cable networks, all times of the day and night. However comical, the ads are mostly degrading towards PC and give them no credit. Rather than advertising the benefits of a Mac, the company has chosen to degrade the competition and present an unfair advantage over PC and it’s users.
Below is a perfect demonstration.
In my opinion, this ad stating the reoccurring problems of PC holds no merit.
Here is my letter to Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, in concern with his extended decision in marketing.
Mr. Steve Jobs:
Recently, I have noticed a string of Mac ads that I believe to be unfair and bias. Based on several generally known ethics followed in the PR and Advertising world, there are a few guidelines not being followed. For example, promoting fair and healthy competition. In addition, if you are working to increase the public’s trust in Apple, you should probably think of a smarter method than downgrading the competition. Also, fostering informed decision making through an actual knowledge of how great Macs supposedly are would help consumers. To the PC world, Mac just seems like a bunch of haters. In the future, I would recommend a stronger consideration from your advertising department on remaining neutral and providing information for consumers to make smart decisions as opposed to being shown the bullying nature of Apple. You’re losing potential customers by campaigning with a middle school method.
Concerned Consumer,
Lisé Sanchez
In my opinion, Mac needs to discontinue the ads until they can come up with a more informative and less condescending campaign. They are losing potential customers by sending across the wrong signal. Inform consumers and let the sales do the talking.
Something Slightly More…. Natural. PLEASE.
In class, we recently discussed the ad controversy involving Ralph Lauren and photo shopping. Since I previously discussed the way media is effecting the way we deal with body issues as a society (to an extent) in blog 7, I think it would be interesting to continue along the body image dialogue and cover how this ad has affected the PR of Ralph Lauren and the way our society is dominated by vanity and unrealistic ideals.
Ralph Lauren has recently come under intense fire and scrutiny over negative publicity from an ad featuring model Filippa Hamilton-Palmstierna looking extremely altered, sickly almost, from her tiny waist to her disproportionate head. She is unnaturally tiny. Ralph Lauren has responded to the controversy by firing back at the website that originally re-posted that ad, claiming they violated copyright laws. In my opinion, Ralph Lauren did not handle this issue in the smoothest of ways. Here is how I would have dealt with the bad press Ralph Lauren received if I was in PR for the company.
Immediately after the ad went viral, I would have contacted the website that re-posted the ad, to attempt to do some damage control. Rather than accusing them of doing something wrong right off the bat, I would try and communicate with them, in attempts to protect confidential and private information and to promote healthy and fair competition among professionals (…the ad, not meant to be seen under such bias terms). Decisions would obviously be based off of the core values from PRSA’s code of ethics.
Next, I would promptly issue a public statement, perhaps through a press conference, about how Ralph Lauren made a mistake. Perhaps we had an issue in our art department, a photo shop misstep, a mistake in print. Perhaps we got caught up in the idea that our society is consumed with: looking unachievable skinny and beautiful. I would seek to make the company seem approachable, human, and pro- natural beauty. Well rounded and not ‘the bad guy’ to the public eye.
Following that, I would keep an eye on the media circulating about the ad and maintain guilt. Yes, guilt. I believe that to keep a positive public image a company needs to accept responsibility for the things it has done wrong. Honesty and integrity are quintessential in the development of a company trusted by the consumer community.
While it may seem risky by some to accept responsibility for something as serious as the altering of the physical nature of a human being, the notion that it was for consumer based purposes, and to reach for some sort of ‘ideal’, as opposed to a personal dislike for Filippa herself will hold true. There can’t be much of a downfall for a company that says
“Hey, we messed up. We’re sorry and this isn’t going to happen again.”
Think David Letterman. The fact that he was straight up about his affair with several staff members on national television showed him as a human, someone who broke through the media circus to report honestly to his faithful audience.
My outlook, in general, is that honesty is the best way to deal with something you are clearly at fault for. Ralph Lauren could have saved a lot of drama and attention by being real.
One of many stories reporting RL’s photo-shopping boo boo.
I Think I’ve Seen This Before. Yes, Definitely.
When a company is trying to make a statement, as well as sell a product and possibly an image, there are several ways to go about getting the attention of comsumers.
One of the most popular and naturally accepted forms of advertising today is the multimedia approach. This means that a given company advertises over various forms of medium, including anything from television to magazines, newspapers, or the radio. Increasing the spread of the message and image the given company desires increases knowledge to consumers and reaches a broader range of potential patrons.
A company that has unquestionably mastered the multimedia approach is Dove, with their wildly popular and successful Campaign for Real Beauty. The basic premise of this campaign is to celebrate the natural physical variation embodied by all women and inspire them to have the confidence to be comfortable with themselves. (Wiki) The campaign includes television ads, workshops, videos, books, and much more. The ads are obviously more catered to a female audience, made to make average women and girls alike feel they are beautiful at any shape and size.
The goal of Dove to change the western concept of stick thin beauty has reached many through magazine ads, commercials, and short films featured on you tube. Through such a broad range of advertising, Dove has ensured they will reach consumers of many ages, races, and social status’.
In my opinion, Dove has done a fantastic job of reaching their target audience. They have covered women’s magazines, talked at middle schools, made their message known on public billboards and featured their campaign photography. The fact that the classic picture of the women in white panties and bras is symbolic of more than just Dove, but of a generation of body issue images and a nation obsessed with vanity signifies that Dove has created a thought provoking beast, and not just another ad made to invoke consumption. Dove has started a conversation and collaboration on dealing with a very real issue in our world.
The ad we watched in class, Evolution. Crazy!
The Truth is Freying
Books, while still a vital part of our society, have increasingly moved into new forms of consumption, such as audio books, online books, and even the Kindle. But good, old fashioned paper books are still as huge as ever. They are convenient, easier to read than computer screens, portable, and let’s be honest, who doesn’t love the smell of a book that’s been on adventures? Books tell a story that can only be lived through a page turning experience.
My absolute favorite read of all time, life changing oh-my-god book is A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. It’s a narrative of the author, James’ life as he struggles through rehab and battles with addiction. The huge clincher in the whole situation is that while Frey wrote the book as a work of non-fiction, the truth eventually leaked through the Smoking Gun that parts of the book were drastically exaggerated or just flat out lies. I read the book after I had already heard that it was fiction, so I took it to be a good story as opposed to a ‘based on actual events’ type thing.
I first heard about the book on Oprah, after the book had blown to immensely famous proportions after being added to Oprah’s book club. The controversy over the truthfulness of the book gained nationwide attention, because NO ONE pulls a fast one on Oprah. That just isn’t done. Anyways, I forgot about the book, and didn’t care much to read it, thinking I basically had the gist of it from the media circus. A year or so later, I picked up a used copy of it at my local goodwill, and started reading it while bored one day over the summer. I was instantly in love!
This book has impacted me by showing me that I don’t have to settle when I read. I lived a story when I was reading A Million Little Pieces, connected with Frey in such an intense way. Why should I not have that kind of experience every time I’m reading fiction? Frey’s tale reintroduced and reconnected me with my lost love of reading.
While some of today’s technology, like video games and the internet, have their places, there is nothing like falling in love and using your imagination to create any world you’d like. Reading is eternal optimism. 
James Frey, speaking out on his latest book and interactions with Oprah and the media.
Disney… Taking Over the WORLD!
Since I was a little girl, I can remember being introduced to the iconic characters of Disney. They were and are still today completely around us, more so than we even realize. Growing up with Disney culture was and is still today the norm. Disney has created such a massive and dominating empire that almost everything we take in as media consumers today is an opportunity for something Disney. Disney has reached every age, race, and status by smart marketing.
But with such influential power, the decision of what lessons and ideas to push on to their immense fan base should be a constant consideration. How do the images, ideas, and stories that the Disney clan decides to tell effect young consumers of today’s generation?
Thinking about Disney movies I saw when I was younger, they didn’t mean a whole lot to me. My parents didn’t let me watch a lot of TV when I was young, so a lot of the Disney classics I didn’t see until I was in my early teens. They were just sweet stories of girls falling in love. Talking animals, fantasies, forests. It was all magic!
When I was younger, it didn’t really mean anything. But now that I’m older, I can understand what kind of story they’re really pushing. Girl needs a guy to have a good life is basically what it boils down to. And while feminists and mothers alike may be concerned about the message that there little girls (and boys!) are getting, how serious can it be? If I saw these movies, and still don’t think I need a man to have a good life, did they really have any effect? Or is it just an easy way of conducting towards a ‘happy ending’? While they may have had momentary effects, I doubt any of the silly princesses are really going to change any girl’s life. At the time you weren’t anybody unless you were seeing the Disney movies, however. Even if you hadn’t seen them, you were still exposed ‘round the clock to the characters. Lunch boxes, Halloween costumes, school supplies, the Disney channel, home videos, etc. Disney was smart in realizing that one key to profit and increased consumerism is making their image and most famous characters completely known. When something is in your face all the time, you get interested, it becomes cool, and you just have to be in on it. I’m pretty sure I was one of the girls toting around a Jasmine book bag, and I hadn’t even seen Aladdin yet!
While sometimes pegged as being over dominant and sending the wrong messages to children, Disney has built a mainly family-friendly experience. Disney World, cruises, vacation packages, movies, toys, posters, supplies, food… the list goes on and on.
Disney, to sum up, is brilliant and completley boss.
Adding to the Disney empire, Disney recently bought Marvel Comics. Check out this funny video about the merge!
Just One More Minute!
Social networking sites are a huge part of today’s world. They are a necessity. As mentioned in my previous blog on media addiction, there isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t log on to check in on all my friends. All of those friends, who, in turn, are doing the same thing. While these sites are mostly for entertainment, a chance to keep in touch and a way to pass the time, there is a fine line between simple enjoyment and addiction. Addiction? To a website? Most people would probably just say shut ‘shut it off’ or ‘read a book’ but for some people, it’s not that simple. It is a way of life!
In the article I chose to cover, CNN is reporting on addiction to Facebook. I have a huge interest in Facebook because of it’s insane and phenomenon like popularity. It is beyond me how one site can be so cleverly designed and executed that people from all different generations, cultures, and countries alike have found common ground. It is an amazing thing.
Five Clues that you are Addicted to Facebook chronicles the story of single mom Cynthia Newton, who is too busy spending 20 hours a week on Facebook than to help her twelve year old daughter with homework. Newton claims she ‘gets lost’ on Facebook. Although there are no statistics on Facebook addiction, therapists are seeing more and more cases of people crossing the line from social networking to social disfunction. Problems arise when users ignore family and work obligations because they find the Facebook world a more enjoyable place to spend time than the real world. The article then continues on with five signs that you have taken your love of the FB too far. They are:
1. Loosing sleep over Facebook
2. Spending more than one hour per day on Facebook
3. Becoming obessed with old loves on Facebook
4. Ignoring work in favor of Facebook
5. The thought of leaving Facebook leaves you in a cold sweat
Paula Pile, a marriage and family therapist in Greensboro, North Carolina, has her own quick test: “Try going a day without Facebook. If you find it causes you a lot of stress and anxiety, you really need to get some help.”
While this particular article focuses on addiction to Facebook, it’s honestly not all bad news. Facebook has completely remodeled the face of communication today. It is quick, user friendly, everyone has access and most are already users, and it is hip, up to date with what people want to know and want to see. Facebook has mastered the impertinent task of blending media need and media want, creating a communication machine that is ahead of the rest.
And Facebook goes beyond gossiping time with your roommate. Facebook is used to promote major companies, small businesses, local and national events and news from all spectrums. People are constantly getting updates on all types of information. Facebook is used as communication methods between employees, because of features like chat.
It’s also used in a student teacher setting, to assign assignments and communicate about important documents. My sociology class last semester, for example, we were all friends on Facebook. We talked about questions we had and any confusion on the material. In this setting, Facebook was actually a fantastic learning tool. We were even friends with our teacher!
Professions in the mass communication industry are also obviously being affected. Besides what I’ve already mentioned (advertising on the site, news through updates, stories on various pages…) Facebook is helping to shape the future of what online communication is going to be like. New sites are popping up all the time; mimicking the magic that Facebook has created in an attempt to be the next big thing. For example, our class Mypage site has many of the same basic features as Facebook. It’s been a great experience for us! It’s this kind of buzz that gets me excited for the future of social networking and communication advances!
Check out this video that goes along with my article!
Life in the Year 2035… (if Life is Still Worth Living)
power has fallen into corrupt hands, and everyday life is a fight for survival amongst dictatorship and starvation. I imagine a cross between I Am Legend and Soylent Green, if that were possible. I remember watching Soylent Green in high school, and the big kicker was that the government had been feeding people to people. I’m talking processing dead bodies to make green crackers to feed an overcrowded and underfed New York City. This movie was made in the 70’s, which means that people have had a vision about a desolate future for quite some time. But now that there are more serious issues on the plate of real life, like GLOBAL WARMING, it’s become increasingly clear that a ‘Jetson’ future isn’t realistic or possible. While technology may make improvements in the years closely coming, how far can we go? The far off future, like 2070, for example, has no chance. The economic pressure of advancing convenience to a point of dangerous proportion is going to have a drastic effect on the face of the future. It’s going to be drive for better living that eventually leads us to worse living.
Can you Google ‘Media Addiction’ for me?
So, I’m sitting in my room, in Scarborough, AKA the ‘quarantined’ dorm, reading my blog assignment a couple days ago. I remember that we talked about it in class, but I was tuning out, as per normal during random moments of every class, and don’t remember the specifics. Reading, reading, reading… WHAT?!? A whole day without media? That has to be a joke. What am I supposed to learn from this? How to go into withdrawal?!? I grab my phone and hold it close to my heart. It’s going to be a long week.
God, I’m surrounded!
I wake up on day one and automatically grab for my phone… mainly because it’s my alarm clock and I just woke up. Already I can hear music from a car on York Road, and my roommate is listening to some show tunes on her computer. I sit up to get a shower and get moving, and as I’m showering, I start to consider what media actually is. Basically, doesn’t everything count as media? How am I supposed to take my entire day and fit it into one blog? Everything I do revolves around media. So, in reality, media is life, as odd and futuristic that sounds. When I step out of the shower there’s ads for students running for building council positions as I brush my teeth. Ummm, whose decision was this? I’m not voting for the person who is blocking my special time with the mirror!
So I get dressed, and get ready to head outside to class. I’ve got my phone in one hand, (already sent about fifteen texts at this point) my iPod in the other, and I’m reading and judging as I walk down the hall. Does Amanda’s Towson hoodie count as media? It’s advertising, so I’m going to bet yes. Strolling to class I’m paying attention more and more to what’s around. I see a flyer on the ground for Bourbon Street, a club in Baltimore. I see a ton of people listening to some form of a music player, and a couple more on laptops. When I walk into Smith Hall I see ads for tutoring, the Towerlight, and a loose copy of the N.Y. Times. I’m not really interested in reading at the moment, so I press on to class. Unfortunately… Astronomy lab!
As my day carries on, I’m essentially taken aback by how much media is in full force in my life. I’m either on Facebook between classes, listening to music before going out, or reading ads on the way to any destination. Does it ever end? The parade of media is absolutely consistant. I’m reading a magazine while waiting for my roomate to get ready for dinner. I’m seeing ads on T.V. when watching the real world. It’s actually taking an insane amount of concentration to specifically notice what i’ve grown so used to tuning out. Media. Is. EVERYWHERE. I’m almost getting paranoid here! It’s creeping around ever corner! My phone keeps goign off, my Facebook chat is blowing up, there are flyers for everything from flu shots to Queer Student Union meetings to dance parties. I can honestly say that aside from sleeping and being in the bathroom, I am getting exposed to media at least once every minute. Insanity.
So, at the end of the two days i’m overly and obsessively aware of media, and everyone is getting annoyed.
”Sam, did you know that candy wrapper counts as media? Did you?”
“Lisé, shut up. PLEASE.”
It’s safe to say i’m glad these two days are over. People are always spreading stories, sharing ideas, posting links and springing their way into a new generation. I’m so thankful that there are so many opportunities to express myself and to be creatively fueled. Tomorrow, however, might not be so pretty.…
What time is it!?? Does anone wear watches anymore?
Dear Diary: Today is the first time in about four years that i’ve used an actual alarm clock.
In a legitimate attempt to remain media free (for at least one of the days!) I’ve shut off and hidden my phone. Um, awkward! I’m actually straight up awkward as I’m getting out of bed. It’s like my body is trained to have that little morning texting session. I stumble to the bathroom in another awkward attempt to continue my day without any music. Showering, in silence. Also haven’t done that in awhile. I’m so awkward! I just can’t stress that enough. I’m certainly not a media addict, but I’ve grown so used to having it around me all the time that silence is almost uneasy to me. It feels like I should be saying something.
So, oddly enough, getting ready took a lot less time than usual. Since there was no time taken into effect for Facebook, dancing around to You Tube, or calling my girls, once I was ready I just kind of sat on my bed. Read a book for a little while. Reading… seems oddly foreign. I keep thinking I’m hearing my little text tone, although I know well that it’s off. After sitting for another little while, I’m out to class. STILL AWKWARD.
On the way to class I ran into my friend from Drew from high school. We end up chatting for a couple of minutes, when I realized I was completely unaware of the time without my phone. I ask him what time it is and he pulls out his Blackberry. I cringe. He basically tells me I’m late, so I hustle to get to Anthropology. Oh, yeah, I didn’t do the reading because I didn’t look at my agenda on my computer this morning because I’m media free! Gosh! I’m flustered as I enter late and look…. you guessed it… awkward. This whole day is lame!!
We’re watching a video about Bushmen from the Kalahari Desert in Africa. As odd as this probably sounds, I’m actually relating to this berry eating, non-showering, rhythmically chanting group. No connection to the outside world, no sense of time, nothing to do. How to they live their lives? I’m pondering how many important phone calls I’m missing; my grandma could be dead, for heaven’s sake! This is not practical! I tell my friend Will about the assignment when he sees I’m a little fidgety. He responds with something like “they did it for years without phones before us, Lisé…” I want to slap him.
The rest of the day basically followed the same pattern. Feeling out of place, running late because my smart bum doesn’t own a watch, sitting in my room seriously starring at the wall because I’m not sure what else to do. I feel like my life is pathetic! Maybe I do have media addiction?? I’d go Google symptoms, but, alas, I cannot. Poop. I settle with reading Harry Potter. He never lets me down!
I NEED MEDIA.
As this little social experiement, assignment, whatever, comes to a close, I am SO glad to be back to normal. I actually have a greater grasp of how media is all around, and essentially unavoidable. It’s everything! Clothes, books, people, pictures, the internet, my phone, traffic, dining halls. It’s invasive and yet i’m completly in love with it. I’m also pretty happy that it’s that way, too. Otherwise, i’d be late and awkward all the time.
ad⋅dic⋅tion [uh-dik-shuhn]
(noun):
the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma
Heey!
I’m excited to be blogging! =)
