Growing Up Online

To begin, I really enjoyed the video, "Growing Up Online". I have actually seen similar documentaries in the past, but probably enjoyed this one more than the others. I think that the Internet, as great as it is, is a very scary place. I know that when I compare my actions as a 14-year-old as compared with a 14-year-old cousin of mine, the differences in our behaviors are somewhat shocking. While I was pretty innocent and mainly used the Internet to talk to some friends or play games, she is posting half naked pictures of herself and meeting guys on MySpace.

I also found the portion of the video that dealt with the high schooler with an eating disorder. I was so interested in what she had to say that I ended up searching "Pro-Anorexia" blogs and support groups, and was floored with the results. Girls post about how they have not eaten a single ounce of food in eight days and are commended and met with jealous comments. Girls find "fasting buddies", discuss their weight gain and loss, and some even post pictures of themselves. It was a horrifying discovery, and if I were a parent I know that it would frighten me to realize that my child could be having such a hard time, but since he or she has an online support group, the child may feel as though there is no reason to discuss these issues...they already have all the "support" they need.

Basically I think that the web is becoming a progressively more dangerous place, and is attracting younger audiences. However, I am optimistic that as more people learn and understand the dangers of the web, that there will be more restrictions and actions taken to protect minors.

Target audience is a term that I am very familiar with. In a nutshell, it describes the bracket of individuals that marketers and advertisers are trying to reach. College students, the elderly, women, athletes, pet owners, teenage girls, etc. are all examples of target audiences. Datamining is the way in which marketers can get information about a specific target audience. For example, by holding focus groups, taking surveys, and using other forms of promotions to uncover information about a target, advertisers have a better idea of how to market to these audiences.

Advergame is another term that is used to describe gaming sites which use interactive games to advertise a product. I know that when I was younger I always used to go on a website called CandyStand and play themed games that revolved around different candy.

Advertisers can also make connections with social networking sites. For example, Facebook places advertisements based on personal interests. I have my favorite television shows and hobbies listed on my Facebook page, and so the advertisements that I see generally relate to the information that I provide.

More FCC

Within his article, “Who Is Watching the Watchdog”, John Dunbar discusses the theory of “The Spinning Door”, “Frequent Flying”, as well as “What Occurs Behind Closed Doors”.

To begin, “The Spinning Door” theory is based around federal government officials. These people will occasionally leave their jobs with the government and move on to work within the field that they formerly represented. This could potentially pose a problem because the government officials have gained a great deal of inside information from their previous job that they can take with them into their new position. Only officials who held considerably high positions are mandated to follow a set of rules once they begin working in the industry.

Next, Dunbar talks about his theory of “Frequent Flying”. This refers to FCC officials who attend industry events and are then treated like royalty by the companies that they represent. This, of course is an issue as it can be viewed as a form of bribery. After all, it would make sense for these FCC officials to be biased toward a company that treats them like gold as opposed to an ordinary company.

Lastly, “What Occurs Behind Closed Doors” comes into play. Dunbar describes how a great number of companies have private meetings with the FCC to discuss issues such as media ownership rules and regulations. Since there are no records of these particular meetings, the public remains blind to this process and has no way of knowing what is being discussed behind closed doors.

Chairman Powell claims that the industry’s influence over the FCC can sometimes go too far. I agree with this, considering how powerful the media has become. When it comes to advertising, for example, the public ultimately allows themselves to be manipulated and persuaded into purchasing products or services they most likely do not need. Sometimes advertisements can even convince us to adopt a new lifestyle! Although the FCC cannot get rid of advertising, and they have taken measures to protect the public, I still believe that they could do more.

Persuasion in Today's Media

Neuromarketing is definitely at the forefront of advertising today. With so many different forms of advertising being thrown at the consumer every day, a brand needs to do more than simply sell its features and benefits: it needs to tap into emotions. Neuromarketing is a great way to accomplish this, because it can help identify what potential customers respond to and what exactly drives their emotional responses.

In the video, a man was being asked about his emotional connection with white bread. Whether it makes him feel lonely, comforted, happy, sad, etc. Many people in our class found this humorous, but it is actually a legitimate concept. People hold connections and tie in emotions with many different products. I know that I had a difficult time making the “white to wheat” switch, because white bread made me think of childhood, packed lunches, and the comfort of home. If marketers could gain such insight, then they could develop some kind of strategy based on the idea of holding on to childhood with white bread.

On the other hand, if the man who was being questioned in the video responded and claimed that white bread did in fact make him feel lonely, perhaps marketers could take a different approach to tackling the advertising for a white bread campaign. For instance, they could develop some sort of approach that connects the concept of eating white bread with the idea of togetherness and gathering around with friends. They could even link this with the idea I stated earlier. An ad that connects white bread with childhood and eating with friends in the lunchroom, for example, may be a good way to tap into the emotions of a variety of different prospects.

Another subject discussed in the movie that I found interesting and prevalent in society is emotional branding. In a sense, the goal of neuromarketing is to achieve some form of emotional branding. I particularly enjoyed the example of the Cheerios commercial, because it truly is a perfect demonstration of the concept. Since consumers ultimately already know everything there is to know about Cheerios as a product, there is little need to dwell on the details, but rather skip straight to the emotions. I found this to be incredibly effective, and it is something that I, as an advertising major, strive to accomplish in many of the pieces that I work on.

I have found that car commercials sometimes use emotional branding as well. Different cars have different personalities, and these are often made clear. For instance, there was a Chevy commercial on the air in the past couple of years that displayed proud owners with their old Chevy pick-up trucks. These people obviously view this brand as more than just a car, but as a significant part of their lives. The commercial truly showed how by purchasing a Chevy, you are not buying a car, but gaining another member of the family.


A brand like Cadillac, on the other hand, has been reinventing itself over the past year or so. It is now marketing to a younger target, and is being viewed as a sexy, fashionable, and even sporty car. The use of celebrities such as Kate Walsh driving the car connect to the emotions of the viewers, because many would like to adopt the lifestyle of a celebrity, and perhaps they believe that by purchasing a new Cadillac, they are one step closer.


The last topic that I am going to talk about is the idea of creating a culture around a brand. I think that Sprite did an excellent job of this when they related the hip-hop culture to the soft drink, but I do not believe that it is all that relevant anymore. While Sprite may still be connected to hip-hop, I am confident that if one were to poll a group of 15-18 year olds today and ask the first word that came to mind when thinking of Sprite, hip-hop would not be the most common answer.

A current brand that is creating a culture around its image is Apple. I believe that the Apple campaign is incredibly successful, and has truly created a loyal following and culture of individuals who consider themselves to be Mac users. I personally am a Mac user, and I am not going to deny that I feel superior to my PC using friends. I have a sense of pride and loyalty toward Mac and Apple in general. Through the use of the “Mac and PC guys” featured in almost all of their commercials, Apple has given the Mac computer an identity that customers can relate to. While the PC is business like and stuffy, the Mac is cool, fun, and hip. People want to be like Mac. It’s a simple as that.