are part of our life and I can see that I am surrounded by my favorites, My face cream, perfume, food even my favorite books or authors,
Martin explains and gives examples how we are brandwashed and how marketers explore our feelings to sell,
It's an incredible book! It was very interesting and educational, I will be reading more from his author, Lot of insights into the advertisements we see and purchase decisions we make, This is a very disturbing book, especially to someone like me who resents how marketing professionals use deceit, cunning, and data mining to manipulate us to buy things we really don't need and to keep us loyal to certain brands and stores.
And we are so gullible that we fall for it more than we know, And here is the worst part, WE DON'T EVEN CARE!
Even though marketing tactics are shameless and soulless consumers behave like lemmings, going along with the crowd, influenced to do whatever they're told, never asking important questions about purpose and meaning.
And this is exactly what marketing people want, nonthinking consumers willing to open their wallets as soon as the next new product is introduced, And they have ways to make sure that happens, Martin Lindstrom's Brandwashed is in many ways not surprising to those who are familiar with the lengths that companies will go to in order to market their products, What still surprised me, though, was how improved technology has allowed these companies to propel their efforts to new, absurd and downright creepy heights,
Whether it's carefullyarranged store displays presenting illusions designed to elicit specific emotions or memories, efforts to market not just to adults, teens and children, but even to babies, or the use of sophisticated datamining to target individuals with a disturbing level of precision, Brandwashed paints a picture of a world in which we are constantly bombarded with messagesusually subliminalto buy certain products and services.
Lindstrom's perspective is that of an insider, and he cites not only numerous case studies and marketing campaigns, but some he has orchestrated directly himself, He comes across a bit apologetic at times and even tries to reveal some of the good in these insidious techniques, like attempts to woo consumers toward more green products, but he also rightfully raises concerns over privacy and reach.
The book focuses on a different aspect of marketing in each chapter and the style and tone remain light, even as Lindstrom reminds us of how the flat where George Orwell wrote now hasclosedcircuit cameras mounted withinyards of it.
While the thrust of the book remains as potent inas when it was originally published in, some of the observations are bound to raise a few eyebrows just six years later likely in dismay:
On the male side, there are colognes attached to the famous names Justin Timberlake, David Beckham, Usher, Tim McGraw, Andre Agassi, and even Donald Trump.
“We are confident that men of all ages want to experience some part of Mr, Trumps passion and taste for luxury,” said Aramis president Fabrice Weber,Actually, it appears they dont, In one of the few cases where putting a celebrity name on a product didnt work, a few years after it hit the shelves, according to one gimleteyed blogger, Donald Trump for Men could be found on clearance at T.
J. Maxx for, down from.
Brandwashed is an easy recommendation for anyone wondering just how far companies will go to get us to buy their stuff which is a lot further than most probably imagine.
As someone who's been working as a marketer for over a decade now, I found parts of this book to be quite interesting and even stirred up a few ideas of how I can better do my job in some ways.
However, once I reached the section near the end about online marketing, privacy, etc, it became obvious just how much Lindstrom really sensationalizes things, and frankly stretches the truth so far as to make it almost false, So, while it's a very interesting read, I'd recommending taking some of his assertions with a grain of salt the more shocking, the better, خلاصه ش رو خواندم بد نبود This is one gread read for people interested in marketing, behavioural studies, psychology etc, A number of things already published elsewhere but there is also a lot of new good illuminating stuff incorporated,
Q:
. Buy Buy Baby When companies start marketing to us in the womb
, Peddling Panic and Paranoia Why fear sells
, I Cant Quit You Brand addicts, shopaholics, and why we cant live without our smart phones
, Buy It, Get Laid The new face of sex and the sexes in advertising
, Under Pressure The power of peers
, Oh, Sweet Memories The new but also old face of nostalgia marketing
, Marketers Royal Flush The hidden powers of celebrity and fame
, Hope in a Jar The price of health, happiness, and spiritual enlightenment
, Every Breath You Take, Theyll Be Watching You The end of privacy
CONCLUSION, Ill Have What Mrs. Morgenson Is Having I had to stop reading this about a third of the way through, because the way this book is written is so offputting that it makes the author sound like a condescending knowitall.
The book has a very unfortunate "Hahaha, consumers are STUPID" tone to it, and as a result it feels like you are being talked down to as you ostensibly learn about the "tricks" that companies use to make you buy things.
There is also an infuriating digression in chapteron Big Pharma, in which the author heavily implies that chronic illnesses like Restless Leg Syndrome and Fibromyalgia were invented by drug companies they weren't to make consumers afraid and dependent on drugs, or something.
That part is really the same playedout conspiracy theory bull about Big Pharma that everyone has heard a million times, and I think Lindstrom's lack of originality here is pretty damning.
It's also too bad that Mr, Lindstrom thinks that people like myself with conditions that Big Pharma capitalizes on BIG difference from "makes up to sell medicine," rightand no, not all of us got the idea that we have these illnesses by watching television shocker!don't read books like his.
Then again, maybe it would be better if we didn'tat least then we wouldn't give this author's booklength condescending tripe and lack of nuance an audience, Why does CocaCola always have drips of condensation in their bottled adds Isn't it odd we often buy what our parents bought without ever questioning why And do supermarkets deliberately change locations of items to keep us waltzing around their stores The
answers to these and more subliminal tactics by the super corporations of today are as ingenious as they are insidious.
For the age where privacy and data is no longer sacred, this book seriously made me reconsider using cash again, . . Well, until Bitcoin goes mainstream Did not really enjoy this book at all, I much preferred Buyology, the author's previous book,
For a book called Brandwashed there was sure a lot of name dropping of brands involved, I wonder if they were paid endorsements After all if looking at a celebrity spokesperson changes the way you think about a brand literally, in your brain, then maybe reading about a brand countless times in a book will make your brain associate the brand with the book, or maybe all books haha.
Other times the author would have to keep the identity under wraps because he was sworn to secrecy, Just never mention any brands, and problem solved,
I felt the stories and examples weren't organized well, It seemed to jump around quite a bit hitting on various topics then doubling back, more like many alreadywritten articles that were just organized into a book, There also didn't seem to be much advice for avoiding falling prey to much of the marketing described beyond don't eat acai berries, which you should already know,
Finally some of the claims seem dubious, The author states that people are more likely to make a "green" purchase in the store where people can see them, and less likely to do so online, where they are unseen.
It appears to be more of an ego thing than an eco thing, His example involves energyefficient light bulbs being bought in stores, and cheap incandescents bought online, However, if you're buying light bulbs online maybe your frugality is the motivating factor Or you don't want to ship CFL's because of their mercury There could be other factors, so it seems like a giant leap to claim that it's because there's no one watching you.
I was also curious about the author's mention of how green purchases can make people more likely to do something less eco friendly in the future because they've already "done their part".
He mentions that Prius owners drive more miles, get into more accidents, and even hit more pedestrians, I though that seemed weird so I looked up his source a blog, which referenced other blogs and found that the original blog was about hybrid cars' lack of noise.
Apparently, in electric mode the engines shut off, so pedestrians can't hear the cars coming, and apparently step in front of them, This seems to differ from his inference that Prius owners think they're being good to the earth and thus don't mind hitting a pedestrian every once in a while, After reading that I was questioning his research, and it definitely diminished my enjoyment of the book, I would not recommend it,
.