1. What in "The Persuaders" surprised you? Name one new thing you learned about marketing or politics from watching the film. Name one new thing you learned about yourself from watching the film. That misleading advertisements is such a popular theme between all companies. I never realized that these companies were targeting your emotions. I did not know there were companies devoted to creating heart-filled ads.
2. "The Persuaders" begins by questioning the increase in the amount of advertising we typically encounter in our daily lives. How would you assess the amount of advertising you see? Too much? too little? Just right? In your view, what difference does it make to know that people today see much more advertising in their daily lives then people 20 or 30 years ago? I believe i see too much advertising during this time. The knowledge that there was less advertising 20 years ago does not affect me at all.
3. What surprised you in the descriptions of how much demographic information marketers have about potential customers? What kinds of information would you be willing to share about yourself or your family in order to: enter a contest? Get a discount? Get only? Get a cell phone? Use a credit card? Would you be willing to reveal your name, address and phone number? What music do you listen to or your favorite snacks? The grades on your last report card? How much your parents earn? What medications people in your family take? What kinds of information would you want to keep private and why? I was surprised that people could contain all that information legally. I have and i still do give away information for discounts, etc. I would like all my information be kept private unless i willingly hand it over knowing that it will be circulated into others computer.
4.In "The Persuaders," marketer Kevin Roberts uses the term "lovemarks" to identify brands to which people are loyal even when devotion is not logical. Are there brands (or music) to which you are devoted? When you stop to think about it, is your loyalty to any particular brand a "lovemark"? If purchasing a particular brand isn't logical, why would you (or other people) do it. There are brands which i am devoted to. I have no loyalty to any brand beyond logic. I would not do it , but i can see how others can be persuaded threw good advertising skills.
5. Douglas Rushkoff asks, "What happes when advertisers assume the roles of our writers, journalists, and entertainers?" How would you answer him? I would answer him with " Well Douglas, the quality of our literature and ententertainment would dimish, watching TV would be a chore, and we'd have to take a huge step back in society to get it back to good."
6. Advertising executive Douglas Atkins argues that purchasing branded merchandise now proivdes that same sense of belonging that was once provided by community institutions like schools, churches,civic groups, or fraternal orders. What provides you with a sense of belonging or identity? What role, if any, does marketing play in what you identify with or where you hang out the most? I have no need for a sense of belonging. Marketing plays no role in any part of my life.
7. Political consultant Frank Luntz tells his clients that, "80 percent of our life is emotion and only 20 percent is intellect. I am much more interested in how you fell than how you think." Contrast this with Thomas Jefferson's notion that democracy requires an "informed citizenry." What is the potential impact of Luntz's political strategy recommendations on the health of democracy? I see little relation Frank Luntz is not saying that we are a uninformed society. I doubt there will be any impact on the health of our democracy threw Frank Luntz.
8. Rushkoff says that political strategist Frank Luntz" has built his career on a simple idea: It doesn't matter what you want to tell the public, it's about what they want to hear." Do you think the phrases that Luntz develops to 'sell" political positions help clarify the issues or mislead voters? I do believe the idea of every politician providing any informatin that would make us happy is misleading. It leads us to believe these things that the politician says are true.
9. Douglas Rushkoff asks, "What does it mean when we begin to merge our once separate roles as consumers and citizens?" How would you answer Rushkoff's question? Given that the U.S. economy is based on consumer spending, is it patriotic to shop? I would answer saying "Well consumers are citizens." To an extent , we should shop , but for no other reason than we need products.
10. "The Persuaders" points out that there are laws governing truth in advertising for products and services, but that "politicians can legally say whatever they want. "Should political ads be governed by the same kinds of laws that govern product ads? Why do you think there aren't such laws? To an extent they should be governed, but there is no way of telling if these political advertisements are untrue. There are no such laws for the reason that there is no way of telling if the ads are false.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Does Walmart Cut Prices or Jobs?
1. What did you know about Wal-Mart before viewing the documentary? I knew it was a very large company that gave the illusion of low prices and benefits to customers. Wal-mart owns and has bought out companies . Wal-mart gets most of its products from unprotected workers in China and other countries.
2. Do you know anyone that works at Wal-Mart? If so, how would you characterize their experiences? Although i do not know anyone that works at Wal-Mart nor do i shop there i do know it offers jobs to people with disablities . I believe the jobs are minimum wage. I also know they offer jobs at any time of the day.
3. What most surprised you about the film? Many different topics surprised me about Wal-Mart. One of those would by the convention where people celebrate Wal-Mart. The convention is very useless and inappropriate in my opinon.
4. Do you think the strategies that Wal-Mart is using are fair ? Why or why not? I believe the strategies are fair. Anyone could copy and paste what Wal-Mart has done , but it would be better if their power was limited.
5. What new kinds of jobs might be created as a result of outsourcing? What jobs might be eliminated? Jobs made specifically to deal with foreign countries may come as a result of outsourcing. Small business owner's jobs may be eliminated.
6 Who gains the most from Wal-Mart's price policies? Why? Wal-Mart gains the most from the low prices. Wal-Mart's low prices draw customers to the store and have made it the large company it is today. Customers only gain if they buy the lowest price items instead of being drawn into the higher priced items.
7. Has the documentary influenced how or where you will shop? Explain. Yes , I will now try to avoid Wal-Mart owned shops. I find that feeding this great company would only make the situation worse. I will find small businesses to buy from to promote American businesses.
8. Who has benefited from Wal-Mart? In what ways? Who has not benefited from Wal-Mart? In what ways? Wal-Mart's owners have benefited the most because they make money from this large business. Customers benefit by the convenience of the Wal-Mart industry. Small business owners do not benefit because of Wal-Mart monopolizing the industry.
9. How should Wal-Mart balance the needs for worker benefits, low prices for consumers and high profits for shareholders? Wal-Mart has cheap low price clothes , but no high-end clothes.
They should add a department with professionally designed clothes for the upper class society. This would add jobs for fashion designers and open up the business to high-middle class shoppers which would make their busineess more profitable.
2. Do you know anyone that works at Wal-Mart? If so, how would you characterize their experiences? Although i do not know anyone that works at Wal-Mart nor do i shop there i do know it offers jobs to people with disablities . I believe the jobs are minimum wage. I also know they offer jobs at any time of the day.
3. What most surprised you about the film? Many different topics surprised me about Wal-Mart. One of those would by the convention where people celebrate Wal-Mart. The convention is very useless and inappropriate in my opinon.
4. Do you think the strategies that Wal-Mart is using are fair ? Why or why not? I believe the strategies are fair. Anyone could copy and paste what Wal-Mart has done , but it would be better if their power was limited.
5. What new kinds of jobs might be created as a result of outsourcing? What jobs might be eliminated? Jobs made specifically to deal with foreign countries may come as a result of outsourcing. Small business owner's jobs may be eliminated.
6 Who gains the most from Wal-Mart's price policies? Why? Wal-Mart gains the most from the low prices. Wal-Mart's low prices draw customers to the store and have made it the large company it is today. Customers only gain if they buy the lowest price items instead of being drawn into the higher priced items.
7. Has the documentary influenced how or where you will shop? Explain. Yes , I will now try to avoid Wal-Mart owned shops. I find that feeding this great company would only make the situation worse. I will find small businesses to buy from to promote American businesses.
8. Who has benefited from Wal-Mart? In what ways? Who has not benefited from Wal-Mart? In what ways? Wal-Mart's owners have benefited the most because they make money from this large business. Customers benefit by the convenience of the Wal-Mart industry. Small business owners do not benefit because of Wal-Mart monopolizing the industry.
9. How should Wal-Mart balance the needs for worker benefits, low prices for consumers and high profits for shareholders? Wal-Mart has cheap low price clothes , but no high-end clothes.
They should add a department with professionally designed clothes for the upper class society. This would add jobs for fashion designers and open up the business to high-middle class shoppers which would make their busineess more profitable.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Oh! I just got old too fast!
1.What percentage of retirement contributions came from businesses in 2000? What percentage came from workers?Why did the percentages change? 51% came from workers while 49% came from businesses. The new 401k plan caused it to change.
2. What happens if people's plannong for retirement does not provide enough income? People have to find other jobs. People sacrifice there middle class living style to adjust.
3. When a business enters bankruptcy, which gets paid first workers' pensions or debts owed to banks? Why is this the case? Debts owed to banks are payed first 100% of the time. Companies dont care for employees and use the loop-holes in the workers' pension system.
4. According to the film, are people with high incomes or people with low incomes more successful in investing their retirement incomes? What are the implications of this finding? Normally people with high incomes find it easier to invest in their retirements. Richer people have mroe to invest and more experience using the 401k plan.
5. Many people's retirement plans last seven to eight years after they stop working. But studies show that people live 17 or 18 years after retirement. What options are there for people in the United States who outlive their savings? People have to rely on social security and new jobs. People need more money than their social security checks.
6. What factors do you think might keep people from saving enough money for retirement? Poor finicial skills or lack of money to invest would be the main causes. Without the knowledge on how to use your money you would not know how to save it.
2. What happens if people's plannong for retirement does not provide enough income? People have to find other jobs. People sacrifice there middle class living style to adjust.
3. When a business enters bankruptcy, which gets paid first workers' pensions or debts owed to banks? Why is this the case? Debts owed to banks are payed first 100% of the time. Companies dont care for employees and use the loop-holes in the workers' pension system.
4. According to the film, are people with high incomes or people with low incomes more successful in investing their retirement incomes? What are the implications of this finding? Normally people with high incomes find it easier to invest in their retirements. Richer people have mroe to invest and more experience using the 401k plan.
5. Many people's retirement plans last seven to eight years after they stop working. But studies show that people live 17 or 18 years after retirement. What options are there for people in the United States who outlive their savings? People have to rely on social security and new jobs. People need more money than their social security checks.
6. What factors do you think might keep people from saving enough money for retirement? Poor finicial skills or lack of money to invest would be the main causes. Without the knowledge on how to use your money you would not know how to save it.
Friday, October 2, 2009
My Retirement
1. What do you think retirement means? Retirement is when you dont wanna work anymore. You file for this when your old.
2. From what sources do people get income when they retire? People get money from both their own savings and their work retirement program. People also get money from 1.5 of the money they have made during their lifetime.
3. Who pays for the health insurance of retired people? People pay for their own health insurance, or their work retirement program does.
4. Who should be responsible for planning for retirement? What roles should individuals, businesses, and the government play in planning? People should be responsible for their own retirement. Government should have or create laws that protect people retirement programs.
2. From what sources do people get income when they retire? People get money from both their own savings and their work retirement program. People also get money from 1.5 of the money they have made during their lifetime.
3. Who pays for the health insurance of retired people? People pay for their own health insurance, or their work retirement program does.
4. Who should be responsible for planning for retirement? What roles should individuals, businesses, and the government play in planning? People should be responsible for their own retirement. Government should have or create laws that protect people retirement programs.
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