Position. Advertisements attempt to place brands in competitive relationships with other brands to mark those brands as superior or unique—the fact that Hertz is #1 or Avis “tries harder” (in the number two spot). Practices. Customers’ actual uses of products, practices associated with the meaning of brands—the fact that Starbucks coffee is associated with a yuppie practice of consuming coffee and/or meeting with others at a coffee shop. As notes, practices may change—for example, how Levi’s jeans shifted from being work clothes to more fashionable social markers. Paradigms. Larger cultural frameworks or discourses shaping the meanings of brands, for example, how the meaning of smoking in the 1950s compares with contemporary meanings given shifts in larger paradigms related to perceptions of smoking. Go back and review the meanings associated with the brand names listed above in terms of Myers’s eight “p’s.” What advertising images do you associate with your meanings of the different brands? What intertextual experiences or code systems are you applying to construct the meanings of these brands? The meanings of these brand names are constituted by larger public relations campaigns involved in creating positive images for products, companies, industries, or organizations. This includes creating logos that are readily identifiable and that evoke a positive image. If a logo is perceived to evoke an outdated, out-of-touch image, that logo will then be revised. For examples of logos see: Which of these logos is effective and which are not. Have students create their own logos, using the following features: - Simplicity - Appealing colors - Legibility - A relevant graphic The big question is, how does one judge whether these attributes are present since each is very subjective? If you have an opportunity, “test” your logo by allowing customers or potential customers to see it. But the truth is, in the final analysis the logo must please you. Look at the National Board’s logo for an example
Commercialism in Education Research Unit, : Citizens Campaign for Commercial-Free Schools Webquest: Kimberly Colley, School Funding and Commercial Advertising in Schools Political Advertising Another important topic related to advertising is political advertising. Political campaigns often revolve around the number and effectiveness of their television ads. These ads may provide some information about candidates, but they often stress slogans, sound bites, and deceptive images. In many cases, candidates turn to negative advertising focused on attacking their opponent’s record. Moreover, these ads are often highly expensive, resulting in the fact that only well-financed or wealthy candidates can run for office. Much of this is due to the relatively high costs of advertising charged by television stations. Although a campaign finance law passed in 2002, it did not include a mandated reduction in the costs of television ads sought by proponents of campaign reform, who argue that these cost price many candidates out of the market. For more on this topic, see the PBS program, 30 Second Candidate: The of the Moving Image: The Living Room Candidate (online exhibit of candidates from and American Democracy: Analyzing a political ad for Better Campaigns (improving political advertising) FactCheck: deceptions in political ads C-Span: campaign ads for the 2004 Presidential election Common Cause The Critical Role of Television in Political Campaigns