Relating to a social theory

I thought about which one I could most easily relate to and I decided to use the Health Belief Model (HBM).   I liked how it motivated people to prevent disease.

The reason why I choose to relate myself to this model and see how my life has changed in some way was because my mom has been sick since I was very young.  It had such an impact on my life in a significant way, not only because of her illness and how it affected the family but just being aware of renal failure, what it is, how you prevent it, how your life changes from it, how many people have it, what happens when you do have it, all this kind of knowledge.  Most people dont even know what renal failure is. When your kidneys don’t work you are forced to live on a life support machine (dialysis) which filters your blood for 4 hours, 3 days a week until you get a kidney transplant. The wait is astounding, a person can wait up to ten years and the treatment of dialysis is not pleasant.

Using the model, almost every person can be susceptible to kidney failure. High blood pressure (hypertension) causes kidney failure as well as and in particular with people who have diabetes have a high susceptibility. The perceieved threat would be to live on a life support machine or get a kidney transplant. If people eat right and make healthy choices when it comes to their eating habits and taking care of themselves than they are less likely to get renal disease. After having the knowledge of the disease I have adopted it in my life by eating better,  checking my blood pressure regularly, and much more.

College Binge Drinking Response

The Dirk Campaign which focused on negative consequences which featured a student passed out sleeping through a final exam, I felt really is not going to make someone at a party not want to drink. The story about the man waking up next to a woman beside him and not knowing who she is, is also probably not going to make a college student not want to drink. I mean we see these situations in movies. For example in Old School we see Owen Wilson wake up next to the teenage girl the morning after the fraternity party, as he called it the “releasing him in the wild.”  We find it comical. I will speak for 90 percent of college students when I say we like to get drunk and we like to party thats the bottom line.  I will however say, I have never met a person or any of my friends including myself who let a friend drive drunk or act irresponsible when it comes to driving. I do understand that there are other consequences of drinking alcohol. I remember for a period of time HBO actually produced those life stories I dont know if anyone remembers them but for some reason I do, which had an impact on me so it was successful.  One story was about a man who was at a party, got drunk and drove home. On his way home he crashed into a young woman and killed her. For the rest of his life I believe the consequence of his actions was to write a check for one dollar to the family of the person he killed so that he would never forget what he had done. It literally drove him insane where he couldnt do it and was sent to jail. Stories like that make you actually think…..what if that was me? what if I was in his shoes?  The story made you feel terrible for the family who lost their daughter and even for the young man who killed the woman. Those campaigns of the student late for class not taking a final is nothing compared to the story  I mentioned.

Eyebeam/Chelsea Art Museum

Very interesting. I would like to thank the professor for his tour.  I think its important as New Yorkers to get out and cross a bridge every once in a while and go visit places such as an art museum or just to experience the city every now and than and take advantage of what it has to offer.

I liked the swing video very much. I found it fascinating how much preparation it took and how strangely odd it was (if you dont mind me saying). Where was that fimed? Was there any particular reason why he choose the places he did?  All the exhibits were very interesting and some were very funny. The Best Buy stunt was the funniest. I don’t like grafitti. However, the exhibit about the spray painting on the sidewalks was interesting. All these exhibits were not something you see everyday. I enjoyed watching them and viewing some of the work. Thanks for the tour!

Social Marketing – PSA example

I remember this PSA growing up. I heard some people in the class talking about this and thought you might like to see it..

Chapter 5 -Soap, Sex, and Cigarettes (The Depression and World War II)

Very Interesting Chapter. The Stock market crash in 1929 caused economic and professional concerns of the content of advertising in the early ’30s. Cost conscious advertisers used color and illustrations sparingly, substituting extensive text in a multitude of typefaces to grab attention. Advertisers worked hard to show how their client’s product was necessary or attractive in terms of price, function, or value. 

Intersting….Supermarket operators hoped that customers would buy in quantity and supplied shoppers with hand-held wire baskets to carry their purchases. However, baskets loaded with bulky food products quickly overburdened shoppers. Led by Sylvan and Goldman (Oklahoma grocer) to create the wheeled shopping cart. People didnt use carts until the store had employees push carts around the store fronts filled with groceries. People eventually caught on.

Soap, Sex, and Cigarettes Chapter 4: The Roaring Twenties

The early twenties took off on a period of rising prosperity. The stock market soared, and industrial production nearly doubled between 1921 and 1929.

Wages increased and more families had extra money to spend on wants rather than needs.

The price of electricity went down, light bulbs replaced smokey Kerosene lamps. Telephones kept people in touch. Radios brought news and entertainment. The number of cars sold in the U.S. increased to one car per family by ’29. Advertisers prodded this lifestyle change by promoting everything from auto models to tires.

Retail chain store business thrived in the twenties. Retail managers applied scientific management principles to their multiple store operations. Layout and design, Human Resources, advertising, and consumer research all played a role in this. A&P, Sears, Wards, Pennies and Rexall Drugs became giants.

The Hershey Bar was a packaged product thet sold itself largely w/out advertising. Hersheys famous first printed was not until 1970.

Mail order sales increased with Sears and Montgomery Wards. These stores also started to build near Highways because of new mobility.

The first electric pop-up toaster for the home was introduced in 1927 by toastmaster (ad on page 174)

Removing unnessary words from previous post

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I found the article interesting on the contrary to how most students in the class responded. One of the several points that i think Sut Jhally tried to get accross was that advertising acts as a guide or “points the way to it through objects” to what makes us happy.  Sure we pass advertisements everyday and they are thrown in our face but most of what we see as consumers is what we want whether it be on billboards outside or on the television we watch in our homes. I do agree that social factors like love, family, friendship, and sociability are what is most important to us. We seek ways to pursue frienships and love.

I would have omitted the section about Karl Marx which was introduced early in the article. It was extremely boring and not necessary. I could care less what Karl Marx would say if he were writing today. I think its safe to say we have passed the millenium and we could put Karl Marx to rest.

 Although this was a good article, i would like to read up on something good about advertising for once! The question is -Is there anything good out there? Sut Jhally talked about “the end of the world as we know it”.  I thought it was interesting how he pointed out some serious issues that are being ignored. “Human activities inflict harsh and irreversible damage on the environment and on critical resources” This is true.  I absolutley agree that we need to stop and think about the world in which we live. How the things we buy as consumers are made and how the production of these products or commodities create irreversible damage to our ozone layer or the air in which we breath.

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I found the article interesting, contrary to most students. One point Sut Jhally tried to get accross was that advertising acts as a guide or “points the way to it through objects” to happiness.  We pass advertisements everyday and are thrown in our face but most of what we see as consumers is what we want whether on billboards outside or television we watch in our homes. I agree that social factors are what is most important to us. We seek ways to pursue frienships and love.

I would have omitted the section about Karl Marx, early in the article.  I think its safe to say we could Karl Marx to rest, his thoughts are no longer interesting in the society we live today.

 Although this was a good article, I would like to read up on something good about advertising for once! The question is -Is there anything good out there? Sut Jhally talked about “the end of the world as we know it”.  Some serious issues are being ignored. “Human activities inflict harsh and irreversible damage on the environment and on critical resources” As consumers we have to be aware of how the production of these products or commodities create irreversible damage threatening our Earth.

Chapter 3 Notes for Soap, Sex, and Cigarettes

1900-World War I – The Rise of a Consumer Economy.

Millions of American incomes increased as industrialist expanded creating a demand for consumer goods. Several mergers consolidated many independent Firms into large scale corporations. These corporations controlled industries such as railroads, coal, iron, copper, oil, steel, sugar, and tobacco. For example Nabisco acquired  many independent bakers. These firms took advantage of the controlling production and management and now assumed control over marketing and purchasing activities. Advertisements now did more than just inform customers, now they relentlessly tried to persuade Americans to buy a particular brand and stay loyal.

Advertising attracted many new immigrants to America. 9 million from 1900-1910. New industries emerged, such as ready to eat cereals, light bulbs, vacuums, irons, toasters and even washing machines. New retail outlets started to spread throughout the country. Woolworths had over 600 stores. J.C.Penney had 300 retail clothing outlets called chain stores. A&P had over 400 food outlets and by 1929 had over 15,000 stores and was considered the largest retailer of any kind until 1965 -Sears.

Females were isolated to work on products such as food, soap, cosmetics. Women worked as secretaries or researchers and struggled to get noticed as copywriters. Advertisers started to turn their advertising entirely over to ad agencies.

Nabisco created a brand name cracker and created a distinctive octagonal shape to preserve the crackers crispness. They were packed  air-tight in paper lined packages.

By 1900, magazines exploded with color. The look of the ad became increasingly important. According to Elmo Calkins the “look” of the ad meant “that combination of text with design which produces a complete advertisment.” Skillful use of emotional appeals could move products faster than any other approach. See memorable slogans on page 106.

New agencies were growing in size. They offered pretty much the same as the agencies today, which consist of planning, research, ad prep etc. Beginning around 1900, schools started to offer courses in advertising. A decade later Harvard, NYU and Boston University among other schools started offering the same.

Cleanliness was an issue in the early 1900′s People usually only bathed on Saturday or before holidays. Metropolitan Insurance joined the corps of activist and reinforced the idea of cleanliness with some successful advertising.

Advertising Revolutionized the Breakfast Menu. Fruit growers realized that they had to find new ways to use oranges. This fruit did not lend themselves to be baked such as apples did. One strategy was a marketing and design of a glass hand held reamer that enabled people to squeeze their own fresh juice. The most famous Sunkist ads displayed:  ”Drink an Orange.” (see pages 122-123)

Henry Ford brought the automobile to the common man. Before the model T, the average car cost around $2,800 while prestige models were priced at $8,000-10,000. The Model T was considered the family horse. The Model T was available in many colors. In 1910 to keep production costs down, Ford only made green cars. In 1911 nothing but blue and from 1914-1925 nothing but black. From 1908-1911 GM was formed. Chevrolet joined forced with GM and overtook Ford as the nation’s choice for a basic car. The first car ad’s pictured silhouettes of the vehicle, while copy stressed mechanical features such as: horsepower, number of cyclinders, transmission, performance claims, etc.

Soap, Sex and Cigarettes – Chapter 2 Notes (1880-1900 Selling the Goods)

Dramatic changes due to economic growth had occured by the 1880′s. Distribution had reached coast to coast markets, factories increased, *raw materials were transported at a faster rate and even at a lower cost. Manufacturers also started to encounter increased competition.

*Raw material refers to a good not transformed by production.

Cities started to grow in census and the consumer population started to understand print ads. People produced and made their own necessities but now manufacturers had to convince the public to buy soaps, bread, clothes among other necessities to buy their products.

 Some expansion of mail order houses made possible for sales to grow on a national scale. Companies that demonstrated this were Montgomery Ward (defunct retailer today) and Sears, Roebuck and Co. Sears published catalogs with clearly stated prices and offered customers to obtain items in the catalog quickly.

Firms set up extensive marketing organizations and made ties between retailers and managers. Andrew Carnegie became the world’s leader of producing steel and at the time *John D. Rockeller was the leader of oil. Small firms just could not keep up with the larger Firms consolidating marketing and manufacturing together.

*John D. Rockefeller on an interesting note was the world’s first billionaire. He had also created foundations for medicine,  education and scientific research. As we are most familiar with the Rockefeller name; Rockefeller plaza was named after him.

Some companies as a result of advertising helped lay the foundations of the growth of Sears, Colgate-Palmolive, Pillsbury, American Express, and American Tobacco.

Advertising in the 1880′s and 90′s used a variety of media to deliver messages such as the newspaper, magazines and outdoor advertising. Advertising started to make consumers aware of their product and distinguish them from competition. Marketings first success with brand name goods was Quaker Oats.

Early manufacturers boxed hundreds of cereals. Procter and Gamble (not mentioned in the text -P&G had their factories on Staten Island amongst other places, produced and distributed Ivory soap here on the Island. The neighborhood where the factory once stood until recent years is called Port Ivory.) Pillsbury flour, Heinz Condiments are also examples of boxed goods. Packaging proved an effective medium to display the brand name and the trademark and to explain why the product was the one of choice.

Catchy slogans and a large amount of advertising made Royal Baking Powder, Sapolio soap, and Ivory three of the most recognized brand names of the day. (You can find the ad for Royal Baking Powder on page 71) Soapmakers took the lead in enterprising advertising on a large scale. Although not mentioned in the text, the reading mentioned Lever brothers which we know today as the company that puts out ALL and WISK laundry detergents along with other cleansing products. As you can see these companies have been around for decades.

Ivory soap’s memorable slogan “It floats” first appeared in an 1891 ad.

John S. Pemberton, started Coca Cola in 1886. Pemberton began advertising with trade cards entitling the bearer to a free coke. As we know today drinking coke is an American tradition. (ads on pages 75-77)

PR/Propaganda Picture

I really thought this was a great picture. If anyone has recently watched the movie Flags of our Fathers you would easily be able to  relate this poster to the movie. If you notice at the very bottom of the poster it says “New York American” if you can’t enlist you can still be patriotic and buy a Libery bond! The poster is trying to say if you cant help your country this way…you can help us another.