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Old 01-16-2006, 11:00 AM   #18
luxury1
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 121
Quote:
Originally Posted by MNBoxster
We live in a Mass Marketed Society. Any thought that we are Individual is an Illusion.

We wear the same clothes, eat the same foods, drive the same Cars, read the same Newspapers and Magazines, see the same Movies and watch the same TV Shows. How many out there are wearing Levis or Nikes right now? How many started their day with a Sip from Juan Valdez and a Munch from Pillsbury, General Mills, Pepridge Farms, Smuckers, or Quaker?

Advertising and Marketing Firms have only one Product - US! They deliver US to their Clients - the Manufacturers. They do this by giving us what we want... after telling us what that is.

The Color Charts for Porsche Cars are determined long before the Buyer is even in the equation. It has to be in order to get bids from Suppliers and allow time for them to produce their Paint stocks.

To be sure, Focus Groups and Marketing trends are used in this selection process, but this is merely a small sampling which is then used as being representative of the Market as a whole. Whether it is accurate or not is immaterial, because once decided, this is what we're stuck with, like it or not.

Just look at Cars through the years. In the early 90's everything was either Pearlescant White or Metallic Earth Toned Browns. Did people like them? Well, they bought them in droves. In the '60's and '70's, Red, Blues and Green Metallics were the rage (oh and let's not forget Gold).

In time, in order to stand apart and capture a little greater Market Share, Companies will produce alternatives and a whole new wave of Colors gets a Run.

I'm afraid that to a LARGE extent, we are buying those colors which Porsche WANTS us to buy.

This may all sound a bit depressing - that we have so little control in our lives, but Mass Marketing and Mass Production is the only way to efficiently provide for the 6 Billion or so Souls existing on this Spinning Rock. It is not to Like or Dislike, it is simply what IS...
I don't entirely agree with this because it doesn't taking into account all of the products we simply don't like that fail. For instance, even though there was extensive marketing, nobody drinks crystal pepsi. Also look at the entry level hatchbacks from BMW and Mercedes that didn't make it in the US because we decided we didn't want them. I agree that marketing has some influence but it is not as great as suggested. Also, we have the choice to have all of our products custom made (including paint) but we will choose as individuals to capitalize on the economies of scale.

And the argument also suggests that individuals are solely comprised of posessions which I also find flawed since brains and personality isn't accounted for and I believe it is this that truly differentiates us.

Of course there is a finite set of products but it is our demand or wishes that often creates the next products.

Last edited by luxury1; 01-16-2006 at 11:07 AM.
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