No - they shape what is available to watch. Ultimately, it's my decision whether I choose to watch what they are offering, or not.

No one puts a gun to your head to watch anything.

Mark, it seems like you have given a lot of thought
to the effects of mass communication on society.

I might be wrong but it seems you are
seeing the damaging effects of it and
you have a solution.

We can have a positive effect for our clients and their customers
by getting data insights on past behavour so we can be on point
with the message.

What if we knew that a group of people are about to travel to a theme park.

A group are buyers of Dr Schols shoes.

A group are buyers of $15,000+ worth of jewellery the
last 12 months.

What if we identified the buyers of dog treats.

Identified businesses who were late in filing to the IRS.

Identified those who are about to buy a matress over $500 in the next 90 days?

Identified those that use Uber or Lyft.

Identified those that are about to shift their auto insurance
and know the insurance co they are with?

The mothers that have recently spent
$150 or more on a young girls dress?

Do you think you could get your message more on point knowing this?

And not being a pest but a welcome guest?

Know their mailing adress so that you can have
a more personal uninterrupted conversation?

Of course I could be totally of mark in thinking this
behavior data that I have can be used to make a positive impact.

Best,
Ewen

P.S. Here's an example of joining the dots between data on behaviour
and being on point so you or your client is a welcome guest,
not a pest.

The Hotel close to a theme park joins together with a
Dr Scols shoes and a fine jewellery store.

They create a common theme where there's
going to be helpfull info on making the most
of the stay at their vacation destination.

Remember, we have identified those that are about going
to stay at a theme park in the next 90 days.

So as well as time to the theme park via Uber or Lyft,
[Yes you can bring one of them onto the promo],
they will need comfortable shoes with all their
walking around the theme park, sightseeing and shopping.

Talking of shopping the fine jeweller provides the Uber
or even better a limo to pick up the big spender for
private viweing of their fine range of exclusive jewellery.

You also know they are buyers of Seagers gin.
So have that ready for a relaxing end of day
wind down drink.

You also know they subscribers to the Discovery Channel.
Make that available.

You know they are subscribers to the Robb Report. and Home and Garden.

What a way to relax reading their fav mags.

All because you had the behaviour data on groups of people.

This all comes together to create a wow experience.

Data and knowing how to use it.

Advertisers are more like leeches than omnipotent beings.


Plus, the higher up the advertiser food chain you clamber, the more the Elite Names hit home the same essential message ... namely that it is real hard to persuade people to do stuff or buy stuff they don't want, an' far easier to fix up messagin' to take people forward with what they DO want.


When Drayton Bird said Understand the power of asking & People only buy when they're ready to buy. Not when you're ready to sell, he did naaaht throw on a sequined thong an' go gyrate his ass off in the mall promotin' CROCHETED ANTELOPE ARTERY BABY SUFFOCATORS bcs nowan wants that kinda stuff, no matter how EELEEET it sounds.

Actually it's consumerism that dictates, funds and drives advertising. It's a conceit bordering on self-delusion to believe that advertisers are in business to do anything other than serve the market.

Lol. That's a tad bombastic - even for a copywriter. And to quote one of your posts, you're missing the point. The state of advertising is a symptom of the state of society. You're not going to change the course of civilization with a better promo.

With apologies to Pete Seeger:

"If you had a hammer, you could hammer in the morning...
pound your toast to crumbs, pound your bacon to bits

Pound your lunch to nuggets, pound your soup to splashes,

all over this land.

Pound your dinner to mush, pound your snacks to dust...

Pound everything around you, but you need to BUY a hammer,

And I've got a hammer for sale,

And I'll let you buy it...

But only for today, at a special discount,
in a limited number,
before they're all gone.

So you must buy a hammer,
buy a hammer from me,
And hammer in the morning, cause everything's a nail,

And you'll hammer out justice,
you'll hammer out common sense,
you'll be happy
and live ever after...

etc., etc."

As a former hammer salesman,

like the guy with smallpox in Deadwood:

https://youtu.be/Q0XBHpXLkUs

I apologize.

And what all knowing, morally superior person would be the judge of what these products are? What happened to free speech, and our right to choose?

Ahhh..Mark, Mark, Mark.....

Except for charities, businesses are in business to generate a profit. And they do that by selling what people want to buy...not what you think they should buy...but what they want to buy.

And advertising platforms (including print and broadcast) are in the business of selling ads, not deciding what ads serve a greater good.

the reason for the decline in ratings and viewership.. and the destruction of many newspapers and magazines that was drive by advertising revenue.. is because the masses are escaping into areas where they can avoid as much advertising as possible..

and wwe .. uses the broadcast media .. to fill stadiums and sell premium events on pay per view .. that have no advertising ..I avoid watching television.. because i hate most of the advertising ..between the political ads and the adds for medications.. and the trauma inducing change in volume from the program you are trying to watch and the adds.. so you have to raise the volume to hear the dialougue ..and then grab the remote and mute to not have the crap scared out of you because the volume on the comercial is double that of the movie yo are watching ..

blah blah blah.. when i can't skip the ad on a you tube video.. i just go to another you tube video

Advertising does influence society of some level Mark.

I'd add 2 things buddy:

1: The meat of the message determines the power of the message. If the message is weak, folks tune out.

2: Those with some mindfulness see through 99.9999999% of the marketing message that many advertisers use from an energy of scarcity-fear. Example; the idea that someone or some words or a mass of humans can control me is kinda funny. I don't have that highly developed fear of criticism that leads to sheeple-tendencies, combativeness, resistance, etc. But it takes some mindfulness and we know; most human beings live in the future or past, not in the moment.

Cool post dude.

[...]

Good to see you on here again Mark.

Alex

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Just sitting with this a little more:

The consensus seems to be that commerce drives advertising.

Chicken and the egg? Or something deeper?

.................................................. ..........

Now, I want you to think about a dollar bill.

See it in your imagination.

Maybe it's old and all wrinkled up.

Maybe it's crisp and new.

Doesn't matter.

Just imagine that dollar bill.

Where are you going to spend it?

Is it something that you identify with, like... "I'm a Coke drinker."?

Or is it something you want to see more of in the world, like... "I only buy organic, because I don't appreciate the damage big corporations cause in the soil."

Either way, where you spend that "harmless" dollar is an absolute testament to what YOU want to see more of in the world.

Here's the thing:

As a copywriter who has inspired, tricked, manipulated, motivated... whatever word you wanna use... to get people to "press the buy" button...

I can tell you, most business owners don't give a damn about helping people with the best products and services.

They're far more interested in getting under your skin - by twisting a metaphorical knife into the fears THEY know you have. And THEY (advertisers) know HOW to connect with the image you hold of yourself; your very identity, and convince you that THEY know what you need. THAT is what drives commerce. And whoever spends the most money to get in front of your face, again and again... typically wins.

The thing is...

WE have a responsibility in this.

Because remember, where YOU spend that DOLLAR BILL... is what YOU want to see more of in the world. So, when you support the people, companies, and corporations that only want to get your money, you're simultaneously empowering the big-brand-money-grabbers to keep sticking their slimy hands into OUR pockets.

The point?

Well, the next time you pull a dollar bill out of your wallet, pocket, or purse...

Ask yourself:

"Is this what I want to see more of in the world? Or am I supporting something I don't actually jive with?"

When more people start consciously asking that question...

Consumerism really can drive commerce and advertising.

But until then...

We're just being naive. There are simply too many people out there, playing a big advertising game, that only want your money. And if they have the financial backing, their "money-grab" can redefine advertising and commerce.

Mark

When Krishnamurti invited evrywan to be "the change you want to see in the world", tbh I ain't sure he had in mind no kinda broad brush filosophical dogma says evry cent you spend, evry kiss you give, evry pat on the back you recieve, gotta be muscled up to artery-pump maxo with Irrefutability's Angels soarin' e'er overhead.

For sure, I got concerns 'bout my existence an' my relationship to others goes beyond my immediate desire for BURGERS, dinky SHOES, an' undergarments don't split me in half when I bend out all weirdsy in Yoga class.

But I would want always for my motivation to deliver on licks an' kisses 'steada foamin' at the frickin' mouth.

tbh I got no time for a bloodbath of righteous zealotry.

Is advertisin' the pinnacle of enthoosiastic zeal on a mission, higher purpose stuffs gonna transform the planet on a crusadin' roll?

Or sumthin' closer to where evryday people persons actschwlly are?


https://youtu.be/SiXNY7ganh0

So much of your post just makes no sense.

Cosmos, before it's too late, consciousness, rise up and take over, take our civilization back...I do understand some states have legalized things which could lead to being more in tune with the cosmos.

First, there have been tons and tons and tons of shows that even with loads and loads of advertising dollars have failed simply because the public didn't like them. No amount of advertising dollars could get enough viewers to tune in.

Second, it would take me pages and pages to list all the products that have had billions of dollars spent to advertise them, and yet they still bombed because the public didn't want them. No amount of dollars could influence society to buy.

Third, the biggest advertisers usually advertise products that have already been deemed by the general population to be things they will buy...

Auto. One of the biggest advertisers. People are going to buy cars. Manufacturers compete to have their brand of cars bought.

Restaurants, another one of the biggest advertisers. People are going to eat out. Restaurants advertise to get you to eat at their joint.

Personal care...household products...beverages (all among the top advertisers). You're going to buy soap and shampoo and stuff to clean your house...and beer, and Pepsi or Coke, blah, blah, blah. I could go on and on.

You can download the white paper at Ad Age on who spends the most and on what.

I see you write copy for mostly pills and health cures? So I guess this is what you're calling real life changing stuff?

Nobody is keeping you from advertising the stuff you write for. If the people want the products you advertise, they'll buy them. If they don't want them they won't buy them.

Maybe you're starting to realize what those big bad advertisers that spend billions a year already know...you can't always throw enough money at a product, show, movie, etc., and force people to buy into your advertising.

Every day people still decide what they want and what they don't...

and now with social media the way it is...I'm not even going to start explaining why that makes your post even more senseless.

Problem we got rn is OTT flooidity.

An' prolly we gettin' way mixed up 'bout what evrywan wants & needs kinda along the way.

Thing is ... toward what immaculate fyooture could we or should we all be drawn?

Even if we script the f*cker ourselves?

Immediatest evah deal 'bout advertisin' is how it gotta reinvent iteslf over an' over less'n Nouveau Eyeballs lookin' in on Divinest Evah Proclamation go kinda MLEH.

On a trooly free kinda planet, advertisin' is the reflectin' kudos says EVEN MEDOOSA CAN MAKE IT THRU.

Elseplace, all we got is deterministic propaganda enslaves anywan stoopid enough to render 'emselves frickin' STOOPID.



Nope.

Ineffectual provocateurs rarely care 'bout lesser disruptional ditzos.

Prolly they got pets figure alla that schwango ...

I'm afraid that it's too late. The content is not created anymore for the sake of informing, education, becoming a better version of ourselves, but only for the sake of product placement. I remember Google search results back in 2009, they were relevant for what I was looking for, and now it's only relevant for what it's likely for me to buy. It would require the death of capitalism in order to stop this trend, which is impossible.

Prolly what we talkin' 'bout here is the powah (or lack of it) of transformational conduitismo.

Seems to Moi how advertisin' is fulla superfluxystuffs.

One side of the kissup, you got people with offers.

Other side of the kissup, you got people want shit.

Superfluxystuff magic says ... alla you peoples get to kiss up sweet an' swanky off into a fyooture packin' alla the stuff you wanted.


Meanin' buyer trades in curiosity an' WANNA for RESULT ... an' sellah dangles carrots so expertly it is kinda PORNO.

Seems always the advertiser has the upper hand here.

Cos she like applyin' ZERO PRESSURE to the string danglin' offa her thumb & forefinger bcs it POSITIONED DIRECTLY O'ERHEAD WITH SUCH IMMACULATE DEFTNESS PROLLY IT GONNA FEEL LIKE FATE -- less'n anywan on the other enda the string SO MAD HUNGRY FOR CARROTS it means she gotta flex up an' pull back hard when she feels a yank.

Thing is ... powah, always, is downhome way bottom on the string.

Otherwise ... what value be there in anythin' dangles?

Less'n mebbe it swings around for a while, fulla promise, an' eventyooally sparkies up an' delivers.

Wanna inflooence nowan from outta noplace -- go make a movie or write a book.

tbh most advertisers leech that kinda procreative bounty so many steps behind the event you can kinda time boilin' an egg thx to their ponderous steps into the posthumously clonetasmal yonder.

Anyways -- I got started out here on transformational conduitismo.

Which, it turns out, ain't actshwlly nuthin' much to speak 'bout rn ...

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