"The Merchants of Cool"

Assignment: Post a comment to this question, then read the response of other students and leave comments on posts from at least two other students.


To review the video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5109415725027567998


"The Merchants of Cool" describes the practice of "under-the-radar" marketing, including hiring teens to log-on to chat rooms to talk up bands and recruiting college freshman to throw campus parties where they distribute marketing materials. Ironically, marketers have justified "stealth" marketing as necessary because teens have become more media savvy.

Discuss this question: Do you think that "stealth" techniques are ethical?

Consider these questions as you discuss this issue:

If a marketer offered you money to log-on to chat rooms or throw a party, would you? When you are tuned in to a concert (like the hip hop concert feature in the program), or reading a message in a chat room, how important is it to know whether or not it is a commercial? Can you identify the "storytellers" behind the media you consume most often?