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?
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10 comments:
Yes. I think stealth techniques are needed in order to get their product noticed. Because nobody pays attention to boring stuff, only things that are interesting to them.
I agree with Anthony =)
I think stealth technics are somewhat ethical.
If someone, I kinda know, asked me to put together a huge party for a band or something and I'd be getting payed major money, I'd do it.
But the one thing that creeps me out about it is that older men are going into chatrooms and asking random people to put together things like that and they don't even know the person.
That's weird to me.
I don't trust a lot of people, especially people on the internet.
It'd be easier putting flyers up for help are distribute it on the radio.
Stealth is a good way to get someones product out to our society and it makes sense.
Stealth marketing is both ethical and unethical for different reasons. It greatly depends on which point of view you are coming from. As a consumer we may find this unfair because the marketers are being so sneaky that we can no longer differentiate between what is a marketing scheme or what is reality. There is also the companies point of view. This company has to make money to continue its business. When we as consumers have become too knowledgable to buy into their marketing, we stop buying their product. Thus causing the company to fail. Looking through the employees eyes we see that when the company they work for crashes, the person no longer can provide for themselves or their family.
I do think that marketers should be more honest and straightforward with their marketing, yet it has become necessary for them to sneak into our heads and plant their product.
I think that it is and it isn't ethical, it differs depending on what side of the spectrum your on. If someone offered me money to log on to a chat room and throw a party it would be hard to say what i would do, if it was alot of money than i would do it, who wouldn't right? but i would be mad if people i didn't know or like showed up because i don't obviously know them or how they are going to act while at a party. It is obviously important to know whether or not you are watching the real thing when it comes to concerts and chat rooms because if you go expecting to be one way and it ends up being something different it might be for the worst.
I BLEAVE NO MATTER WHAT THE MARKETING COMPANEYS DO, THE TEENS ARE THE ONES WHO CHOOSE TO BE THERE AND DO WHAT THOSE PPL ASK THEM TO. IF THEY ASKED ME TO GO INTO A CHAT AND MAKE A PARTY I WOULD PROBLY DO IT IF I THOUGHT IT WAS FUN AND IF I WANTED TO BUT IF I REALLY DIDNT CARE ABOUT IT, I DONT CARE WHAT THEY SAY I WOULDNT DO IT. SO THEY CAN KEEP GOING SELLING AND RESAURCHING EVERYTHING THEY WANT AND ITS ALL UP TO US IF WE ARE GOING TO LISTEN OR NOT
I would probably throw the party if I got paid major money. If not no. But I do think stealth techniques are needed to get products noticed, how else would all of these teens find out about 'cool'?
stealth techniques are un-ethical, nobody listens to what other people say, and most teens discard advertisements. teens all think that different things are "cool" If we all liked the same things, then there wouldnt be any diversity, therefor we wouldnt be acting like teens at all.
"stealth" techniques are unethical because there are not honestly advertising, although it is a great way to make money i dont think it is ethical
DADakota
I think it isnt really a big deal. Whether someone finds it sneaky and unfair shouldnt matter much because no one is forcing you to like the product or go to the party. Just a way to advertise it. And is someone who wasnt a creep would pay me to through a party for sprite or whatever brand I would most likely be all for it.
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