Changes are always taking place
JANUARY 2, 2008 (WEDNESDAY)
In 1961, I subscribed to National Geographic and for forty years kept every issue. They are on bookshelves in my den. After the advent of the computer, I was given a set of compact disks that reproduces every issue of National Geographic from the very first issue ever published. Since every page of every issue is in this set, all the advertisements are there also. That provides the opportunity to study the ads, observing how they’ve changed in 108 years.
From a purely personal point of view, unscientific in every way, it seems to me that there has taken place a radical shift in the way advertising is done. The early ads focus on the product, and are very straightforward. Ads today take into account many psychological and sociological factors, and are–-I don’t know another way to say it—manipulative.
Whether it’s a hard product like a refrigerator or a service like medical or legal practice, the ads target groups of potential consumers on the basis of intense surveys and studies. This concept has spawned the development of consultant firms that charge high dollar for advice about trends in society.
As we begin 2008, these think tanks are grinding out predictions about what people will want this year. An article in yesterday’s “USA Today” offers insights into some trends we may expect. Freely paraphrasing the article, the following ideas are what I think it basically says to us.
- People will stay in contact more and more with messages online, utilizing what is now known as social networking sites.
- At the same time, however, consumers will put more trust in tried and true brands and companies, with a growing suspicion of web-based offers.
- Concerns about the environment will become more personal as we focus on specific things we can do that might help, and less involved in mass movements and protest.
- More people will try being nice to each other instead of confrontational, as we realize the enormity of the threats and problems we face as a people.
- People will focus less on idealism and more on reality and face up to life as it is, attempting to make some kind of positive contribution, however small it may seem.
- Finally, the article says, we will try to get away from it all and have some fun this year.
Predictions almost always don’t come to pass in exactly the way they are first stated, but these forecasts are interesting, at least to me.