“The Wal-Mart life cycle” or “How Branding Works”

Be Cool, Buy Stuff

Written by Adam Shake

Just like this blog, we are all “branded.” We associate things with ourselves that are bigger than we are and we are judged by these associations.

We are Race, Political Affiliation, Sexual Orientation, Economic Standing, Geographical, Conservers, Consumers… and each one of these “Tags” carries it’s own philosophy.

What am I getting at? We are all judged and there is no getting around it. But those people who earn their livings selling us things, know enough about these “Tags” we carry around with us, to manipulate our life cycle purchasing habits. It’s called “Branding.” As in “A hot piece of iron pressed into your flesh, leaving a scar that will identify you to everyone.” Let’s face it, If you are a Republican, you are more likely to buy an S.U.V. If you’re a Democrat, then you are more likely to drive a hybrid. If you are above a certain income bracket you are more likely to buy you’re clothes at a clothing store. If you’re under a certain income bracket, you’re more likely to buy you’re clothes at Wal-Mart. Marketers know how to take our “Brands” or “Tags” and manipulate them. Then there are people like me who confuse the heck out of Marketers.

How does this manipulation affect you? Let’s take a look at history

As a kid, I grew up in the Midwest, on the shores of a beautiful lake in a town with a population of 15,000 people. (You’ve already judged me haven’t you. I’m already branded) There was a store there called Meijer’s Thrifty Acres. It was a huge store with six checkout lanes where you could go to buy both a tire for you’re car and a loaf of bread. Old Fred Meijer had started out owning a Mom and Pop Grocery store and had expanded his empire into what was at the time, this huge store. “Meijer’s” as it was called, was closed on Sundays because Fred knew that his Dutch Protestant customers would not shop a store during the week that was open on Sundays. (He had his customers Tagged)

Growing up, folks looked down on people who lived “in excess.” But as our little town grew from 15 thousand to 30 thousand and the worlds population grew from 3 billion to 6 billion, the need for “stuff” doubled as worth of the dollar fell. This caused Marketers to have to become much more savvy at their jobs. (getting us to buy their stuff instead of someone Ilse’s)

Ad campaigns targeted toward making people feel as if their identity relied on the things they owned became the norm. “Everyone is buying this, so you should too. You don’t want to be the weird one do you?” “These people are beautiful because they shop here.” “If you buy this car, you can ride around in the mountains with a wild herd of buffalo following you, or in this other one, through the rain slicked streets of New York at night under the neon lights, wouldn’t that be cool?” “If you eat this yogurt, then you will find yourself meditating in a Japanese garden at sunset.” “Only the very wealthy can afford this handbag. (So why don’t you buy one even if your not rich, so everyone will think that you are.” “This tool will make you a better carpenter, this toothpaste will get you kissed by a stranger…”

Sound’s pretty stupid doesn’t it? So how did they get us to buy the “Stuff?”

They give us more stuff to buy and convince us that we are not as good, if we don’t buy it. We start to work longer hours in an attempt to make more money to buy the stuff. We get home tired from working so hard and we flop in front of the T.V. and watch commercials about how we are not good if we don’t buy their stuff. We go back to work to make money, we watch t.v., work, t.v. and then the WEEKEND! Oh glorious weekend! We sleep in and get in our cars to buy the “Stuff” that we spent all week making the money for. We flock to the malls, the stores, the restaurants and we become better people for it. Until we feel empty and hollow and feel the compulsion to go shopping again. What happens to all this stuff we buy? Well more and more, it’s cheap stuff. Both in price and quality. So if it doesn’t get stacked, stored or given away because we run out of room for it (after all, we need more stuff) then it gets thrown away. Excellent short vid on this.

This is where company’s like Wal-Mart come in. We can go to Wal-Mart and buy cheap (price and Quality) stuff as much as we want. When it falls apart we throw it away. How does Wal-Mart offer such low prices? Low quality, low wages, price fixing and killing the competition. I could give you list’s of facts but there is not enough room in this post.

But branding is slowly turning the tables. More and more people are being Tagged by voting with their dollars at places like Wal-mart. Yes, more and more people are being judged just for driving into the parking lot. (And not in a good way) It used to be that by living in excess, you were showing that you were wealthy. But now we live in a world where you don’t have to be wealthy to live in excess. (And portraying a false image is becoming cliche.) We are starting toward a world where even wealthy people, choose not to live in excess. Where consumerism is a negative tag. Where seeing a Zales poster that shows a beautiful woman with a huge diamond and the words “This Holiday Season, Appease the Goddess“, is laughed at. (Even by the supposed Goddess)

So when you see all the other Lemmings in line on the highway to get to the Mall this weekend, take a deep breath. Over consumption hurts you, it hurts me, it hurts our children and it hurts our society. You’re better than that. (Aren’t you?)

Alter the Eco and keep up the good fight,

Adam

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