Blog Post #2 - Jaiden
Given the independent nature of this week's post I will be discussing a perspective from Berland in relation to her critical theory after Innis. I found this reading particularly interesting because it focuses heavily on the idea of space and how groups cannot be considered as such without the development of ideas, values or representations that results in a particular constitution. One quote that made me reflect on today’s media was this: “Control of information technology shapes the parameters of communications, knowledge, and memory, and determines the proximity to and nature of power itself” (Berland, 76). One aspect of communication that contributes to the nature of power and space is music as media. Music is something that communicates emotion and produces nostalgic effects that associate with different aspects of individual lives. It has become increasingly effective in producing space as popular music is increasingly used in advertising and marketing campaigns to connect with ‘desired’ audiences and bring positive attention to particular brands. These intimate connections that consumers make gives more power to corporations as they utilize this media as cultural currency to manipulate the consumption patterns of target populations. As these patterns begin to emerge, a central methodology develops and influences the way in which communication takes place.
Questions
Have you found yourself being more interested in products advertised on television or social media that associate themselves to a popular song/artist?
Are you more attracted to going into stores that play popular music? And do you have a more positive experience/spend more money in spaces that have it playing in the background?
Hi Jaiden, I found your blog post very interesting to read. To answer your questions, I honestly have never been more interested in products just because they are associated with a popular song or artist. I have however remembered a product more if there was a specific song that was in the commercial or advertisement but that didn't make me want to purchase it more. To answer your second question, I find I am also not more enticed to go into stores that play popular music. I often only go into stores that I often shop at or has stuff that I'm interested in purchasing. However, I do enjoy my shopping experience more if the music is better. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHi Jayden,
ReplyDeleteYour post was insightful and articulate. I particularly liked how you were able to teach a multifaceted and complex theory and apply it to something more accessible, like music. To answer your questions, while I cannot say for sure that I have been influenced to buy consumer goods because of a particular song or artist, I will say that the influence of specific lyrical quotes has a way of sticking in my mind and influencing my behaviour. For example, “Rate yourself and rake yourself. Take all the courage you have left and waste it on fixing all the problems you made in your head,” from “Little Lion Man” by Mumford and Sons. This court has always stuck with me since the first time I heard it because of its applicability to my personal and societal struggles. We spend so much time impairing ourselves to everyone else whether we want to, creating this never-ending desire to live up to what we think a good life entails. This need for validation is a barrier to enjoying our life, or it reminds me to stay out of my way. To answer your second question, music generally puts people in a better mood, making them more receptive to buying things. This a great post that got me thinking!
Hi Jaiden, fantastic post, this was a great read. I personally have not been more interested in products advertised. on television or social media that associate themselves to a popular song/artist. However, I have most certainly walked into a store because of the song. Oftentimes when I am done shopping for my desired product I will walk aimlessly around the mall. Seeing what stores are around, what food is available etc. I can think of a number of times where I have walked into a store with no intention of buying anything and yet I am in the store because of the music. I will look around until the song is over and then head out. This is almost an unconscious act that I commit, I hear a good song and immediately want to follow it. Music certainly plays a major role in our lives and a lot of the time we don't even notice it.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post Jaiden! I agree with your point on how "music is something that communicates emotion and produces nostalgic effects that associate with different aspects of individual lives". When I hear specific songs, I instantly remember trips or moments with friends when we were listening to that song. To answer your questions, I personally do not find myself more interested in products advertised on television or social media that associate themselves to a popular song/artist, but when going into a store that plays music I like, I often find myself spending more time in that store. When I spend more time in a store, I tend to purchase more items.
ReplyDelete