"The Persuaders"

   While watching the movie The Persuaders, I got a layout of how advertising companies do their job to speak to the public. The most interesting parts, though, were word choice, "voter profiling," "the cycle," and the fact that we are "roaches." Like I've mentioned in a previous blog, word choice is very important for any media source. Whether it's a newspaper, a campaign, a commercial, and so on, advertisers want to make their audience feel something and connect with what they're saying, or trying to evoke.
   Many mediums use words that are directed at or for certain people, while others may express an opinion that may manipulate the audience. This brings me to my next topic: "voter profiling." This phrase refers to political figures using words that adapt based on what voters want to hear, even if it's something everyone doesn't want to hear. Utilizing this technique, campaigns can easily be affected, negatively and positively, based solely on who they're trying to reach out to. This method, however, may and can lead to a splitting of a nation into "tribes," so to speak. It's amazing how one word can completely change how someone feels about a product or person in just one 30 second to a minute commercial, long speech, article, etc.
   The next topic is what I and advertisers call "the cycle." First, someone gets the impression that they must fulfill some type of need that they never knew existed. Then, they buy the product advertised, which ironically doesn't satisfy their "needs." So, they try to find a new product will supposedly "fulfill" their "need." This endless cycle can and might happen to all of us in some point in our lives. For example, my friend used to be an Apple user. However, he switched to Samsung later; I guess he just wasn't satisfied with Apple's products, prices, and/or coverage. Lastly, the most interesting and perplexing one: we are roaches. Obviously, this is a metaphor, comparing our attachment to marketing to a roaches immunity to bug spray. In today's day and age, we never realize how much our lives and our world is run by media and advertising. You can't go anywhere without running into some form of advertising. It kind of has just integrated itself and become apart our daily lives. We can't ignore it or escaper it. Advertising is everywhere! Only when we wake up and smell the roses are we going to do something about it.