Feb 06 2012
Not sure what to call it
Upon reading Wei-Ting Leong’s powerful blog reflecting on materialism and broad, societal marketing, I pondered the unrealistic cultural expectations placed on youth, sexually soaked ads, and viral value creation – I thought of consumerism and materialism and human consumption wants and needs.
But then I watched Ting’s attached video:
And I realized, ‘who cares?’ Who cares about concepts, textbooks, and petty things when not enough people give a shit that war, hate, bloodshed, and oppression are regularities in our world? The ever-present issues plaguing global regions become real when raw, uncensored material grasps your attention and handles your emotions.
It makes me wonder: what is the ‘ultimate purpose of life?’ Narayanan Krishnan has it figured out:
Why aren’t there more people in our world like Narayanan Krishnan? Could marketing create a link between human values and social issues? If so, could innate human characteristics allow for a marketing scheme that could positively affect the world as a whole, instead of just the bottom line?
I think so. In the 21st century marketers are straying from mass techniques and narrowing in on individual relationships with consumers, as well as interactive marketing. Maybe marketers can tap in the emotional strength of messages like the above, and promote ethical acts and love and kindness that seems to be missing from a majority of our population.
A simple video can hit home for a lot of people. Consider The SPCA commercials featuring Sarah Mclachlan.
Food for thought.