A Pretty Good Course

Consumer Behavior was one of those classes where I think I've learned a lot more than I realize right now. I have a feeling that after a few weeks of watching commercials and reading prints ads after this semester it will hit me how much I've actually picked up on some of these things.

One of the topics that I have began to notice a lot is priming. I see it EVERYWHERE now, and in many ways the same goes for framing. Its remarkable how subtly we are manipulated! I am constantly comparing attributes of different products and services in my head when viewing them, and wondering why I am being told certain things and not others. Take a recent State Farm ad for example. They compare themselves to Progressive and Geico? What about Allstate? Amica? Farmer's? What is cut rate insurance? What exactly are you talking about. Flo is telling me to name my own price, while my uncle (project manager at Amica) is telling me I can name my own price anywhere, it just means I won't get any coverage. Are you trying to trick me Flo? I think you are.

Priming? Wha-hey! I'm just doing my job!

Finally, the title of this post is kind of tongue in cheek, but in reality, CB was more than just a "pretty good" course, it actually stands out as one of the more valuable Marketing courses I've taken at Roger Williams. Happy trails!

Reference Groups

I'll admit it now, I am a complete and total football fan. I watch the Patriots religiously, do fantasy football every season (and take the time to take it seriously) and will generally sit around and watch any college or NFL game on the weekend instead of doing other things, such as homework or exercising or doing something productive. During these games there is literally a cornucopia of marketing and vying for position between cheap beers, cheap chain restaurants, insurance, and even investing. All of these things however appeal to a truly American reference group, the All-American Everyman. One company who excels at this is Coors Light. I'm not a Coor's Light drinking man by any means (give me Bud or Miller High Life) but I can't help but feel for the everyman aesthetic put forth by much of their advertising.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUZr0sNy0sc


This ad just shows a bunch of buddies hanging out at a bar, and one guy who appears to never buy a round for the other guys. As silly as it seems on the surface, this is in fact a real phenomenon and will set a bunch of workingman's associated networks firing. Football-Bar-Buddies-Beer-Cheapskate-(insert buddy's name here). After watching this ad for the hundredth time, I started to think about one of my buddies who never buys a round, and always managed to scheme his way out of paying, so much that we don't care anymore. If only we had a talking Ditka poster to call him out.