The purpose of Marketing.

the sole purpose of marketing is to make you (and me) dissatisfied with what we have now, and to make us spend money. Go out and buy "the latest and greatest"... gotta have the new one. After all the one you bought 4 months ago is no good, it's old, outdated...

We are bombarded with ads and marketing 24/7.... I think the average american sees over 1000 ads per day (forget the exact number but it's high). The number was much lower say in the 50s and 60s.

It's all about - If a company does not convince people to part with their money and give it to them, the company eventually goes bye-bye.

Our goal? Keep as much of our income as we can, and spend as little as we can. (That's my new goal anyway).

The alternative? Overspend beyond your budget/means and be in debt and broke all the time.

-steps off my anti debt soap box now.

marketing keeps me having a paycheck (oh and probably you as well ). God bless marketing.. even if they do drive me nuts.

that's human nature.

focus an idea at the masses. make it appealing, and the opposite much less appealing, and you can sell just about anything from toilet paper to war to religion.

as with anything, moderation is key.
i'm not broke. i carry the majority of the debt on my house at this time, but my 10 year old car that i bought used is paid off. if i feel it becomes unsafe for my family, i will buy another solid used car, most likely with a small loan.
i do have a nice tv, bicycle, a ps3 and a few other toys to spend a good majority of my time with - i can afford them and none of the toy/entertainment items i've purchased recently have been on credit.
sometimes though, credit is necessary, it is good to have it available. it's just a shame that many people can't contain themselves and blow it for the rest of us.

Like many americans, no one ever taught me how to handle money and avoid debt, and to save. I did it my way, and had to learn the hard way. But I am learning... better late than never

marketing helps to keep the cost of media down

Hmmm, here's a thought.. .

if apple had marketed the mac differently/better? years ago, and not been so proprietary at that time, macs may be the standard today and not windows?

Hey a guy can dream right?

Marketing drives everyone nuts but it keeps the world spinning.

I thought the purpose of marketing was to hand out free mugs and keychains

Dysfunction said:

marketing keeps me having a paycheck (oh and probably you as well ). God bless marketing.. even if they do drive me nuts.

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Yes, and you can now get a free $50 gift card with the purchase of two lollipops! Limited offer!




Seriously, I am too young to get a paycheck (I'm 12). Only 2 more years!


I also am drove crazy by marketing, and their silly woeful ways of getting us to spend money. Sadly, many ad's are aimed at people around my age group (early teens to teens) with annoying ad's about being the "Cool Beans With Back To School Fashion". UGH! Marketing just makes us more vulnerable to spending money for no reason, or at least an evident reason. C'mon, admit everyone, you have to have seen at least one TV commercial or ad Somewhere!. I even have, and I am VERY aware of marketing techniques- hence the reason people think of me as 'cheap' and 'frugal' instead of wanting to have 'fun' by watching and viewing ads! So, yes, marketing is a great thing for them [the companies] and a variable for us [us].

12 is old enough to work around your community and make money.

BlueMac said:

Yes, and you can now get a free $50 gift card with the purchase of two lollipops! Limited offer!




Seriously, I am too young to get a paycheck (I'm 12). Only 2 more years!


I also am drove crazy by marketing, and their silly woeful ways of getting us to spend money. Sadly, many ad's are aimed at people around my age group (early teens to teens) with annoying ad's about being the "Cool Beans With Back To School Fashion". UGH! Marketing just makes us more vulnerable to spending money for no reason, or at least an evident reason. C'mon, admit everyone, you have to have seen at least one TV commercial or ad Somewhere!. I even have, and I am VERY aware of marketing techniques- hence the reason people think of me as 'cheap' and 'frugal' instead of wanting to have 'fun' by watching and viewing ads! So, yes, marketing is a great thing for them [the companies] and a variable for us [us].

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Good lord, are you sure your 12 lol...You have better grammar and sentence structure then most people I know. Congrats, and stay in school!!

I'm not sure what to say about the whole marketing schemes they have. I mean I can say marketing is a HUGE part in my life, I mean if you look at it George W. Bush has been playing the whole marketing game with the entire United States for the past what, 6 or 7 years. Yes, I work for the government, (Department of Defense) so Bush's marketing schemes pay my rediculous government paycheck. Anyway, I make 3 month tours to Iraq every other 3 months, and In order for me to keep my Job, marketing is extremely important. Bush has to Market this war over here, and market his idea why he thinks it's necessary we stay over here.

But yeah, I just wanted to point out that marketing is everywhere, even in our own government.

Good lord, are you sure your 12 lol...You have better grammar and sentence structure then most people I know. Congrats, and stay in school!!

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Thanks.

I'm not sure what to say about the whole marketing schemes they have. I mean I can say marketing is a HUGE part in my life, I mean if you look at it George W. Bush has been playing the whole marketing game with the entire United States for the past what, 6 or 7 years. Yes, I work for the government, (Department of Defense) so Bush's marketing schemes pay my rediculous government paycheck. Anyway, I make 3 month tours to Iraq every other 3 months, and In order for me to keep my Job, marketing is extremely important. Bush has to Market this war over here, and market his idea why he thinks it's necessary we stay over here.

But yeah, I just wanted to point out that marketing is everywhere, even in our own government.

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Marketing the war seems incomprehensible to the average person who thinks of marketing as a grandeur of ad's and commercial's telling them about what they are missing out on in life. I think a better word for situations like these ('marketing' the war) might be 'campaign', since 'marketing' reasons for war doesn't really sound right. Since they aren't trying to sell anything to us.

They aren't?

If a politician isn't trying to sell you something, he's dead

I was thinking the same thing. Better grammar than most, including me. lol

Marketing is insanely complicated these days.

macgig said:

I was thinking the same thing. Better grammar than most, including me. lol

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This 12 year old must be a genious lol. I mean just read what he says, he has had more valid points than anyone else!!

BlueMac - i know you're twelve, and you seem like you can take criticism if it means learning something new. you have to stop using the possessive when you mean to use plural. example: writing "ad's" is the possessive; you want the plural in this case which would simply be ads, same with "commercial's".

eric said:

BlueMac - i know you're twelve, and you seem like you can take criticism if it means learning something new. you have to stop using the possessive when you mean to use plural. example: writing "ad's" is the possessive; you want the plural in this case which would simply be ads, same with "commercial's".

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True in some cases, but can't you technically add an apostrophe if you're pluralizing an abbreviation or symbol?

Actually I'm wrong. It's only if the abbreviation has internal punctuation (or is a single letter/number)

Interesting stuff: http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=499296

I think marketing is a double-edged sword. On what hand, companies need marketing to survive and sell their product/service. On the other hand, I hate it. Basically, it has boiled down to appealing to guys by using scantily clad women and making girls feel ugly/unappreciated by showing them images of all these "perfect" girls with perfect bodies. Ultimately, advertising makes you feel like you are inadequate without that product.

Buy this product, It'll make you cool! Buy this product, It'll make you pretty! Course, I fall victim to it every now and then, we all do. Like someone said, it is human nature.

Course, I'd much rather record something and watch it later so I can fast forward through ads then watch something when it premieres.

The purpose of marketing is to make you feel inadequate or discontented, with the promise that whatever product they are pushing will fill a need and help you complete your life.