theworldofdreams.com

I've suspected that this has been going on for a while now, and it turns out I'm right

<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/10/23/60minutes/main579657.shtml">Undercover marketting</a>

More than a bit..

What's so bad about this?

-M

I guess I'm the oddball. This really doesn't bother me at all. If they're letting you test their products, like with the camera phone and the P-5 Glove, where is the harm? They can't lie to you or stretch how great a product is as much as they could on a television commercial, can they? Because you're holding it in your hand trying it out for yourself. I feel like all this does it allow you to decide whether or not you like it before you go out and buy whatever it is. As for the deception and trickery involved... so? In the end it is YOU making the decision to go and buy whatever it is that they're showing you. It's hard to trick me into liking something that I know I'll never use or need just because someone undercover was sitting around waiting to show me his company's newsest gadget. Maybe I'm just missing something from the story, maybe I should be upset, but right now I just think that it's no worse than commercials. I mean, who really believes that a certain razor is going to turn it's user into a goddess? And what about those infomercials? You can't tell me that everything they sell on those will do exactly what they claim, no matter how many people they have on there testifying that it's the best thing they've ever used. I know that some of them are full of boloney through personal experience. I believe that that is as much a form of trickery as undercover marketing is, probably worse.

However, I do like to consider myself open to new ideas. I'd really like to have someone's opinion on why undercover marketing is something that shouldn't be going on.

There's several different reasons that I find this offensive. For the camera thing, at the very least, they're wasting your time. Here you are, thinking that you're being a nice person and helping out a couple of people, and it turns out that they're lying through their teeth to try to sell you something. It like emails that use 'friendly' titles to try to trick you into reading it: you wind up with an inbox full of 'How was your vacation?' and 'Haven't talked you you in a while' and you have to check every one of them because they MAY be legitimate.

Can you imagine the world if this takes off? Every single person you talk to, you're never going to know if they're a nice person or a corporate shill trying to sell you something.

Then you have the 'lets create a buzz on the internet' thing. Suddenly, all the sites that have product reviews (IMDB, amazon, resellerratings, etc) that preciously were useful tools for finding good products become absolutely worthless because they're filled with marketting department spam.

All the boards that exist to discuss movies, games, music, etc - destroyed, overrun by corporate drones spouting advertising slogans. It won't even be possible to filter them out because they're disguising themselves as normal posters. If I post on the "movies & TV" right here on these forums that I really liked a movie, is it because that's my honest opinion, or because Sony paid me $10 to say that? You're never going to know.

Sure, they're wasting your time if you stop to take their picture. The chances of me actually stopping to take someone's picture when asked is slim to none. But that's for personal boring reasons that I won't bother you with. If on the off chance I did stop for them all I would be likely to get out of the encounter was a feeling that I had helped someone. It probably only took five minutes of my life anyway. If I later found out it had been a scam I doubt I would care very much. I admit it is very possible I only feel this way because I know I wouldn't stop to take their picture anyway.

About the people on the internet. I'm in complete agreement with you on that one. When I get online to read reviews I do expect honest opinions from people who have read the book or watched the movie that I can trust to help me decide if something is worth reading or watching. This is the only problem that I personally have with the undercover marketing scheme.

I'm overly suspicious by nature, but I have to ask.. Am I the only person who would be on guard if I ran into a stranger who automatically offered to let me try out his new toy? People snatch cameras, why not cell phones? Or anything else they could make off with for that matter? Most people know this, so why even make the offer?

Good points, Drocket. I think I understand why this bothers some people a bit more now. Thanks for the reply.

What I thought was disturbing, more laughable, was the fact that people would listen to someone talk about product information and other details and take it as innocent, friendly talk. I think its kind of bad that this 13 year olds' and others time is being bought out for a couple pieces of merchandise. I like parts of the plan, but I think that the more they do this type of advertising, the easier it is to pick up a pitch.

The truth of the matter is: You can't escape advertising. When you wear a shirt with a brand name on it, you're advertising that brand. When you get a bill, the header is advertising the company. When you buy a freaking Big Mac, there's M's all over it.

It's not so insidious, because advertising is everywhere. Having it a whole lot subtle is, in my opinion a breath of fresh air. If I get a chance to try out a cool glove (or whatever), then so be it.

The only thing about advertising that REALLY bothers me is how television ads - in Australia - are much, MUCH louder than movie and show counterparts. So you have these ear-blistering ads that are noisy and annoying, so you turn the volume down, then the show comes back on, so you can't hear it .. and it goes back up again.

Putting advertising in the shadows is a good idea, I say, because there's enough of it 'in my face'.

-M

Marius the Black wrote:The truth of the matter is: You can't escape advertising.

Yeah, that is the bottom line. It is everywhere.

"Undercover Advertising" has been going on for a long time. There were scares decades ago about advertising companies putting out television advertisements with subliminal messages. I believe it was actual proven that some movie theaters spliced in subliminal advertisements into features to get their customers to the refreshment stands during intermissions.

As long as people use even a modicum of intelligence, they can't get tricked into giving out their email address, social security number, etcetera, etcetera.