Re: Why online advertising sucks

From: Brian Shepherd <shepherd_at_MIT.EDU>
Date: Thu 26 Apr 2001 10:50:42 -0500

GERI KONSTANIN <geri_at_virtualadv.com> WROTE:

<I cringe when I hear these kids have so much influence
<over their parents. Maybe this explains the school
<shootings. No respect for elders. No discipline. Oh
<well... I would hope these 7-year olds drink Coke
<because they like the taste, not because of the
<advertising... If it were that easy to sell people
<products just by showing them commercials year after
<year, us Ad people would all be out of a job.

Come on Geri, please tell me you're kidding! I'm not
even going to comment on the assertion that advertising
to kids has in some way contributed to the school
shootings. And as for your comment about kids drinking
Coke because it has superior taste, PLEASE, with all
your experience, you should know better! For kids
(and some adults), it's all about image. Kids think
things are better because of image. When I was growing
up, Nike's were THE sneakers to have. Anything else
was uncool. Were Nike's actually better products?
Who knows, who cares? Not Nike. Nikes were cool
and kids wanted Nikes - end of story. By the way,
what is cool changes generation to generation. I
don't know any kids who choose Levi's jeans anymore.
You see Tommy Hilfiger all over the place on kids.
Are Tommy Hilfigers better jeans? Doesn't matter.
Suddenly, Levi's aren't cool, and Tommy is.

Geri, is it scary that kids have so much influence
over product buying? Yes, it is. Is it sad? Of
course it is. But that's the way of the world.

And to an earlier comment you made about advertising
professionals being licensed in the state of Florida.
Isn't that the state that couldn't figure out how to
properly create a ballot and count votes? I would
suggest to you that Florida's priorities are a little
out of order.

Regards,

********************************************
Brian K. Shepherd
Director, Online Sales and Marketing
technologyreview.com
shepherd_at_mit.edu
617-452-2426



Received on Thu Apr 26 2001 - 10:50:42 CDT