Be Media Saavy !
Here is what the media DOES NOT want you to know about itself.

I hope you can arm yourself with this knowledge and use it to protect yourself from the barage of tripe you see and hear on the media each day.

By media I mean : TV ads, soap operas , music videos, radio adverts , Reality TV shows, Pop and just about every other programme aimed at the young.

Here is how the media works!
Media survives by advertising .... It costs money to publish stuff out into the media. Programmes and adverts must pay for themselves and make money. Making money that's the name of the game. The occasional bit of entertainment, amusement or information are nothing more than by-products of this money making machine and will never be anything more. That's one merry-go-round that ain't going to stop.

Now, I'm not going to try and stop this big old machine.. it been going on far too long. However it is a good thing for you to know how it works. Here's my point. If you think that all these programmes etc have your mental health and happiness close at heart you are very VERY MUCH mistaken ! The only thing a producer of a TV has at heart is viewing figures and a bank balance !

Here is a familiar tale, you have spent 4 hours on a Sunday in front of the goggle box flicking from one TV programme to the other whilst suffering the same stupid ads.

If you feel a little empty, depressed and frustrated because there is nothing on, then don't be surprised. This stuff is not designed to be a source of emotional nurishment or a responsible and socially concious brain feed. It does its best to pretend to be and you'll see lots of cool, confident media personalities telling you it is.
Their usual defence is, 'We're just making the programmes people want to see '. _________OH PLEASE !

 

Techniques being used on you are ...
So how does the media get to you, how does it get you to take notice and remember their message or their brand ?

Well, humans are predictable and emotionally vunerable, that's a fact!. Your vunerabilities are being exploited to get you to spend money on things.

Pre teens , teens and early twenties are particularly emotionally vunerable. You are soft targets ! - --- More easily manipulated.

Examples of some techniques
o  Create insecurities in you and then offer the solution.
o  Point out potential causes of embarrasment and insecurity for you and then offer the solution. Eg. Any women's hair care product.

o  They'll associate their product with a lifestyle.
Eg. Smirnoff Ice is associated with being a jack-the-lad.

o  Stir up your emotions by shocking you and then implant their brand into your subconcious. Eg. United Colours of Beneton

o  Associate their brand with success. Eg. David Beckham and Adidas.

o  Associate other products with failure.Eg. 'Ashamed of your mobile ?'

o  By repetition of a catchy tune or title they try to find their way into your long term memory Eg. 'ooOOHH Danone'

Yeah, we knew that already! I hear you cry.

Probably what you didn't know is that advertisers design adverts to get into your sub-concious. Here is how it works. They make a TV advert, you see it and go 'that's new' or 'that's stupid' . So what ?

However, the second time you see the advert, you don't really notice it. Even with taking channel hoping into account, you'll see the same advert ten or twenty times, if you watch enough TV.

Although you have conciously ignored it, sub-conciously you have not ignored it and by repeated exposure - the advert has found it's way into your sub-concious....mission accomplished ! Tell me what brand comes into your mind if I were to say the word 'Orange'.

The pay-off is like this, a week later you are ambling down the isle of your local supermarket. A nice catchy tune that you can't quite place is playing in the background. The products you are 'familiar' with end up in your trolley because it's just easier that way, isn't it?

0 Women do most shopping and buying by a long way. Many products and adverts use cute babies to align themselves with women's maturnal instincts and their need for security.

0  Provoke anger by portraiting injustice .. The common one is playing men off against woman with one side winning out and the other looking stupid.

o  Provoke guilt ... if your kid is not eating such and such he/ she will not be as heathly as other kids.

o Provoke fear.... fear of being left behind ...financially or technologically.

o  They will try to align products with aspirational lifestyles. Eg Financial institutions aligning themselves with spiritual living and Tai Chi.

o  They will attack your confidence and body image... What the fashion magazines are doing is already well documented.

o As mentioned earlier young people are being totally bombarded with techniques. Each artist you see on MTV is dressed from head to toe in labels. Tell me which comes first? the labels then the sucess OR the sucess then the labels ? .... ( you see, it works doesnt it?)

o Provoking controversy and emotional turmoil. This is the favourite tool being used today. If they stir you up emotionally then you'll be involved with the programme or product.

So nowdays we see soap operas, music videos and reality TV bringing up lots of gender and sexuality issues. That is garaunteed to mess with young peoples heads and keep them involved.

 

More Examples.
The mantra of the advertising industry, 'sex sells' !

Reality TV and their 'harmless' little games.

'No such thing as bad publicity.'

Magazine articles are titled to provoke an emotional response.
Here are some examples...

• '10 signs that he is going to finish with you'
• 'Slim down for the beach'
• 'A six pack in six weeks!'
• '10 ways to get rich '

TV people all want to show you how to live, don't they ? How to furnish your house. How to cook. How to dress. It goes on and on.

SOAPS: ( you know this one already ) Make a little cliff hanger with some emotional investment and back you'll come back for more.

 

And Finally...
Bear this in mind the next time you watch TV, buy a magazine, watch a soap opera, a reality TV show or a pop video.

Your welfare is NOT being looked after folks!

When you are being told something on TV, question it ! Ask yourself this question, 'what if that was made up?' Ask yourself why was it made up. What is the angle?

Ask yourself 'what are they trying to achieve?', 'What emotional response are they trying to achieve ?'

What is the true motivation of the TV programme producers ?

A word of advice : your own opinions and judgments about this mad world are as good, if not better than anyone elses. I encourage you to form your OWN opinions on things and have confidence in your opinions. Do not swallow everything you see in the media, no matter how cool or popular it seems. 'Either you think for yourself or let them think for you' as a wise man once told me.

If you have something to say along these lines then please email your thoughts to email@newbridgeshopper.com and I'll post them up on the site.

All the best