Hartmann+Annotation+6

Thomas Hartmann Word Count: 1061


 * Title:** The Persuaders
 * Director:** Barak Goodman & Rachel Dretzin
 * Release Year:** November 9, 2003

The film describes how powerful advertising is in persuading consumers to buy a certain product. The film argues that advertising is making its way into almost every part of our lives. Companies are taking advantage of culture and turning it into a profitable business. However, the film also describes how consumers may be becoming immune to advertisements because they are everywhere and how companies are responding by taking different approaches to advertising and going to extremes.
 * 2. What is the central argument or narrative of the film?**

The film uses a variety of real-life examples of companies that are using new forms of advertising to help gain consumers. For example, the film shows how Song, a subsidiary to Delta, is attempting to use advertising to create a new culture around flying rather than simply advertise their airline. The film also presents the strange world of marketing research through Clotaire Rapaille’s business. He attempts to get at the reptilian part of people’s minds – their unconscious needs and impulses – through focus group events that seem very strange. Although the film gives little scientific information about advertising and the validity of these techniques, it appeals strongly to the viewer by painting a picture of large powerful corporations attempting to manipulate your thoughts about them and convincing you to buy their products.
 * 3. How is the argument or narrative made and sustained? How much scientific information is provided, for example? Does the film have emotional appeal?**

The film draws out the problem of a consumer culture. With so many businesses putting so much effort into convincing people to buy their products through advertising in the media, through technological, and in ways that change people’s behavior, consumerism is becoming a big problem. In particular, Frank Luntz argues that word choice is very powerful in advertising, whether it is for a product or an idea. For example, renaming the estate tax the death tax significantly reduced public support of the tax. Similarly, the politicians use the difference in connotation between climate change and global warming in order to convince voters that it is important or not important depending on what their political viewpoint is. Is this an educational problem where people do not fully understand the issue? Is it a psychological problem where people simply do not care?
 * 4. What sustainability problems does the film draw out? Political? Legal? Economic? Technological? Media and Informational? Organizational? Educational? Behavioral? Cultural? Ecological?**

I was particularly compelled by the examples that the film provides of companies that use advertising in clever ways. For example the film uses the example of food advertisements in Survivor. This specific example was particularly compelling because I was slightly thirsty during class when watching the film, but did not realize it until I saw the contestants on Survivor drinking a refreshing bottle of Mt. Dew. I also found the examples that involved cults and loyalty beyond reason particularly compelling because I see how easily people are manipulated into buying a certain brand whether or not it is the least expensive or highest quality product. For example, Apple has created a very strong following where many people spend large amounts of money without necessarily having a reason other than owning an Apple product.
 * 5. What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why?**

I was not completely convinced that Clotaire Rapaille’s techniques for doing market research are as effective or necessary as he makes people believe they are. Although I think the results such as SUV owners desiring domination, larger vehicles, and tinted windows, the amount of effort that Rapaille put into the research of this idea is unnecessary. In a way, I think Rapaille has marketed his own business as effectively businesses such as Apple and has convinced these businesses that his market research and results are very valuable information.
 * 6. What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by? Why?**

The audience best addressed by the film is consumers. It gives consumers an idea of the extent to which businesses advertise their products by getting into the minds of consumers. It also points out to consumers the less obvious ways companies are influencing our thoughts. For example, this includes companies giving themselves personalities instead of just names.
 * 7. What audiences does the film best address? Why?**

Although it was difficult to find a weak part of the film, the part that could have been strengthened was its lack of advice on how consumers can control their desires to buy products. The film extensively describes the ways companies convince people to buy their products but does little to educate the audience on how to reduce their consumption, which could have significantly increased the educational value of the film for sustainability.
 * 8. What could have been added to this film to enhance its environmental educational value?**

One of the points of intervention vaguely suggested by the film is using the power of marketing to promote environmental protection and sustainability. For example, word choice is very important for topics such as climate change/global warming. It is also very important for getting across controversial messages without turning off audiences. For example, it may be easier to promote solutions to sustainability problems that affect the economy if it is advertised correctly with the best word choice.
 * 9. What kinds of action and points of intervention are suggested by the film? If the film itself does not suggest corrective action, describe actions that you can imagine being effective.**

The film compelled me to learn more about Clotaire Rapaille and the techniques he uses in marketing. I found that he had been hired in 2010 to improve the public image of Quebec, but was then fired because he had marked himself in inaccurately in his resume and then made controversial comments about the Quebec people that had been hired to promote. He called them “completely neurotic” and that they had a “sadomasochist relationship with the English”. []
 * 10. What additional information has this film compelled you to seek out? (Provide at least two supporting references.)**

I also found that Clotaire Rapaille uses the idea of being a “happy loser” when doing market research. A “happy loser” takes it as a challenge when a potential consumer refuses to buy a product. I can see that this mindset is part of why Rapaille is so desired. []