Annotation_9_The_Persuaders

Annotation #9 Word count: 831


 * 1. Title, director and release year?**
 * Title: “**The Persuaders”
 * Director:** Rachel Dretzin, Barak Goodman
 * Release Year:** 2004

The main argument of the film is that companies spend millions of dollars to create loyalty beyond reason for their products and services. Ultimate goal, in many cases, is to establish a culture which will guarantee that loyalty which will directly lead to big sales and overall success.
 * 2. What is the central argument or narrative of the film?**

The argument is made through a series of interviews with people that were directly and indirectly related to the advertisement industry. A few professional marketing agents shared their knowledge on how super-brands engage in pseudo-spiritual marketing to gain consumer trust. There were also people with background in psychology who translated customer needs and desires into a list of specifications which was used to create a perfect product. Finally, a specific case was presented in which a team of professionals worked on creating a new brand. In that case study, creation of Song Airlines was presented. This brand was made to target women’s emotions and to get that result the company hired Andy Spade (person behind a multimillion dollar fashion campaign).
 * 3. How is the argument or narrative made and sustained? How much scientific information is provided, for example? Does the film have emotional appeal?**

I believe the main problem presented in this film is cultural. In my opinion, such aggressive marketing led America to become a consumerist culture in the first place. High level of selling skills leads people to constantly buy new things and pollute the environment with products that are still fully functional. Therefore, although ecological problem was not directly presented it is still in the picture. This type of marketing is so powerful that it literally creates communities around brands like in the case with Saturn cars. From a psychological point of view it is known that humans have a need to belong to a community and brands knowingly exploit that.
 * 4. What sustainability problems does the film draw out?****Political? Legal? Economic? Technological? Media and Informational?****Organizational? Educational? Behavioral? Cultural? Ecological?**

I liked the presented scientific aspects of marketing. Getting into people’s desires and understanding what they actually want is something that always amazed me and probably does many others as well. Although I knew some of it before it was still amazing. Also, the cultural differences and the way they were accounted for in the case with cheese example was interesting. It certainly does make a difference whether the consumer thinks that cheese is alive or it’s just another product in the refrigerator.
 * 5. What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why?**

The only thing I didn’t like was the fact that they didn’t elaborate on some of the consequences of such aggressive marketing. Two of the main are the environmental and cultural effects. If we are constantly being fed subliminal messages what does it do to us? Do we perhaps lose a sense of identity? I would certainly like to know that.
 * 6. What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by? Why?**

I think it clearly addresses all consumers. It is important to know that most commercials are emotionally enhanced, so to speak. This is the most effective method of our age. Therefore, a clear call for many companies is to try to target customers’ emotions and game over. However, we, as consumers, should be more careful and should not just trust pretty pictures. We need to look at what the products we are buying really are and how they were made.
 * 7. What audiences does the film best address? Why?**

I think the long term effects could have been discussed better. Also, adding information about the product life cycle would be good. To be more specific, how companies take care of their old products after they launch a new one.
 * 8. What could have been added to this film to enhance its environmental educational value?**

I think the film mainly suggests that we should be responsible as consumers and not fall into the magic of marketing. The film does a great job describing how companies get us to buy their products which makes us more prone to their powers.
 * 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.**

I read more about subliminal messages which is also known as “subliminal stimuli”. I was also surprised to find out that subliminal messaging is prohibited in the United Kingdom. [] I also looked at top advertising spenders to see how much we are actually talking about. I was shocked to find out that some companies spend close to a billion dollars on adds each year. [|http://www.businessinsider.com/the-10-biggest-advertisers-in-america-ranked-by-dollars-spent-annually-2013-7?op=1#!JegZX]
 * 10. What additional information has this film compelled you to seek out? (Provide at least two supporting references.)**