Celebration of Regional Typology in a Context of Postmodern Advertising

8/3/2019 Celebration of Regional Typology in a Context of Postmodern Advertising

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Celebration of Regional Typology in a

Context of Contemporary Advertising

Elena AryshtaevaBFA Graphic DesignSenior thesisFall 2011


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development of an ideological bridge across traditional

social gaps-region, taste, need and class-which would

narrow prejudices in his favor 1. As the market was

growing, manufacturers started to realize the importance

of stimulating a buying power by focusing on the buying

public. The human impact or the consumers dollar and the

opportunity to manipulate it became an important part of

an industrial development and advertising.

Advertising became a powerful tool of mass

distribution whose primary task was to respond to a

consumers needs and desires.2 The tremendous growth

of advertising as an industry happened in the 1920s.

Advertising offered a market the ability to develop the

consumption of a product by creating consumers and

exploring what made people respond. Industry was

evolving rapidly, leaving behind old style advertising

with its intuitive style. To create consumers efcientlythe advertising industry had to develop universal notions

of what makes people respond, going beyond the

horse sense psychology that had characterized the

earlier industry. Such general conceptions of human

instinct promised to provide ways of reaching a mass

audience via a universal appeal. Considering the task

of having to build a mass ad industry to attend to the

needs of mass production, the ad men welcomed the

work of psychologists in the articulation of these generalconceptions. 2 Such a great development allowed

advertising to achieve better results in growing the markets

by creating new consumers, which made preserving

diversity a very difcult task. It is almost impossible to

preserve diversity while creating new markets. The goal

of advertising was to create the desires and new personal

needs in people. Advertising went through the evolution

from displaying the names of businesses and services

above door signs into a powerful system that involvesdeep social, psychological and economical research and

analysis, different media and great nancial resources.

Advertising developed into a magnifying lens that absorbs,

translates and produces a consumers reection. It reects

a society and its culture.

E.B. Taylor called culture a complex whole, which

includes knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, law, custom, and

any other capabilities and habits acquired by individuals asmembers of a society. Adamson Hoebel dened culture

as the integrated sum total of learned behavioral traits that

are manifest and shared by members of society. Culture

has also been dened as a learned, shared, compelling,

interrelated set of symbols whose meaning provides a set

of orientations for members of a society. 2 Society is a

group of people within a certain community who share one

culture and aspect of communication between individual

group members. The variation within a culture can beeven greater than between cultures. Each culture has its

subcultures groups of people who share values, beliefs,

life experiences, nationalities, religions, political views,

race, and geographical location. People within subcultures

can perform distinctive behavior and characteristic patterns

based on their subculture and at times they need the

dominant culture as a point of reference. To communicate

to certain cultures and subcultures, it is important to

understand the cultural context and its language.

The goal of advertising is to explore the culture and

cultural language of a target audience.

To convince audiences to purchase a product

or service, advertisers must follow the publics values.

Research showed that ads reecting local cultural values

are more persuasive. For example Pemco Insurance

brought the knowledge of regional self-identity to their

Northwest Proles ad campaign that received positive

feedback from critics and the Northwest community (fgure

1,2).


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Advertisers had to start to pay attention to nuances of

culture. 3 like Target does in Alaska campaign fgure 3

Not only do they have to answer to the cultural context,

they need to nd a right way to communicate this language

by being relevant to a consumers beliefs and experiences.

That brings us to a dichotomy of the original need in

regional culture sensitivity and nationalism in advertising.

Trying to explore their audience better, marketers

research statistics, collect, analyze and categorize data

about consumers. In a process of categorizing marketers

broke American society into segments what we might

think of as target audiences on the basis of demographic

factors (age, race, religion, gender, geographical region,

and zip code) and psychological factors (values and

beliefs). The results of this systematic arrangement aretypologies classication systems of types of consumers.

There are different ways to divide people into categories.

The most important task for marketers is to nd a right

typology that will help in selling a product. There are a few

typologies that are used very often:

The VALS typology stands for Values and Lifestyles,

that focuses on peoples lifestyles. For example, VALS 1

typology categories included Need-driven, Outer-Directed,

Inner-Directed and Integrateds. VALS 2 typology is arevised version of VALS1 with a better correlation between

fgure 3

fgure 1

fgure 2


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consumers values and economic status. It includes the

following categories: Actualizers, Fullllers, Achievers,

Experiencers, Believers, Strivers, Makers, and Strugglers.4

These highly individual psychological traits help marketers

to analyze target audiences and draw a physiological

portrait of consumers. This portrait can be used in analysis

of regional differences of lifestyles and analysis of regional

identities.

Marketers know a lot about consumers based on a

zip code. For example, what kind of car they drive, what

kind of food preferences they have, what kind of television

they watch, or magazines they read. Michael Weiss, the

author of The Clustering of America (Harper & Row, 1988),

developed typology based on the zip code. This typology

includes 40 different types of lifestyles. Each zip code was

given a nickname. For example:

Nickname Zip Code Location

Blue-Blood Estates 94025

Atherton

Money and Brains 94301 Palo Alto

(Stanford University)

Single City Blues 94704 Berkley

(University of California)

Based on this typology, Weiss claims Were no longer acountry of 50 states but of 40 lifestyle clustersyou can

go to sleep in Palo Alto and wake up in Princeton, NJ,

and nothing has changed except the trees. The lifestyles

are the same. 4 Although Weiss thinks that typology has

to be more specic than demographic or region, there

are marketers whose regional demographic research is

actively used as a platform for advertising strategies.

As an example, lets take a look at the 2008

marketing research that was conducted by PackagedFacts, a provider of authoritative consumer market

research. Based on this research, which provides detailed

information on the regional statistics and surveys,

companies made conclusions on consumers behavior and

attitudes, political views, demographics, income, lifestyle

attitudes, media attitudes, shopping attitudes, etc.

Speaking of shopping attitudes, Packaged Facts

marketing research concludes that brand- and trend-

conscious shoppers live in the Northeast, shoppers who

are more less brand- and trend- concerned live in East of

the US. Shoppers in West of the US are less adventurous,

while Southeastern residents like experimentation and

are more price-conscious because of their low-income.

Media attitude varies as well across the US. Adults in

the Pacic region, where Microsoft, Silicon Valley and

various technology rms are located, are more tech-savvy

and active Internet users. Print media is still popular

in the Northeast, where Internet is popular more thanaverage too. West and East regions adapt online media

slowly compared to other regions. The Internet has not

risen up enough to replace TV yet in the Southeast and

Southwest, where adults prefer such traditional media as

TV, magazines and radio. Southwestern and Southeast

people tend to eat more fast food than anybody else in

US. People who live in the Pacic regions eat healthier

and exercise more. This region is also where alternative

medicine is more popular than in other regions.Here are some highlights from this report: The Northeast

region contains almost 23 million households, one-fth of

the national total (20.6%). Being inuenced by economy,

geography, climate, traditions and historical aspects all

the regional attitudes vary in many factors like education,

health, friendliness etc. For example, statistics shows

that the Northeast population is better educated than

the rest of the nation because of its regions tradition

of higher education. This fact is also reected in thepopularity of media that uses written words. Adults here


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are more concerned about environmental issues and more

indifferent to religious issues. They are more likely to be

willing to pay for good nancial advice than the national

average. Northeast residents prefer designers labels (13%

more likely than average) and prefer clothing of the highest

quality. The household incomes are higher in this region.

According to this research we get a detailed picture on the

different regional attitudes and behaviors.

Culture is a shared capacity for communication

and a social language translation, which can be a bridge

between different cultures and a tool of advertising. Local

is a concept referring to peoples relationship to the larger

world. It refers to the sense of our being or the ground for

our actions. It contains the notion of the true self, the one

we present to the world. When someone says, I am an

American, I am British, or I am a Malaysian, they are

expressing this localness. It is a kind of our authenticity. 3

Advertising reects culture and its social language.

Even though this reected projection may be distorted and

subjective and may based on the needs of advertisement

rather than reality, it is often used as an advertising

language to reach or craft a consumer. This projection

often forces the stereotypes to emerge. Advertising is

a mirror that reects individualistic needs and personal

desires sometimes distorting the true groups identity. 4

For example, some regional stereotypes became clich:The stressed-out New Yorker. The laid-back Californian.

But the conscientious Floridian? The neurotic Kentuckian?5 According to the new research on the Geography of

Personality that is supported by more than 600,000

questionnaires and published in the journal Perspectives

on Psychological Science, some of the stereotypes are

not as far from the truth. The study reects a regional map

of personality traits, data on crime, health and economic

development in different regions and demonstrates thecorrelations.5 This research is based on a 44-question

personality test that evaluates ve personality traits:

extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and

neuroticism openness. The research shows that residents

of the New England and of the Mid-Atlantic are more

stressed, irritable and depressed. People who live on the

West Coast are more emotionally stable. They are also

more calm and relaxed than the other regions. Northeast

and West Coast residents tend to be more open and

creative. The Central and Southern states are more

traditional and tend to be pragmatic and straightforward;

they are also friendlier and generous. Residents of the

States with a high level of neuroticism are less emotionally

stable and less socially connected.

Based on the marketing research and the

Geography of Personality Study we can see that some

regional stereotypes can actually be close to reality. For

example the Stressed New Yorker stereotype is actuallynot far from the truth because the Personality maps show

that NY is high on neuroticism. One particularly important

discovery is that the prevalence of certain personality

traits is associated with a range of important geographic

indicators. It is very difcult to say exactly how these

proved clichs can be explained. It can be because of

migration, when people migrate to certain regions that

require their type of personality. It can be also explained by

geography and climate that inuence people or peoplesinteraction. At the same time New Yorkers are higher than

average on openness.

Targets campaign proves how regional identities

work in ad campaigns. In the mid-1990s, when Target

came to the East Coast they wanted to put their name on

the bottom of the ad to announce a new store opening

in New York area. The agency argued against that

based on their knowledge of New Yorkers obsessive

lust to be in the know. We said, just run the bulls-eye,and people who know the brand will get it, and people


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to reach their target audience in a positive way and pokes

good fun at all the stereotypes of the Great Northwest

in a humorous and not offensive way.

Some critics say that postmodern advertising

emerges into very eclectic culture and keeps evolving into

a new set of modern trends and sensibilities. Abstract

art is the product of confused minds and of confused

eras. 8 It can be a danger for a culture if that becomes

too abstract and homogenized, when simple human truth

and good story that were always a secret of successful

advertising campaigns are going to be substituted for an

eclectic mix of blurred symbols and images. 4 If modern

culture and advertising will go towards this direction, it

can lead us to a loss of uniqueness and originality. On the

other hand this also can be an opportunity for design as

an asset of positive social change. The most widespread

and eclectic art form in our day, I would suggest, is theadvertisement, which helps us decide upon to consume

to create our eclectic lifestyles. Lets take a look at

ALLSAINTS Spitalelds and Levis ad campaigns,

which are the examples of very contemporary, edgy

and eclectic branding. Advertising is widely criticized for

social comparison and creating idealized images, but

ALLSAINTS ad campaigns are in example of new trends

in modern culture. ALLSAINTS creates the classy and

messy, grungy and glamour image of a British industriallaborer under the glossy polish of contemporary glamour

and trend of uncertainty and eclecticism (fgure 5, 6).

One fortysomething devotee of the cult told me: I never

feel sexier than when Im wearing All Saints Im Gwen

Stefani or Nico from Velvet Underground. The reference to

these two singers provides a clue to the jumble of trends

that form the All Saints glamour-meets-grunge ethic:

Stefani, a platinum blonde, favors get-ups that are Jean

Harlow crossed with a principal boy; Nico, a sultry blonde,

was an Andy Warhol muse and early Goth. 9

We are witnessing an important change in our culture,

a sort of cultural mutation if postmodern theorists arecorrect.2 So contemporary advertising, which becomes

fgure 5

fgure 6


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Work Cited

1 Cawelti, J. G. (2002). Reregionalizing america: A new view of american culture after world war II. Journal of Popular Culture, 35(4), 127-127-144.Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/195365684?accountid=47830

2 Bettinger, C. Captains of Consciousness: Advertising and the Social Roots of the Consumer Culture. Academy of Marketing Science.Journal

(pre-1986) 8.1 (1980): 159-. ProQuest Central. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

3 Frith, Katherine Toland., and Barbara Mueller. Advertising and Societies: Global Issues. New York: P. Lang, 2003. Print.

4 Berger, Arthur Asa. Ads, Fads, and Consumer Culture: Advertisings Impact on American Character and Society. Lanham, MD: Rowman &Littleeld Pub., 2004. Print.

5 Rowley, Laura. Chapter 5: Service and Technology. On Target: How the Worlds Hottest Retailer Hit a Bullseye. Hoboken, NJ: J. Wiley, 2003.Print.

6Rentfrow. Jason. The New Geography of Personality. University of Cambridge Research Horizons. Jan. 2009. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. .

7 Black, Marc. Fanon and DuBoisian Double Consciousness. Human Architecture 5.15405699 (2007): 393-404. ProQuest Central. Web. 17 Nov.2011.

8 Simon, Stephanie. The United States of Mind - WSJ.com. Business News & Financial News - The Wall Street Journal - Wsj.com. The Wall StreetJournal, 23 Sept. 2008. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. .

9 Girvin, Tim. GIRVIN | Strategic Branding Blog | ALL SAINTS SPITALFIELDS | SEATTLE. Girvin | Home. Girvin, 21 Nov. 2010. Web. 29 Nov.2011. .


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BibliographyBettinger, C. Captains of Consciousness: Advertising and the Social Roots of the Consumer Culture. Academy of Marketing Science.Journal(pre-1986) 8.1 (1980): 159-. ProQuest Central. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

Bettinger, C. Captains of Consciousness: Advertising and the Social Roots of the Consumer Culture. Academy of Marketing Science.Journal (pre-1986) 8.1 (1980): 159-. ProQuest Central. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

Berger, Arthur Asa. Ads, Fads, and Consumer Culture: Advertisings Impact on American Character and Society. Lanham, MD: Rowman & LittleeldPub., 2004. Print.

Black, Marc. Fanon and DuBoisian Double Consciousness. Human Architecture 5.15405699 (2007): 393-404. ProQuest Central. Web. 17 Nov.2011.

Cawelti, J. G. (2002). Reregionalizing america: A new view of american culture after world war II. Journal of Popular Culture, 35(4), 127-127-144.Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/195365684?accountid=47830

Frith, Katherine Toland., and Barbara Mueller. Advertising and Societies: Global Issues. New York: P. Lang, 2003. Print.

Girvin, Tim. GIRVIN | Strategic Branding Blog | ALL SAINTS SPITALFIELDS | SEATTLE. Girvin | Home. Girvin, 21 Nov. 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2011..

Gras, N. S. B. (1929). Regionalism and nationalism. Foreign Affairs (Pre-1986), 7(000003), 454-454. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/198166643?accountid=47830

Gross, Andrew. The American Guide Series: Patriotism as Brand-Name Identication. The Arizona Quarterly 62.1 (2006): 85,111,141. ProQuestCentral. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

Marigny Research Group, Inc. (MRG). U.S. Regional Trends: Demographics, Attitudes and Consumer Behavior. Rep. no. 1666291. Rockville:Packaged Facts, 2008. Print.

McRae, A. (2000). Southern comfort. Mediaweek, 10(41), M12-m12-m18. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/213635265?accountid=47830

Rentfrow. Jason. The New Geography of Personality. University of Cambridge Research Horizons. Jan. 2009. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. .

Rowley, Laura. Chapter 5: Service and Technology. On Target: How the Worlds Hottest Retailer Hit a Bullseye. Hoboken, NJ: J. Wiley, 2003. Print.

Simon, Stephanie. The United States of Mind - WSJ.com. Business News & Financial News - The Wall Street Journal - Wsj.com. The Wall Street


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Journal, 23 Sept. 2008. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. .

Sullivan, Luke. Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: a Guide to Creating Great Ads. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2008. Print.

West, Patrick. Postmodern Advertising? Dont Buy It | Patrick West | Spiked. Spiked: Humanity Is Underrated. Spiked, 16 Nov. 2007. Web. 17 Nov.2011. .


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Celebration of Regional Typology in a Context of Postmodern Advertising

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