Corporate style branding: First we lose our minds, THEN our democracy

[Ian_rd]

This is the kind of news that really interests me more than any other these days. I see this kind of marketing influence on the human brain as the source of so many ills in our society from brain dead voters, to lower wages, to high consumer debt, to fewer American jobs, and on and on because at the heart of the matter is the ability to control people's thoughts without them even knowing it.

Big Brother is not scary in our 1984, rather it's a happy face that makes us feel safe and satisfied while our pockets are picked clean and our environment is poisoned. Corporate style marketing leads people to vote for action figures instead of policy positions, to cheer when our rights are taken away, and fight with earnest against their own interests because the branding they've undergone precludes any rational thought they could have. If this country ever slides completely into a fascist tyranny, it will not be to the rumble of tanks and jackboots, but will be propelled by the loving roar of millions of working class Americans branded by enterprises of the wealthy elite from corporations to political parties and programmed to love their oppression as if it were glorious salvation.

Lovin' it: McBranding hooks preschoolers, study finds
By Julie Steenhuysen Mon Aug 6, 4:05 PM ET, Reuters

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Preschoolers preferred the taste of burgers and fries when they came in McDonald's wrappers over the same food in plain wrapping, U.S. researchers said, suggesting fast-food marketing reaches the very young.

"Overwhelmingly, kids chose the one that they perceived was from McDonald's," said obesity prevention expert Dr. Thomas Robinson of the Stanford University School of Medicine, whose work appears in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

While prior studies have looked at the impact of individual ads on kids, Robinson and colleagues set out to study the overall influence of a company's brand -- based on everything from advertising to toy premiums and word of mouth.

It comes as many food and restaurant companies face pressure to cut back on marketing to children as rates of obesity among that age group continue to climb.

Robinson and colleagues conducted a taste test with a total of 63 kids aged 3 to 5 who were enrolled in a Head Start preschool for low-income families.

They were offered five pairs of foods and asked if they tasted the same or to point to the one that tasted better.

The food -- taken from the same order -- was wrapped in either McDonald's packaging or unbranded packages in the same color and style.

In about 60 percent of the tastings, the kids preferred food in the McDonald's wrapper.

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[Nikki Stone1]

1. I entirely agree with you

Recommend #1