Buying In

This book is a great tool for a future marketer. Most marketers try to think of ways to get people to buy but never actually think about why people buy.This book looks beyond advertisements and discovers what Walker referred to as a "desire code". This desire code, including symbols and individuality describe how symbols matter and are meaningful to people. Not only that but consumers crave individuality. Being able to create a product and message that satisfies a consumers need for individuality will definitely set an advertisement or a marketer apart from their competitors. Not only that, but symbols go a long way. Symbols create an air and feeling of authenticity and status. Understanding consumer needs, not in terms of product or service, but in terms of fulfilling desires and cravings will help in the creation of an advertisement or marketing campaign.

Organizational Communication Presentation - Linda Putnum

The concept of different messages for different publics applies to many aspects of communications, especially advertising. A great part of advertising includes market research which looks at the target audience's demographics and psychographics. This is done so persuasive messages can be designed to have a positive effect on that target audience. The same goes for understanding differences in cultures. Knowledge of target audience, how they respond to messages, what messages elicit positive responses, and how to get a message across will differ between cultures and publics.

Necessary Illusions

In his book,Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies, Noam Chomsky brings to light a very serious issue in news media today. He highlights the elite's control over the media and how their world views are presented to all that watch and listen. Even those media channels that are not owned or controlled by the elite feel the need to fall in line with the messages fed through the elite-controlled channels.
This issue is extremely relevant today especially with the state our country is in. It also has an even greater impact in times of war. War is an extremely sensitive topic to most and people all over the world have their own opinions yet they are never heard because they do not have the power or resources to have their opinions heard.
However, new technologies have made voicing opinions much easier and more accessible. The Internet houses millions of blogs and social media networks that are filled with opinions. Although what is broadcast may still be under elite-control, I feel new technologies will soon make it difficult for this trend to continue much further in the future.