The Incomplete Menorah: Instinct versus Enlightenment in Pandora’s Box

Louise Brooks is a sunbeam in the 1928 film Pandora’s Box. The film itself is a reflection of the decay of Weimar Germany and was directed by George Pabst. Pandora’s Box is based on a series of plays by Frank Wedekind concerning a character Lulu in a regressive struggle between the instinctive and the enlightened.

Lulu is a courtesan and would-be stage performer. Her relationships with the cultured Dr. Schon and his son Alwa form the basis for the two parts of the film. In the first, Dr. Schon destroys himself. In the second, the other characters ruin themselves. Two metaphorical associations early in Pandora’s Box make it clear that Lulu is a character driven by instinct, devoid of enlightenment.

Pabst uses a menorah in the set decor. It is prominently displayed in Lulu’s modern apartment and our attention focused on it several times. It eventually becomes apparent that it is missing the 9^th, center branch. This is the branch for the candle that lights all the other candles. The implication is that Lulu is a character without enlightenment and one incapable of obtaining enlightenment like the Lilitu.

Pabst goes on, though, to reinforce this point. We also see in background during Lulu’s dance for Schigolch and in several closeups, a painting of Lulu as Pierrot, the trusting fool in mime and the comedy of artists. Pierrot is the object of other’s machinations, and is fully unaware of reality. Lulu is driven by instinct, and like Pierrot driven to calamity.

Pabst additionally asserts that enlightenment is fragile, in school with Adorno and Horkheimer. The old German culture, manifest in the main characters other than Lulu, rapidly disintegrates in the face of Dionysian instinct. High culture breaks down without a personal commitment to the processes of enactment, selection and retention.

Schon’s fiancé, in contrast to Lulu, personifies this commitment. Yet, she is abruptly rejected in a series of rebuffs during Lulu’s theater revue, which is financed by Schon. The fiancé is bewildered by Schon’s embrace of the instinctive Lulu, rudely brushed aside by the backstage manager, and her ostracization complete, she leaves the backstage world in two movements.

The die is cast at that point for the eventual ruin of the other characters, all of whom profited in their own way within the enlightened framework. A transition (a ship) over a season (3 months) takes place to a world governed by instinct. Pabst’s final act in this film postulates that this world is populated by sociopaths and those who administer to broken souls. Pandora’s Box in 1928 foreshadowed what would happen a decade after its release. During that intervening decade, three of the main actors in this film had to escape the new Germany for America because they were Jewish: Fritz Kortner, Franz Lederer, and Siegfried Arno.

This is a great film, carried by Amazon at Pandora's Box

Fractal Art in Mobile Marketing

Fractals provide useful video art for mobile marketing. Large and amorphous patterns crystallize into smaller, distinct shapes. Or the logistic equation can be graphed in reverse from chaos to tipping point to order. The advantage of these as dynamic logos is that a small code module can be downloaded to create them rather than the download of a large video. The downside would be security concerns.

An example is the Focusing Triangles Fractal with code included in this post.




'******************************************************************************************
' This program creates a diffuse pattern and focuses it to a crisp, smaller triangle.
' Author: George Ray
'******************************************************************************************Option Explicit
Dim iGMR, RandNum As Integer
Dim gmrDenom As DoubleDim gmrAx, gmrAy, gmrBx, gmrBy, gmrCx, gmrCy, gmrPx, gmrPy As DoubleSub Main()
gmrDisplay.BackColor = QBColor(0)
gmrDisplay.Show
Call gmrLogo
End Sub
Sub gmrLogo()
gmrAx = 5000 / 4
gmrAy = 3000 / 4
gmrBx = 4000 / 4
gmrBy = 5000 / 4
gmrCx = 6000 / 4
gmrCy = 5000 / 4
gmrPx = 5000 / 4
gmrPy = 4000 / 4

gmrDisplay.PSet (gmrAx, gmrAy), RGB(255, 0, 0)
gmrDisplay.PSet (gmrBx, gmrBy), RGB(255, 0, 0)
gmrDisplay.PSet (gmrCx, gmrCy), RGB(255, 0, 0)

gmrDenom = 1.5
Randomize
For gmrDenom = 1.2 To 2.2 Step 0.4
For iGMR = 1 To 10000
RandNum = Int(3 * Rnd + 1)
If RandNum = 1 ThengmrPx = (gmrAx + gmrPx) / gmrDenom
gmrPy = (gmrAy + gmrPy) / gmrDenom
gmrDisplay.PSet (gmrPx, gmrPy), RGB(255, 0, 0)
ElseIf RandNum = 2 ThengmrPx = (gmrBx + gmrPx) / gmrDenom
gmrPy = (gmrBy + gmrPy) / gmrDenom
gmrDisplay.PSet (gmrPx, gmrPy), RGB(0, 255, 0)
ElseIf RandNum = 3 ThengmrPx = (gmrCx + gmrPx) / gmrDenom
gmrPy = (gmrCy + gmrPy) / gmrDenom
gmrDisplay.PSet (gmrPx, gmrPy), RGB(0, 0, 255)
End IfNext iGMR
Next gmrDenom
End Sub
If you have difficulty with the code, please post a comment and I will try to help.

Visual Rhetoric and Operant Conditioning

My Grandmother used to tell me that there’s no such thing as bad booze. I feel the same way about chocolate. There hardly seems a need to use advertising and conditioning for an obsession and so fetching a delight. Nevertheless, the major chocolate manufacturers and retailers use a combination of both classical conditioning and operant conditioning, but mostly classical.

Classical
Classical conditioning is the association of chocolate with an appealing stimulus. Hawkins, et al (2007, p 331) inform us that music, holidays and popular personalities are often paired in commercials with chocolate as part of classical conditioning. With chocolate, there is usually an undertone of romance.

Here is a Nestle’s :30 second spot on Youtube with many elements of classical conditioning. An ecstatic cellist. A woman, melting and open. How beautiful she is too. Enchanting music. Nestle's Alpine TV Spot
Latent romance in the popular commercial touched our need for objectification (see Hawkins, 2007, p 367) by having us view the behaviors of “others and [draw] inferences as to what one feels and thinks.” Showing affection in interpersonal relationships can also help satisfy our need for affiliation (p 371).

There is a dark side to chocolate too, an unstated sexual desire. Unstated motives are often driving forces in our culture but unlike manifest motives, are not directly presented (p 375). Instead, indirect appeals through artwork are made.

Hawkins, et al (2007, p 386) further report that “repeated exposure to positive-emotion-eliciting ads may increase brand preference through classical conditioning.” What is an example of such an emotion – they tell us: love. The 1989 commercial above was actually the apex of a multi-year campaign that started in 1986. Here is the first ad, notice the Maxfield Parrish theme; Parrish was noted for his sexually suggestive art: 1986 Nestle's TV Spot

Nestlé’s does not have a lock on chocolate advertising though. For their part Hershey’s follows suit with a more recent and similar Special Dark :15 spot (much louder): Hershey's :15 Spot

Here Hershey’s employs gold and copper colors to convey richness in the affective interpretation by the consumer, to supplement the same unconditioned stimuli we saw in Nestlé’s. Hawkins, et al (2007 , p 299) give a print ad example with a similar gold and copper color combination for a Godiva chocolate ad, but Hershey’s even gives us the words to associate with the product.

Hershey’s Kisses added a popular personality to the music, Thalia as she covered the Shirelle’s hit It’s in His Kiss: Thalia TV Spot

They also changed colors for the Christmas season and bell-rang a popular carol: Hershey's for the Holidays . Hawkins et al (p 332) use Christmas music as an example of eliciting the emotional responses characteristic of classical conditioning.

Hawkins and crew give other interesting examples of classical conditioning for chocolate candy (p 286): Reese’s Pieces product placement in the movie E.T. It was E.T.’s favorite food and its cinematic use in a natural way resulted in positive transfer to the product and sales jumped 6%.

In their Darwinian competition for attention, the chocolate makers are now exploring non-traditional venues. The response rate for advergames is between 16% and 45%. Additionally, customers spend an average of 25 minutes with our message. Blank (2001, ¶ 1) reports that Hershey’s Chocolate also experienced a phenomenal response rate with advergaming.

According to Ron (2002, ¶ 1), advergaming is a marketing device where the brand elements are an integral part of an online or computer game. Two academic studies have found that classical conditioning in advergaming produces most the most positive attitude (see Bailey, 2008, pp20-1 and Huang, 2005, p 1).

Operant Conditioning
Chocolate candy is a low involvement purchase. Duncan (2005, p 158) notes that conditioned learning is especially active in low involvement purchases. Gum and candy are the examples Duncan uses for low involvement products (p 140).

Operant conditioning works from the consequences of a purchase rather than through forming a positive stimulus for purchase. It rewards purchase “with positive outcomes,” according to Hawkins, et all (p 332) who also give an example of operant conditioning for chocolate candy. A free sample of chocolate in a candy shop resulted in a 25% higher purchase of chocolate. Tools of operant conditioning are free samples, discount coupons and sweepstakes (p 332). All are oriented to “secure an initial trial.”

Hershey’s used sweepstakes. Blank (2001, p 1) observes that the effective campaign used prizes ranging from Sony Play Stations, a one years supply of candy, a trip to Hershey’s Park, and daily prizes earned using the advergames – Reese’s Treasure Hunt and Reese’s Table Tennis. The sweepstakes was part of the advergame reported in classical conditioning.

Huang (2005, p 1) notes there is a secondary operant conditioning effect in advergaming, although the prime effect is from classical conditioning. Stokes, et al explain further (2008, p 9) “where reinforcement or punishment is used to promote specific behaviors,” advergames use operant conditioning to achieve desired behaviors.

Coupons and gift cards are standard fare also. See’s uses coupons as do the others, (See
See's Deals). Sweepstakes too (see See's Sweepstakes ).

ReferencesBailey, R (Summer 2008). TRAINED TO EAT: CHILDREN’S COGNITIVE AND
EMOTIONAL PROCESSING OF SNACK FOOD
ADVERGAMES. Univ. of Missouri. Retrieved on March 17, 2009 from http://edt.missouri.edu/Summer2008/Thesis/BaileyR-072308-T11745/research.pdf

Blank, C (August 6, 2001). Hershey's Online Push for Reese's Gets Sweet Response. Direct Marketing News. Retrieved on March 16, 2009
http://www.dmnews.com/Hershey39s-Online-Push-for-Reese39s-Gets-Sweet-Response/article/74093/

Hawkins, Del, David Mothersbaugh and Roger Best (2007). Consumer Behavior. McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Huang, Y (August 7, 2005). The Application of Learning Theory to The Study of Advergaming. Retrieved on March 17, 2009 from http://etdncku.lib.ncku.edu.tw/ETD-db/ETD-search/view_etd?URN=etd-0807105-020544

Ron, S (June 27, 2002). Inject Some Fun and Games Into Advertising. Direct Marketing News. Retrieved on March 16, 2009at http://www.dmnews.com/Inject-Some-Fun-and-Games-Into-Advertising/article/77963/

Stokes, B, S Seggerman, and D Rejeski (9/28/2008). Digital Games and the Social Change Sector (For a Better World). Retrieved on March 18, 2009 from

Three Media Acceptance Models

There are several models for analyzing the diffusion of new ideas in a culture. Fishbein and Azjen proposed the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) to explain the phenomenon. This model has been widely adapted and discussed but its essence is that someone performs a behavior because of his or her own attitude toward performing the behavior and his or her subjective norm regarding the behavior. The attitude for performing a behavior is an expected value assessment done by the individual (Fishbein, 1976, p 492) based on the returns they see in the behavior. On the other hand, the subjective norm is the influence that significant others have on an individual. Fishbein (p 493) notes

"most people who are important to me think I should (or should not) engage in the behavior would influence intentions…”

Their endorsements of a behavior, or criticism, would affect an individual’s intent to perform. The fusion of both factors, individual attitude and subjective norm determines if the behavior is enacted.

Another widely used model is the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) proposed by Davis. This is an instantiation of the TRA model. The behavior is specifically technology adoption and the beliefs and norms are perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. If both these beliefs are positive then the likelihood of accepting new technology is positive.

Peters, Amato and Hollenbeck (p 130) review these two models in a study to understand acceptance of wireless advertising messages. However, they opted to apply a third model, the venerable Media Uses and Gratifications Theory developed by Katz in the 1950s. Katz hypothesized that people use media to satisfy certain needs or gratifications. The audience actively exposes itself to new media contents based on these needs or gratifications.

Peters, Amato and Hollenbeck (pp 143-5) include a useful questionnaire they prepared to understand the acceptability of wireless advertising messages by consumers with mobile form factors. These questions were used in a participatory inquiry with a selected group of “informants” who represent their audience at large. The questions are categorized along functional use or technology feature. They are general and open-ended so that interviewers can conduct “conversational probing to elicit greater elaboration from the informants.”

Their approach (p 131) is based on Clark Moustakas’ protocol for phenomenology. Hiles (2008, p1) notes the “pivotal role” Michael Polanyi’s Personal Knowledge had in Moustakas form of participatory inquiry. Polanyi (1974, p 18) criticized the naïve objectivism of most scientific inquiry as “a delusion and in fact a false ideal.” To Polanyi, the test of knowledge is not complete objectivity, which cannot be obtained, but the presence of a commitment to share the knowledge for review by peers. This commitment tempers the subjectivity opposed by objectivism. It’s refreshing to see Peters, Amato and Hollenbeck use a post-critical approach that incorporates personal knowledge into the process.

References

Fishbein, Martin (1976). Extending the Extended Model: Some Comments. Advances in Consumer Research.

Hiles, David (May 16, 2008). Putting Heidegger Polanyi Popper in the same frame. Missouri Western University. Retrieved on September 21, 2008 from http://www.missouriwestern.edu/orgs/polanyi/Loyola08/Loy08Abst/Hiles-abs.pdf

Peters, Cara and Christie Amato and Candice Hollenbeck (Winter 2007). An Exploratory Investigation of Consumers’ Perceptions of Wireless Advertising. Journal of Advertising.

Polanyi, M. (1974). Personal knowledge: towards a post-critical philosophy. University Of Chicago Press

Brand Palimpsests

I am loyal to Coca Cola in the soft drink product category. Coke communicates vitality and always has an appeal to modernity. As Neumeier and Keller postulate, successful products are experiential and Coke is that but further, it’s a part of my life. With its campaigns throughout history, The Pause that Refreshes, The Real Thing, and Max Headroom, Coke positions itself as something that fits into my lifestyle. It’s a cultural touchstone.

To me Coke communicates style and energy while Pepsi, in contrast, seems base and impoverished. This is not a result of what Pepsi is doing today, because I find them to be adequately following Coke’s initiatives. For example, Coke is leading the beverage industry in environmentally friendly containers (see Business Wire). Everyone else, including Pepsi is now following suit. No, my perception of Pepsi has to do with its history. Past communications were low cost in comparison to Coke, no art and clumsy.


The Pepsi Generation. Yipes! They improved over time but my consciousness of them is a palimpsest and the earlier writing they did on my psyche won’t ever go away completely.
They have never had anything like the Hilltop commercial: Hilltop Ad. This is how I still view Coca Cola.

On the other hand, in the computer hardware category, I am completely agnostic. I do not differentiate between Dell, HP, Compaq, eMachines, Sony, or any of them. Microsoft Windows has commoditized computer hardware. Price is the overriding determinant in my purchase decision. I am not loyal because I am really buying Windows, which sits between the computer and myself. Microsoft is the middleman controlling my access to what I want.

I have a growing interest in Apple, and now have two Macs. Apple is a completely different product and does not try to compete on hardware features but has given me a different middleman, a Linux based operating system - OS X, to the Microsoft applications I like, especially Office. Perhaps the others could try the same thing, although if they do they may commoditize operating systems, and drag Apple and even Microsoft into the same bad place they now occupy as undifferentiated products in a losing race to the lowest price.


References

Keller, Kevin (2008). Strategic Brand Management 3rd Ed. Pearson/Prentice-Hall.

Neumeier, Marty (2006). The Brand Gap. New Riders

Anthropologie Visuality

Anthropologie understands its customer’s lifestyle and its stores provide a journey of self-discovery. Duncan (2005, p. 289) defines Lifestyle marketing as an association strategy, which uses situations and symbols of lifestyles that are relevant to the target audience. Relevant because it is their present lifestyle or one they aspire to. Aspiration might explain why upscale MSL surprised the skeptics.

Anthropologie is extremely effective at using visual wit to communicate with its customers. In our readings, Pink (1998, p. 3) talks with Gerald Zaltman who observes that “Cognitive scientists have learned that human beings think in images, not in words.” The visual artistry of Anthropologie has propelled them to unprecedented growth. Labarre (2002, p. 2) reports that sales have grown 40% annually.
Anthropologie Technique
Labarre (p. 1) likens visiting Anthropologie to her “open-ended sense of discovery” in France as a teen. She catalogues some of the Anthropologie technique. Foremost in my mind is that the store has a mission to be a journey, not only for customers, but for all the employees as well. Keith Johnson, a buyer, spends 50-75% of his time journeying around the world (p. 5). The entire staff (p. 6) is admonished to travel, shop, soak in culture.
In his book, Zaltman (2008, p. 98) describes the powerful Journey metaphor and notes it is rooted in our biological need for growth, progress and maturation. Labarre (p. 4) relates how Anthropologie wants to help its customers grow, similar to MSL. She quotes them:

"We wanted to create an experience that would set up the possibility of change…”

This is a powerful mission.
Other practices:

• Be customer experts (p. 2). Women, 30-45, educated, in committed relationship….
• An earthier sensibility (p. 3). Texture is important.
• Imperfection, eclecticism, and quirkiness (p. 4). The nature of Journeys.
• Merchandizing to set a mood, not highlight a product (p. 4).
• Storytelling (p. 3). Their voice is friendly and worldly with good stories to tell.

Similar StoresPier 1 and Wegman’s come to mind. Pier 1 was the Anthropologie of its day, when I was in my thirties. Labarre (p. 4) discusses the creation of vignettes and stalls that reminds me of Wegman’s. Wegman’s is designed to look like a NYC street of bygone days, with each department looking like a street vendor you might find then.
Duncan says (p. 289) that lifestyle selling is especially effective in highly competitive categories. WVU School of Journalism (2009, p. 2) says that products are not the purpose of a business executing a lifestyle strategy. Products are the vehicles for delivering a message that resonates with the community that relates to your business.
ReferencesDuncan, T. (2005). Principles of Advertising & IMC. McGraw-Hill.Irwin.
Labarre, P. (Decmeber 2002). Sophisticated Selling. Fast Company. Retrieved on November 1, 2009 from WVU IMC 625 Week 2 Readings.
Pink, D. (April 1998). Metaphor Marketing. Fast Compnay. Retrieved on November 1, 2009 from WVU IMC 625 Week 2 Readings.
Isaac Reed School of Journalism, West Virginia University (2009). IMC 625 Lesson 2: Your Client: Intro to a Shelter Title Launch for Time, Inc. Mission, Voice, Lifestyle Message, Target Audience, Strategy. Retrieved from WVU IMC 625 Lesson 2 on November 1, 2009.
Zaltman, G and L Zaltman (2008). Marketing Metaphoria. Harvard Business Press.

Economic Darwinism and the Marketing Struggle for Attention

Economic Darwinism manifests itself in a marketing struggle for attention. One of the enemies of attention is the development of immunity to habituated stimuli, and email advertising may be on the verge. This may explain the marketing interest in social media – the hope that people are not yet immune to it as they are to email. This would be consistent with adaptation level theory (see Hawkins, 2007, p 293), “over time we adapt or habituate to it [in our case frequent email from a vendor] and begin to notice it less.”

Poulos (2009, p. 1) contends that the deciding factor in email success or failure is the strategic planning that goes into the entire campaign: segmentation, objectives, tactics and so on. He cites research about the value of a list that is both opt-in and highly targeted. He finally advises us to implement the Sender Policy Framework in our email directory technology (see Sender Policy Framework). This is designed to prevent spam.

For habituated stimuli in other media, look at Rosser Reeves' Minute Maid or Anacin TV campaigns. Minute Maid complained about the deathly repetition in its orange juice campaign, to no good effect. Twitchell (1996, p 29) notes that such repetition "will no longer be tolerated" in TV advertising. Based on our readings this week, repetitious (too frequent email) may not be either.

An Attention Economy model has been presented to explain attention immunity in marketing with the utility theory of neo-classical economics. The unfinished argument in economics over the sui generis of the market now finds new application in the potential of Internet technologies. Is it natural for the market to be governed by a higher authority, the state, or is it a stand-alone, self-regulating entity? Likewise with email and social media. They are connected to brand planning but to what extent should they be governed by it?

The Cluetrain Manifesto sees the old marketing as a procession of charlatans who no longer have an audience. The new technology opens a free conversation to form markets directly between empowered members of a firm and the community they serve.

Most new parades, I think, start out solemnly and with dignity, buttressed by 95 theses or whatever, but end up in turmoil and rancor. Email is an example and so is blogging. Microsoft has employees talking directly to customers on blogs. In fact, Joe Cox reports (see Microsoft Watch) that Microsoft has over 5,000 employee blogs and quite often Microsoft makes major product announcements only on these blogs, not incorporating one or another of its marketing agencies.

John Cass is a marketer and a researcher at Forrester and has made a counterintuitive finding (see his blog ). Dell and Macromedia use a dedicated approach, and control communications that uses email and social media rather than take the wide-open approach of Microsoft. Dell and Macromedia are doing quite well with such an approach.

Cass concludes that anarchy does not work. While the Cluetrain Manifesto helped focus attention on change that is needed for marketing communications because of the Internet, "[it] did not provide a really effective road map for how to open up a company.”

Marketing communications is a discipline. By focusing their email and social media efforts in smaller groups capable of effective marketing communications (i.e. people trained in IMC), and providing them with support, Dell and Macromedia have been effective. More so than Microsoft. I think the lesson this week is that email is governed by a higher authority, the principles of marketing communications and marketing platform of the firm.

References
Hawkins, Del, David Mothersbaugh and Roger Best (2007). Consumer Behavior. McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Newbusiness.co.uk. Retrieved on September, 25, 2009 from http://www.newbusiness.co.uk/articles/marketing-advice/how-grab-customers%E2%80%99-attention

Poulos, Alex (May 4, 2009). Email Marketing – Still Friend or Foe? (Part I). Retrieved on September 23, 2009 from http://www.covisio.com/blog/2009/05/04/email-marketing-still-friend-or-foe-part-i/

Twitchell, James (1996). Adcult USA. Columbia.