Many people usually buy items before studying them. They, therefore, lack information concerning the experiences of workers in industries that manufacture those goods. Most of the time, employees work for many hours under hostile conditions, yet their wages cannot satisfy all their needs. Consumers, on the other hand, only enjoy using the products. This work compares my past, present, and future consumer habits to the experiences of the protagonist in Tiffany Anderson’s article Thinking Beyond my American Consumerism.
In the past, I used to buy products without gathering enough information about them. When I was in my native country, China, I always bought my phones from the Apple Company. I, however, stopped buying their phones when I heard about the cruelty to their employees. The company employs approximately one million workers but takes advantage of their desperation to exploit them. It underpays them and makes them work for several days without rest. For example, employees who assemble and clean the various parts of their products earn less than $1.5 per hour. They, therefore, cannot afford to buy the phones they manufacture. The situation worsened when eighteen workers died because of these harsh working conditions in the company, but nothing has changed up to today.
The situation of workers in most developing countries is similar to that in China and worse than what Anderson’s character goes through (80). Industries in these countries export their products to countries abroad and sell them at very good prices, but the people who produce them earn very little from what companies get. Workers in such countries are living in poor conditions, and rarely find time to be with their families. The narrator in Anderson’s story can at least afford a car, and can even spend her money on dancing. These employees cannot afford such luxury.
Levels of unemployment and poverty in developing countries force people to take up jobs in such companies even when they are aware of their hostile working conditions. Buyers, on the other hand, buy products from shops that sell their products because they lack information about the production process. Sometimes, these companies offer the best products in the market, and buyers cannot avoid them. The girl in Anderson’s story is a good example of consumers who buy their goods because of these reasons. She does not know anything about the origin of her clothes. She only realizes later that they come from industries where sweatshop labor plays a key role in the production of most goods (Anderson 80).
In the future, I will be prepared before going to the market to buy any item. Having a plan will help me carry out a comprehensive study of the nature of the market. I will be comfortable purchasing products I know well. My study will analyze the entire manufacturing process, the undertakings of manufacturing companies, and how they treat their employees.
It is, therefore, necessary for all consumers to change their buying habits. They should start studying all products before buying them. Researching products will help discover what every manufacturer does in the production process. It is unfair to spend money on items whose manufacturers exploit their workers or compromise the quality of their products to increase their returns. It would be very good to support poor factory workers by buying goods from companies that care about their employees’ welfare.
Works Cited
Anderson, Tiffany. “Student Voice: Thinking Beyond my American Consumerism.” Global Issues, Local Arguments. Ed. June Johnson. New York: Longman, 2013. 79-80. Web.
The constant search for opportunities to increase consumer interest through unique advertising and individual strategies for influencing target consumers has always been a significant marketing challenge. In their attempts to engage customers, manufacturers and retailers use a variety of approaches and solutions based both on creating brand value and on more primitive steps, such as promotional offers. One of the tools designed to draw buyers’ attention is the use of graphic elements, including the color of the product, its shape, the principle of displaying information on the package, and some other components. It has been proven that the visual appeal of products is one of the purchasing incentives, which opens up a wide scope for marketers to be creative (Barchiesi et al., 2018). This work is aimed at identifying relevant graphic design techniques used in modern marketing, such as color patterns, historical narratives, product shapes, and visual labeling.
Color Patterns as Marketing Incentives
One of the graphic design principles actively utilized to increase interest in the target products is the use of appropriate color shades. Traditionally, some visual methods are associated with perception stereotyping, for example, aggressiveness, shown through red, or mystery, conveyed by dark colors. However, as Barchiesi et al. (2018) argue, some persistent perceptual patterns that have formed over decades have transformed or ceased to exist. For instance, the authors note that green shades, which have always been associated with nature and health, are not a trend, and white and blue colors have taken their place (Barchiesi et al., 2018). Hoseini Siahdashti (2019) complements the idea of the influence of colors by arguing that different shades are designed to influence distinctive consumer purchasing intentions because buyers intuitively perceive corresponding colors as those associated with specific products. As a result, even in such a narrow marketing field, dynamic shifts are taking place.
From a deeper impact perspective, marketers often use color to address the target audience’s unique cultural characteristics. According to Hoseini Siahdashti (2019), unique packaging designs can be perceived distinctively by consumers based on their ethnic or other characteristics, which is critical to consider when manufacturing some goods. Yew et al. (2020) support this idea and add that appropriate palette hues can act as triggers to remind shoppers of specific products and be associated with individual products. In the context of creating unique marketing propositions, this factor can be used to advantage, but preliminary segmentation of the target audience should be performed. Thus, colors are an important element of graphic design, directly influencing purchasing intentions and stimulating sales of related products. At the same time, while speaking of cultural characteristics, product packaging can be designed with unique historical patterns, which can also be an effective demand amplification instrument.
Historical Narrative as a Purchasing Driver
The ability to influence demand through unique cultural patterns is a potentially powerful marketing move that enhances consumer interest and is a way to bring manufacturers closer to buyers. According to Chimenz and Sorrentino (2017), relevant historical narratives that a manufacturer places on product packaging are often a purchasing driver. Yew et al. (2020) explain such a mechanism of influence through innovative creations; the authors mean that consumers tend to pay attention to packaging that touches them and influences their subconscious. Chimenz and Sorrentino (2017) confirm this and note that when buying products with graphic elements that reflect historical and cultural trends, consumers may experience feelings of nostalgia, tenderness, or other pleasant emotions. As a result, both parties, including buyers and manufacturers, remain satisfied.
As stories used through the perspective of a historical narrative, marketers utilize relevant topics that buyers perceive as personal images. Chimenz and Sorrentino (2017) provide an example of geopolitical events, social movements, and other contexts that are specific to a certain cultural community and unite the target audience through a common message and similar attitudes. For Hoseini Siahdashti (2019), this marketing perspective is largely linked to the place of purchase, when the buyer forms the appropriate hooks that are reminiscent of the shopping experience. Chimenz and Sorrentino (2017), in turn, make bolder arguments and state that through a historical narrative linked to either the past or the future, marketers tap into the subconscious cues of shoppers. This is performed not only to capture attention but also to create a sense of personal impact. As a result, this graphic design method is a viable strategy. Nonetheless, customer engagement tools are not limited to color or historical narratives; the shape is a common instrument for creating unique experiences in public, which manufacturers and marketers use successfully.
Aesthetic Appeal Through Shapes
Along with color, package design can have various three-dimensional forms, which are often used to attract consumers’ interest. In their study, De Bondt et al. (2018) note anthropomorphism as one of the production strategies applied by manufacturers. In other words, products that are similar in style to the body figure are perceived as unique products that differ from traditional flat shapes and, therefore, are in demand. However, Hoseini Siahdashti (2019) partly refutes such a thought and notes that consumers generally do not have a clear idea of what a product should look like. At the same, the researcher states that in the buying process, customers are often guided by aesthetic preferences, and “73% of purchasing decisions are made at the time of sale” (Hoseini Siahdashti, 2019, p. 546). In general, both positions are logical because, when seeing a human figure, which can also have unique gender differences, buyers tend to associate it with a real human (De Bondt et al., 2018). In reality, this can be achieved through the use of simple anthropomorphic forms. Nonetheless, despite its simplicity, this graphic design principle is a common way to capture consumers’ attention.
Anthropomorphism in marketing is most common in the cosmetics or personal hygiene industry. Hoseini Siahdashti (2019) cites the design of bottles for shampoos, lotions, liquid soap, and other personal care products made in the form of human figures, thereby creating a clear association with essential goods among buyers. De Bondt et al. (2018), in turn, confirm this idea statistically: about 45% of such products have at least one anthropomorphic element in their design (p. 698). Thus, from an aesthetic perspective, graphic design performs a critical function, but other methods of influence, such as appropriate labeling, often play a decisive role for buyers.
Visual Product Labeling
The aesthetic function is not the only one that shapes consumers’ purchasing preferences. Petrova and Garcia-Retamero (2018) note that appropriate labeling principles help consumers address their health concerns because buyers feel protected when all goods’ characteristics are reflected transparently, for instance, on food products. Barchiesi et al. (2018) complement this position by drawing attention to eco-labeling as one of the most sought-after tools in packaging design, which is relevant in the context of existing social and health issues. As a result, labeling is positively correlated with safe decision-making related to purchasing intentions.
Another important implication of labeling is the advertising power it has on consumers. According to Hoseini Siahdashti (2019), “labels on packages are important components of the overall marketing mix and can support promotional claims, create brand identity, enhance name recognition, and optimize cache space allocation” (p. 545). De Bondt et al. (2018) agree with this view and mention gender labeling as an example of when a specific design can target either men or women. Hoseini Siahdashti (2019) expands this design method’s range of influence and draws attention to the importance of adequate labeling that meets the interest of numerous buyers. The author explains this by saying that not all consumers perceive the visually received information in the same way (Hoseini Siahdashti, 2019). Therefore, universal graphic elements allow the client to get basic data about corresponding goods, which helps marketers interact with the target audience within this communication mode.
Conclusion
Graphic design is an essential tool marketers and manufacturers use to create relevant buying intentions among target consumers and emphasize the individuality of products. As relevant techniques, color and shape patterns are utilized to address buyers’ aesthetic needs. In addition, historical narratives can be part of product design, which is consistent with a customer-centric approach. Labeling, used as a communication tool, helps reflect the necessary information on products, which is relevant both as a marketing step and from the perspective of ensuring safe consumer decisions. Graphic design trends tend to change, reflecting cross-cultural, geopolitical, and other factors.
References
Barchiesi, M. A., Castellan, S., & Costa, R. (2018). In the eye of the beholder: Communicating CSR through color in packaging design. Journal of Marketing Communications, 24(7), 720–733. Web.
Chimenz, L., & Sorrentino, N. (2017). Known for unknown. Images from the past for the present future. Proceedings of the International and Interdisciplinary Conference IMMAGINI? Brixen, Italy, 27–28 November 2017., 1(9), 865. Web.
De Bondt, C., Van Kerckhove, A., & Geuens, M. (2018). Look at that body! How anthropomorphic package shapes systematically appeal to consumers. International Journal of Advertising, 37(5), 698–717. Web.
Hoseini Siahdashti, S. J. (2019). Investigating the role of food packaging in terms of design and color in consumer purchasing behavior. International Journal of Management, Accounting & Economics, 6(7), 542–550.
Petrova, D., & Garcia-Retamero R. (2018). How to effectively communicate risks to diverse consumers. Analiz Riska Zdorovʹû, 4, 114–119. Web.
Yew, L. K., FengQiao, C., Hoo, W. C., Omar, R., & Kowang, T. O. (2020). The influence of packaging attributes on the customer buying decision. INTI Journal, 2020, 278–283.
Consumerism refers to the process by which individuals acquire new goods and services without making some important considerations. Some of these considerations that the consumers do not mind are their need for the product and the durability of the product. They also do not mind the effects of the manufacture and disposal of the product to the environment. Companies spend huge sums of money to advertise their products so as to create a desire for the product by the consumers. The advertisements convince the consumers that the products are very important and that it is very beneficial for them to acquire the products. Those who acquire the products are convinced that they have made an achievement. Consumerism leads to materialism where consumers are preoccupied with the acquisition of material objects, comforts and considerations and have no concern on the spiritual, intellectual, and cultural values. Consumerism has many effects on the society. The common trends of buying adequate supply of life’s necessities, community life, a stable family and healthy relationships changes to a situation where individuals have a great desire for new things and the money to buy them with little or no concern on the utility of the new products. The individuals and organizations that benefit from consumerism encourage individuals to discard old products either because they are not durable or because their fashion is old and outdated. Consumerism is the principle cause of many negative issues in the environment. It leads to pollution and depletion of natural resources. Consumerism has many effects on the health of consumers. The attitudes of the public to food and food supplements affect their health in a great way. Consumerism leads to the society demanding health services instead of accepting what is already available. Politicians and the media play great roles in promoting consumption. Consumerism has many effects on the society, environment, and the health of consumers and politicians and the media play a major role in promoting consumption.
Effects of Consumerism on the Society
Society is one of the fields that have heavily been affected by consumerism. Consumerism causes individuals to spend money on issues that are not necessary. Individuals tend to spend much money in buying goods of dubious value and little social return instead of spending the money in social capital such as education, housing, nutrition and others (Shukla 2). The consumer pays more money for the new products whose prices are higher so as to perceive the consumers that they are very important. Many individuals acquire the products on credit which is very expensive. When one purchases a new product like an automobile, he or she spends extra money in registration, insurance, repair, maintenance, and others. The increased demand for new products have increased competition among manufacturers and new products are emerging every day. The consumers on the other hand continue spending more money in buying the new products that are in fashion. Eventually, the rooms available in many homes are inadequate to hold all the products that the owners of the homes buy. New purchases lead to orphaned and unwanted things in many homes. This leads to wastage of good land can be used for farming. Warehouses are built in the land to store the extra products that the consumers do not use in their homes. As a result of consumerism, much money and other resources are wasted.
Consumerism affects the interaction between individuals in a society. The quest for more money to acquire material things preoccupies individuals to the extent that they have no time for other individuals in the society (Shukla 4). Spiritual values are underplayed where individuals no longer attend churches and to not see the importance of attending the money. Community gatherings have also been neglected for individuals go out to look for money to help them acquire material things. People have no time for their neighbors and do not even mind knowing their names because taking interest in them wastes time that could be used to acquire more money. Parents have no time for their children and end up employing baby sitters to cater for the children. Day care and rest homes have been charged with the responsibility of providing wisdom and tradition to the young children. Parents to the children are engaged in activities that can help them earn more money. The quality of products that individuals possess determines their class. They interact with those who belong to their class. This leads to discrimination of the less fortunate and those who cannot afford expensive products. As a result, personal relationships are affected and interactions reduce because everyone in the society is busy looking for money.
Consumerism has affected the lifestyles of people in society. People no longer focus on simplicity but concentrates on life that is more lavish and full of material comforts (Shukla 6). Individuals have come to believe that their lives will only be possible if they attain some products that they have not yet acquired so far. Instead of living in a healthy balanced society, individuals are turning themselves into human consumer goods. Many people are engaged in issues such as weight training, cosmetic surgery, breast reduction, diet centers, permanent eye make-up, collagen injections and others. Individuals spend a lot of money in trying to become what they are not.
Consumerism leads to an increase in crime rates. Today, a developed society is known by the material wealth of the individuals in it. This poses many dangers on the lives of many people. It leads to consumerism which in turn increases people’s desires and wants for goods. The people not only want to possess goods but expensive goods. Many cannot afford these expensive goods and they end up planning on how to illegally acquire them from the ones who have them. Theft cases and daytime robberies increase. Envy and jealousy are also likely to lead to crime (Shukla 9). Consumerism leads to a new form of business where criminals steal expensive products and sell them at lower costs to other people. This happens so that they can quest their thirst for money that can help them acquire other goods and services. As a result of consumerism, many individuals have purchased personal cars which they use in their activities. This has led to the erosion of public transport meaning that the individuals who earned their living in the department have lost their jobs. Such individuals may turn into criminal activities if they lack some other means of meeting their needs. In general, consumerism leads to criminal activities.
Effects on Consumerism on the Environment
Consumerism has led to an increase in consumer demand leading to pollution of the environment (Chilongo 2). The first form pollution is the pollution of the water and the skies. Most of the products that consumers purchase are wrapped. Many companies wrap their products using plastic bags. When an individual buys a commodity that is wrapped with a plastic paper, he or she does mind the method of disposal that he or she uses but just thinks about the product itself. The plastic bags are thrown anywhere and they gat washed into the water ways. Animals that live in the waters may get caught up in the plastic bags and suffocate. The plastic bags in wrapping products take a very long period of time to decay. Disposing them into the environment affects the plants. Consumerism has led to the acquisition of many automobiles by individuals. A large percentage of individuals in the United States own personal vehicles. This is very dangerous to the environment. The automobiles use fuel that is a major cause of pollution. When the fuel burns, poisonous gas such as carbon monoxide is released into the environment. The gas is very harmful to the health of a human being and may even lead to death if taken in large quantities.
Consumerism causes depletion in the natural resources of a country (Chilongo 3). An increased use of automobile means an increased demand for fuel. The fuel that the machines use is extracted from the earth. The mines can run out of fuel leading to an economic downturn in the specific country. An increase in food consumption also affects the environment in that the amount of land needed to produce the foods is quite large and the land available may not meet the needs of the consumers. Farmers are at times forced to farm continuously without giving the land any breaks. The land deteriorates and the production keeps on reducing because it gets exhausted. The amount of water needed to farm and feed livestock so as to meet the needs of the consumers is a lot. Excessive use of water for farming and livestock may lead to a reduction of water supply in some places especially those individuals that live in the lower parts of sources of water. Digging of bore holes to increase the amount of water available for farming leads to drying of rivers that are major sources of supply. Natural resources keep on depleting as a result of consumerism.
Consumerism has negative effects on the ecology. So as to produce more goods and services that meet the demand of the consumers, natural habitat is being destroyed (Chilongo 3). The habitat is not being replaced but keeps on deteriorating. This affects the environment in general. The natural habitat is also destroyed when some space is needed for people to construct some buildings. This reduces the amount of land available for farming and also is a destruction of the natural environment. The industries that are being constructed to produce more goods not only consume space but emit gases that pollute the environment. Consumerism is a major cause of global warming.
Effects of Consumerism on Health
Consumerism is a major cause of health problems to many individuals. As stated before, consumerism increases individuals’ desires and needs. Some individuals do not have the capacity to meet these needs regardless of their efforts. Some people work under great tensions but cannot meet their desires. This leads to situations of stress that eventually lead to depression (Mayell 4). The individuals who have enough money to meet their needs end up consuming fatty foods and in excess. They consume every type of food that is shown to have value and healthy. Such people get obsessed for accumulation of sugars in their bodies. In a bid to maintain good shapes and figures, people spend much money on injections, surgery, and others. These may cause cancer which leads to death. The more the goods produced to meet the demands of the customers, the more the emissions that are made in the industries. Consumption of these harmful emissions from industries and others by automobiles also affects the health of individuals. Consumerism affects the health of many in a negative way.
Role of Politicians and the Media in Promoting Consumption
The media and politicians play a role in promoting consumption. The media promotes consumerism in its process of advertising for products. Many organizations spend much money to advertise their products in the media. This is done in newspapers, radios, newspapers, magazines, billboards, and many others. The media persuades the audience that the product is very effective and meets all the needs of the consumers (Micheletti, Follesdal and Stolle 45). The media gives the name of the product and shows the audience how the product or service could benefit the audience. This way, the media convinces potential customers to go for the specific brand. The media shows the audience that the product or service meets their demands. It also creates a picture in the minds of the consumer that this is the best brand compared to all other brands in the market. When the media convinces customers that a brand is of great value, potential customers will go for it regardless of whether they need it or not. They just want to possess new products that are of great value. Those who do not have money to purchase the product will start working hard so as to purchase it. The media also creates envy on the consumer which increases the demand for the product. This way, many individuals buy many goods and services that are not necessary in their lives. Politicians on the other hand promote consumption in that their views concerning a product are believed to be true by the consumers (Micheletti, Follesdal and Stolle 213). If a politician allows a product to be sold in his or her state or uses the product, the consumers will believe that the product is of high quality. They also would like to be associated with it. Many will go out looking for it even if they have other products which can address the issue that it will come to address.
Controlling Consumerism
Consumerism has become very common and something needs to be done so as to control it. The first important is educating individuals on the effects of consumerism on the environment and the society in general. Informing individuals on the dangers on consuming everything that they view being advertised would help them avoid buying them. Consumers should also be informed of the effects of buying new machines when they already have enough. It is dangerous to the environment. They should be encouraged to spend their money in a way that could benefit society rather than destroy it. Spending the money in social capital such as education would benefit the entire society. Consumers should be informed to avoid buying new products especially if they are not necessary in their lives. They should be informed that the picture of the products that the media portrays is not always the truth. Organizations make advertisements so as to increase their competitive advantage and revenue. When one really needs something, they should borrow or buy a used one so that the ones that are already in there can be utilized. The only new products that should be include hygiene products, utilitarian services, medicines, art supplies, and others. This way consumerism can be controlled.
Conclusion
Consumerism has many effects on the society, environment, and the health of consumers and politicians and the media play a major role in promoting consumption. This is because consumers buy the products just because they are new and not because they really need them. Individuals concentrate on acquiring new products and the money to acquire them. Beneficiaries of consumerism encourage individuals to discard old products and acquire new ones so as to keep up with fashion. Consumerism has many effects on society. Individuals spend much money buying goods that have dubious value and have little social return. It affects interpersonal relationships and interaction between individuals in the society because everybody concentrates in acquiring money. It changes lifestyles and leads to increased crime rates. Consumerism affects the environment in that it leads to increased use of machines and goods that pollute the environment. It also leads to depletion of natural resources and ecological imbalances. Consumerism affects the health of individuals negatively whereby it causes them to develop complications. The media promotes consumerism through advertisement where it persuades the consumers to purchase a product or service because it is of great benefit to them. Politicians promote consumerism by their views. Consumers need to be educated on the effects of consumerism in order to control it. They should also be encouraged to avoid new things where possible.
Reference
Chilongo, Menezes. The Effects of Consumerism on the Environment. 2010. Web.
Mayell, Hillary. As Consumerism Spreads, Earth Suffers, Study Says. 2004. Web.
Micheletti, Michele, Follesdal, Andreas and Stolle, Dietlind. Politics, Products, and Markets: Exploring Political Consumerism Past and present. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers, 2004. Print.
Shukla, Amitabh. The Effects of Consumerism. 2009. Web.
The essay In Praise of Consumerism by James B. Twitchell is concerned with the social aspect of the American consumerism concept. Discussing the problem the author concludes that the marketplace is determined not by the manufacturers and marketers but by the very consumers.
The essay makes the reader think about his or her buying habits. It turns out that very often we do not buy things that are necessary for living; we buy them just to have them at our disposal. The author claims that people do not buy things; they just buy hopes which are offered by the sellers. The better the hope is presented, the more chances to benefit from the customer the seller gets. This complex system of interrelation between the customer and the marketers results in the artificial values that consumerism creates after all.
Of course, one should not deny the material nature of the modern world but he or she should realize the power of the ever-increasing worldwide consumerist culture that is so enormous that can completely destroy the well-established code of moral values.
Richard Wolkomir and Joyce Wolkomir in their essay You Are What You Buy examine the reasons that make the customers buy this or that thing. The historical overview of mass marketing is made in their work. Commercial culture and the rise of advertizing as its integral component affects people’s attitude to the world around: advertisements foist off not only goods on customers but certain patterns of life as well. Especially it is true when it comes to the youth which seems to be the most liable to the messages offered by radio, TV and billboards.
The essay warns the reader to think over his or her position as a customer and to be especially cautious with the advertisements which congest the modern life. It is up to the customer whether to become a mirror image of what he or she buys or to make reasonable decisions about this or that buying. The problem is a rather controversial but its appropriate evaluation will sufficiently change the customer’s status for better.
Works Cited
Twitchell, James B. “In Praise of Consumerism.” Perspectives on Contemporary Issues: Readings Across the Disciplines. Ed. Katherine A. Ackley. Wadsworth Publishing Company, 2006. 652-659.
Wolkomir Richard, and Wolkomir Joyce. “You Are What You Buy.” Perspectives on Contemporary Issues: Readings Across the Disciplines. Ed. Katherine A. Ackley. Wadsworth Publishing Company, 2006. 659-666.