It's All About the "M"

I have a love/hate relationship with Marketing and Advertising. I have even worked in the field and it has been one of my favorite jobs so far.

I LOVE:

• The creative process where an explosion of ideas feed off of one another
• Finding the message that will make the brand attactive to the customer
• Exploring what makes people tick and why they choose what they choose in products and services, aka the brands we know and love

There are so many brands out in our world. Ford, Barbie, McDonald's... McDonald's being the one of the first logos learned by kids.

I am clear that I am a brand shopper. I will buy things because of name and reputation. I buy into the hype. That being said, I also despise marketing.

I HATE:

• The amount of manipulation that goes into marketing, with marketers looking for your "touchpoints" or drivers into why you buy what you buy
• The fact that marketing makes some items more expensive because you are buying into a stereotype, buying into an illusion
• That advertisers use emotions and other unrelated items to get you to buy THEIR product or service (i.e. "a better life," anything related to sex, anything related to money, etc.)

I'm a "both sides of the coin" kind of gal. It just depends on when you ask me as to whether I see the positive side or the negative side.

So, I am not sure whether it's with pride or disdain that the first phrase my son ever strung together in this life was: "Cheeseburger, no meat, with fries and Sprite." And he would sing it repeatedly as we passed the McDonald's and anytime he was hungry on a road trip. He was ~18 months at the time.

It's still similar to what we order today when he gets the treat of eating out. Nowadays he gets the apples, which I am thrilled about (completely his choice). He was never really a fries kind of guy. We also have to remind the counterpeople that "no meat" also means no condiments. Kinda ruins the cheese sandwich effect if you have ketchup, onions and a pickle.

I do have to report, with some surprise, that G actually finished off Marcus's chicken nuggets from the "Golden Arches" over the weekend. He's having "empty leg" syndrome at the moment. Anyone who has boys knows this syndrome: when whatever you feed them isn't enough. (And apparently, the lines of WHAT you're willing to eat change.)