Hypercommercialism, The Media and Oligopolistic Markets

GUESS WHAT??? “Consumers are like roaches You spray them and spray them and they become immune after a while The only answer is to spray them some more.” -David Lubars, Senior Ad Executive, Omnicom Group The Burning Question How many different cans of Raid advertisers have? HYPER-COMMERCIALISM The Progression (and Annoyance) of Advertising What’s not new    Advertising has spilled into our television programs with 30 and 15 second spots, in total taking 14 to 17 minutes per hour of programming Ads also appear in our newspapers, magazines, on our radio stations and in other forms of media Advertising in stadiums and other public venues We have become immune to this What IS new Advertising during TV programs, digitally imprinted such that only the home viewer can see it  Internet pop-up ads, including those that now avoid pop-up blockers  Commercialized companies, making deals with advertisers which benefit both the company and advertiser  What IS new Products written into programming  Product sponsored events, books, etc • The Nokia Sugar Bowl • The Oreo Cookie Counting Book  An alarming example to me: NASCAR • The good ol’ boy network has fallen! A closer look at NASCAR Founded in 1948 by Bill France, Sr., its primary series, the “Strictly Stock Division” began on the dirt tracks in Charlotte, NC in 1949 The famed Daytona International Speedway opened in 1959  R.J Reynolds Tobacco and France struck a deal that created NASCAR’s Winston Cup Series in 1971  That was then… this is NOW! NASCAR is a commercialized machine, from the cars, to the drivers, to the broadcasts to the Internet All interactive rights are now owned by Time Warner  The broadcast networks now televise NASCAR, and since that’s the case…  Winston is GONE as the primary sponsor… it is now the Nextel Cup Series as of this year  The Web Site   www.nascar.com To the good ol’ boys, Time Warner, advertisers and broadcast giants must be the devil This Is Our Future We cannot escape advertisers Businesses are joining with them for more profit They’re in our books, our stadiums, on our buses, in public bathroom stalls, hospital rooms… we are trapped, there is no way out… AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! And If That Wasn’t Bad Enough… MEDIA HEGEMONY AND OLIGOPOLISTIC MARKETS So Few Own So Much Terms Vertical Integration  n : absorption into a single firm of several firms involved in all aspects of a product's manufacture from raw materials to distribution Synergy  n: The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects  Cooperative interaction among groups, especially among the acquired subsidiaries or merged parts of a corporation, that creates an enhanced combined effect Terms Conglomerate  n: A corporation made up of a number of different companies that operate in diversified fields First and second tier media firms these three things WELL THE BIG SEVEN These are the first tier firms:  Time Warner  Viacom  News Corporation  Sony  General Electric  Bertelsmann  Disney Cox Enterprises Cox is considered a second-tier media firm  Profits range from $3-$10 billion annually They own  Newspapers  TV Stations and Channels (Partially)  Other (AutoTrader.com)  www.coxenterprises.com  What these conglomerates Acquire any and every thing that furthers their efforts to control media outlets  Work with each other to keep third-tier and independent firms out UNLESS they can get a slice of the pie (they are the gatekeepers)  Keep ideas stale; remain non-progressive (they give the people what they want, but then give too much of it)  Why is this happening??? Why is this happening??? Teleological Theory  “The means justify the ends.” Egoism  the individual self is the motivating moral force and the end of moral action What ever happened to deontological theory???  action will be guided by a set of moral principles or rules What can be done? Governmental Regulation?  Advertisers claim they are protected by the First Amendment  Laws against oligopoly? Consumers  We have power, but too many people don’t care SITE TO REMEMBER! Columbia Journalism Review  www.cjr.org THE END ... any and every thing that furthers their efforts to control media outlets  Work with each other to keep third-tier and independent firms out UNLESS they can get a slice of the pie (they are the. .. non-progressive (they give the people what they want, but then give too much of it)  Why is this happening??? Why is this happening??? Teleological Theory  The means justify the ends.” Egoism  the individual... machine, from the cars, to the drivers, to the broadcasts to the Internet All interactive rights are now owned by Time Warner  The broadcast networks now televise NASCAR, and since that’s the case…