What target market are we?

Aaron and Erin are ages 18-24
They either attend college or are recently graduated.
They are searching for careers while working a part-time job.
They are searching for a prospective lifestyle while living at home, an apartment or a house/loft.

What this target market needs:
•Give me something new and fresh. Sell me an idea of a lifestyle that I find desirable for my near future.
•I want the best but only have the income for what's affordable.
•I want to be related to. And I want to relate to the great jobs and amazing downtown loft living.
•I want to be emersed in it all, be where it all is.
•I will buy into the ccreative, independent, and fast paced.
•I spend on things for myself that I may not need but find refreshing and beneficial to my lifestyle.
•I am always on the move and constantly have a list of things to accomplish.
•I like to hang out with friends, go to parties and drink occasionally.

Aaron and Erin's demographic is perfect for a new and innovative product, something to keep up with the fast paced life style they lead. They want color and sleek design, maximum user effeciency and something that makes a statement about who they are at the moment. They need something with all of these traits that will not break their budget and that will last. The product should last because at this influential stage we should be selling them on brand loyalty.

Socially minded advertising

Cause marketing can be a great thing as long as it is working for the good of both parties. As soon as a company, new or otherwise, is out of the red, they should begin to think of what sponsorship would be the correct pairing. I don't even disagree with the pairing of motor vehicles and breats cancer sponsorship. If motor sales need more women buyers and breast cancer research needs more funding then why is this relationship questioned? I do see, however that the seal of a worthy campain can be bought for a flat fee and then, basically, rented for each year following and how this relationship may not be fair. The major corporation renting the seal should be invested enough to the cause to want to give all that is possible. Although, if they give more money to the cause is it then coming out of the workers pockets? There is a definite beginning and end to these "good" deeds. And as Judith Schwartz says about large corporations, "the bottom line is profit and self-interest." This fact will never change but as long as both parties are benefitting and worthy charities are recieving more money than before their alliance formed, then I believe the pairing is valid and arguably great for charities that may have been overlooked. Judith is right in saying that these alliances must be well thought out so as each party can find comfort in a "win-win" situation.

-Amy Hubbard

i believe that the question of designing socially responsible works often contradicts the purpose of the graphic designer. we are an army of artists who hire ourselves out to produce work for others to benefit from. we have been likened to the "prostitutes" of the art world and i think it is time that we revisit the definition of our artform and admit that everything we produce has to be fueled by our personal convictions. the very suggestion that design can be objective is preposterous. as kathy mccoy states, "the ideal of value-free design is a dangerous myth. in fact, all design solutions carry a bias, either explicit or implicit." it is one thing to sell ourselves to the corporate giants for profit - it is another thing to live in denial of our own convictions for the sake of profit.

I agree that as designers we have certain responsibilities. First we have to give respect to the client cause he is the one that is paying you and try to design what he wants. But at the same time have the skill to advice the client on what would be right and more acceptable and succesful. Sometimes i think like designers are some sort of artistic shrinks, cause we listen to what client has to say and then we go and respond on that with a messege in which we can present many possibilities that are much greater than what the client expected.
I think that designers should have some idea what is going on in a government not nessesarily know everything cause this will not happen to me cause I dont watch CNN. And know what is going on in different countries. Like if you got a job overseas it would be nice to know what is up there and does it really worth it to do a job in a certain place? But I dont have to be a good citizen to be a good designer. The person could be the biggest piece of shit but also have great creativity and dedication to the work.

Sell Out

visual advocacy: January 2006

To sell out is to put aside one’s personal beliefs in exchange for some sort of reward such as prestige or the all mighty dollar. It is unfortunately easy to do in this society of wanting, and often the only consequence is the individual’s conscience and self worth. The betrayal of his principals may make his reward bittersweet.

Responsibility

I find responsibility to be a realization that personal action (or inaction for that matter) has consequences. Usually the choice to experience positive or negative reprocussions as the result of your actions is solely yours. Yet, given the fact that every person is part of a community, family, church, workplace, school, etc. personal actions can have consequences for others. So more than doing the right thing for yourself, it is also a matter of accountability, and thoughtfulness.

I agree

hey landon i can hear you - 10-4

After reading Kathy McCoy's article, I can't help but feel as if I am just another one of the soldiers marching one after the other, doing as I'm told, following the group. I would love to create work that spoke about politics, the environment, social classes, current events, economics issues and what-not, but when do these issues arise? I feel as if I create all my work out of self-indulgence and am ignorant about all other views. I need to work on this. back to you


Natalie

is this on? (tap, tap, tap)

OK, i joined....just seeing if i was doing this correctly....i'm new to blogging!