Nowadays, most products’ philosophy is people oriented and satisfies the needs of humans. But, what do people really need? We may not be able to really know. Because, when producers inculcate something into your brain, then it is hard for you to understand what you really want. Adorno said, “Individual needs have been so ruthlessly eliminated from the product that they have to be invoked like magic formulae to prevent the customer from becoming aware of the murderous ritual of which he is the victim” (Adorno 44). From my view, magic formulae are more than a dream provided by a producer. The joyous magic formulae will allow you to ignore what you really need and the true value of products. Then, what is the murderous ritual? I think that is …show more content…
It is undeniable that some commodities are specially and unique, but most of the commodities of especially for you have to be kitsch for fit business purposes and public demand. Adorno thinks, “the person whom something is specially produced is actually no more than a customer and his particular needs are no more than the interchangeable representatives of universal needs themselves generated by the product” (Adorno 43). Most of the special products are not special, and just wear a special coat. Such as limited edition and customization, customers think that these things satisfy their needs, actually they were mocked. These commodities advance the price through raise the value, but there are the same things. Or some people utilize the unique demands of customers on second sale through the form of auction, which raise prices again. The cynicism considers “the consumer that he has no influence over the product and that the producer take no more cognizance of his needs than the moon takes of the dog that barks at it” (Adorno 44). Human nature has an interesting characteristic that is the scarcity of products will be worth more. People are often interested in the things that are hard to buy, so sellers always use the customer psychology. For instance, I always hear “this dress is the last one and limited supply” when I was shopping. “Especially for you” products are actually the common products, and these are …show more content…
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs what is a “theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper ‘A Theory of Human Motivation’ in Psychological Review” (m). This theory explains the general demands of person: Physiological, Safety, Love/Belonging, Esteem, and Self-actualization. We only fulfill the needs of the lowest level in order to fulfill the needs of the upper level. Physiological needs are the physical demand for human survival, such as drinking and eating. Safety needs are higher a grade than the physiological needs, which are include the demands of health or family safety. And then, we need friendship and love that are needs of love and belonging. We also need esteem like status, reputation, and personal value. Finally the highest level is the needs of self-actualization, human need to develop their potential in this level. Only people who understand this would not be murdered by “especially for
Although I didn’t necessarily put anyone first, I was able to think of my family as well as my friends as I was shopping. These items have a lot of value, but now the ones I bought for me have no personal value and the ones I bought for others will hopefully have personal value for them. Which makes me think, is that the true goal of buying items for others. Hoping that they will hold some sort of value for them.Or is it knowing that they love certain things, and buying those things for them is the point because they already have value. Although It’s not so much about “grabbing for the gaudy babble” as it is grabbing for something that has personal value to you. And personal value all depends on your memories, and the moments the object's attribute toward you, that make them worth something. Personal value will be different for everyone, but ultimately it is the most important, because it defines attention and sight as well as our lives in general. Dumpster diving is not necessarily about digging through trash, it is about finding something out there in the world that could possibly have meaning to you, and thereby cherishing
Companies realize what people need and they take it as sources to produce commodities. However, companies which have famous brands try to get people’s attention by developing their products. Because there are several options available of commodities, people might be in a dilemma to choose what product they looking for. In fact, that dilemma is not real, it is just what people want. That is what Steve McKevitt claims in his article “Everything Now”.
products no one needs, but everyone wants, trapping us in conformity by making us believe that
In the New York Times article, The Oppressive Gospel of ‘Minimalism’, millennial Kyle Chayka expresses his disdain towards minimalism’s trend and increasing incorporation in everyday life, deeming it to be, “expensive and exclusively branded by and for the elite.” In other words, Chayka discerns minimalism to only appeal towards millennials who have the financial freedom to rely on instant purchases rather than stocking for emergencies. Nonetheless, his stance does not recognize that minimalism does not aim to throw away everything in possession, but rather concentrate value upon few items to gain clarity in its worth. Hence, minimalism techniques in marketing and product values do not aim to exclude those who can’t afford it, but instead aim for consumers to consider its value in a single product. Value does not stem from price alone, but rarity, material, artistic context, design, and underlying connotations factor into its worth. Therefore, these non-explicit components in minimalist items are not considered by critics such as Kyle Chayka, and are deemed unnecessarily high without any contemplation. Another criticism against minimalism’s use in marketing is that it doesn’t give enough information for audience’s to be on the same page with reality. The point of minimalism is that the lack of information gives audiences full control over their own interpretations, and administering it in advertisements strengthens consumers’ power. Rather than giving deliberate features of an item, a minimalist ad would highlight its strengths, but allow audiences to extract its importance, whether it be personal or objective. Additionally, minimalism is employed to extract a degree of materialism in product advertising, since readers have to extrapolate potential experiences from items rather than worry about the costs. According to sociologist Joel
Maslow believed that there was a hierarchy of five innate needs that influence people’s behaviors (Schultz & Schultz, 2013, p.246-247). In a pyramid fashion, at the base are physiological needs, followed by safety needs, then belonginess and love needs, succeeded by esteem needs, and finally the need for self-actualization. Maslow claimed that lower order needs must be at least partially satisfied before higher level needs are addressed. Furthermore, behavior is dominated by solely one need
Psychologist Abraham Maslow created the hierarchy of needs, outlining and suggesting what a person need to reach self-actualization and reveal the true potential of themselves. In the model, Maslow propose that a person has to meet basic needs in order to reach the true potential of themselves. Biological/physiological needs, safety needs, love/belonging need, esteem needs according to Maslow is the fundamental frame for reaching the peak of self. The last need to be met on the scale
Many theorists suggest that consumption is correlated to the identity of an individual, that by purchasing goods from the mass market, it enables us to visibly establish our position within society. This differs from previous times in which a range of factors such as family histories, character and personal achievements played a significant role (Gabriel and Lang, 2006). Instead, there is the idea that the consumer has the ability to gain pleasure over objects, not just solely by the manipulation of objects, but through the degree of control over their meaning. The degree of control is developed and achieved through imagination and provides greater possibilities of pleasure experiences. This suggests that modern consumption can be seen as device that enables individuals to ‘dream’ about the desires they wish to fulfill. (Campbell, 1989: 79) (Cited in Gabirel & Lang, 2006)
Unlike many of his colleagues at the time who were focusing on psychopathology, or what is wrong with individuals, he focused on how individuals are motivated to fulfill their potential and what needs govern their respective behaviors (McLeod)). Maslow developed the hierarchy over time, adjusting from a rigid structure where needs must be met before being able to achieve a higher level, to where the individuals can experience and behave in ways across the hierarchy multiple times daily depending on their needs. The hierarchy is comprised of 5 levels; Physiological, Safety and Security, Love and Belonging, Esteem, and Self-Actualization. The bottom two levels are considered basic needs, or deficiency needs because once the needs are met they cease to be a driving factor, unlike psychological needs. Loving and Belonging and Esteem needs are considered psychological needs, and are different from basic needs because they don’t stem from a lack of something, but rather the desire to grow. Maslow theorizes that individual’s decisions and behavior are determined based on their current level of needs, and the ideal level to achieve full potential culminates in self-actualization; however, operating on this level cannot be achieved until the preceding levels of needs have been
The conclusion I have made is that people consume products to reinforce their position in life. They use these products to reflect their beliefs, status, lifestyle, likes and dislikes, incorporating external factors. For example, climate, religion and age. This reinforces their need to be individuals as well as belonging to a wider group.
in the form of a pyramid to explain how people move from physiological needs to self-actualization resulting in a complete personality. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs ranked from the basic physiological needs and psychological needs which must be fulfilled before satisfying self-actualization needs. Maslow believed that motivation is driven by the presence of unfulfilled needs.
Similarly, Maslow's theory also reflects that humans have an internal force to reach their highest potential (Maslow, 1968). Maslow examined the hierarchy of basic human needs and developed a pyramid of requirements which motivates human beings and shapes their personality. At the bottom of his pyramid are found the basic physiological motivations which are necessary for survival such as food and shelter. The next level incorporates the need for safety, both physical and psychological. This is followed by love and belongingness which relate to receiving and giving affection. Presuming the love need is met, the next level up is the need for esteem which includes the feeling of self-esteem and self-respect. At the top of the pyramid stands the complex need for self-actualization which is a meta-need as per Maslow (1964) and we can reach it through peak experiences. It is the highest level of growth when someone reached her or his capacity to the fullest. Maslow estimated that only 1 percent of people ever really fulfil this need (Maslow,
Abraham Maslow did studies of the basic needs of human beings. He put these needs into a hierarchical order. This means that until the need before it has been satisfied, the following need can not be met (Encyclopedia, 2000). For example, if someone is hungry they are not thinking too much about socializing. In the order from lowest to highest the needs are psychological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization. The first three are classified as lower order needs and the last two are higher order (Hierarchy, 2000). Without meeting these needs workers are not going to be as productive as they could otherwise. The first three are considered to be essential to all humans at all times. The last two have been argued but are mostly considered to be very important as well.
Every company wants to understand why people decide to buy its products or others. Firstly, we have to understand why people buy certain kind of product. People buy products because they need them. A need is activated and felt when there is a sufficient discrepancy between a desired or preferred state of being and the actual state. (Engle£¬Blackwell and Miniard. 1995. p407 ) For example, when you feel hungry, what you needs is some food. It is very important for marketer to understand the needs of consumers. All the consumers may have the same needs, but the ways which they satisfy what they need are different. Here is a example, Chinese people would choose rice when they feel hungry, whilst British people may choose bread to satisfy their needs.
Abraham Maslow wrote the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. This theory was based on fulfilling five basic needs: physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization. Maslow believed that these needs could create internal pressures that could influence the behavior of a person. (Robbins, p.204)
Consumption and possession are qualities that are almost inherent of western civilization. Since the introduction of public entertainment such as the radio and the television companies have found space in between the entertainment to try and sell their wares and services. While these commercials vary in sincerity and factual information one thing is very clear. Consumer culture, Advertisements and media are all intertwined in an effort to convince a would be customer to acquire trivial or otherwise useful products. These elements of consumerism have been carefully and unexpectedly crafted over years of being peddled various brands.