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BecomingV -> RE: state of emergency my friends across the pond... (1/27/2015 5:37:43 PM)
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ORIGINAL: NorthernGent
I'm not much of a cholocate eater, but when in the US I did try a chocolate bar that looked like a mars bar from the wrapper and the outside of the bar but tasted like a milky way.
During moments of sheer boredom I like to reflect upon this in an attempt to understand what it means.
Are the Americans guilty of false advertising?
LOL, "false advertising." Redundant, much?
Yes, America and everywhere else that uses advertising, is guilty of falsehood.
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Are they simply confused or do the manufacturers have a sense of humour?
The packaging, naming and pricing are tailored to the local buyers. If one population will buy more and pay more if "it" is wrapped in blue, then blue it is! Cultural preferences and such.
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Do Americans buy these things expecting it to be a milky way?
No. Most Americans never even think of what things are in other countries. From the tourists that have come here, I'm feeling confident saying it's the same for others. I remember looking for milk the first time I was in Ireland and I looked right at it and didn't recognize it. I'd only seen milk in plastic gallons and had never seen it in a carton. Until that moment, there had been no reason for me to question if milk was packaged differently, or where. I'm curious, but it just never came up.
The advertising is almost inescapable in America, so whatever we were shown in ads, is what is expected.
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[ Do they realise they are being duped? If when they buy a mars bar they get a milky way, do they get a twix when they buy a twirl?
Where's the dupe? It's just different here. In a nation with this much foreign culture integration, the variety is too vast for anyone to notice anything so trivial. I'm not criticizing your interest, rather I'm describing how Americans must prioritize our attention.
People misunderstand something and misjudge us as a result. Americans are called, "myopic." Well, there's a lot to pay attention to, right here. The society, the states - just knowing about America is like learning about 50 countries, in terms of variety. It's like Europe... nobody expects every country to know about the others... it's too much information to seek out, without specific reason.
My point is that while marketers may be using heavy research and skills of manipulation regarding packaging, on the consumer end of things, we just buy what we like. When packaging changes, usually it's related to saving the environment, so that's noticed - briefly. Packaging changes within America, as do prices and even access and supply vary, so if you drive across this land, you will have to adapt from soda to pop to fizzy water to ... I'm sure there are more words. So, as a consumer, it's really challenging to distinguish between variations occurring within America and variations with international origins. (because we're the melting pot - the changes are constant)
Remember the milk in Ireland? I grew up in a city so for all I know, milk was being sold in cartons here, in rural areas. I wouldn't know.
On a lighter note...
Our cities have different personalities, but most would say, "Fine, you play with the wrapper and ponder the universe while I eat that thing." LOL
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