blog 4

Reading Brand Cool by Peter Belmont was a re-affirmation of my beliefs on how our youth is targeted by brand name clothing companies and the music industry. These companies survive solely on the manipulation of the younger generation. Peter Belmont is a marketing executive and could not have explained marketing and ‘brand cool’ any better than he did. I enjoyed reading about the true intentions of the marketing industry. Today marketers want our youth to think that having the best or newest of anything marks us as being cool.
We are all too familiar with branding ourselves as teenagers. Teens like to think that brand name products will announce some kind of membership to a particular group. The brand that is chosen depends on the image that is promoted. Marketing studies show that the perfect target age is seventeen. Having brand name clothing to a teenager means being cool and socially accepted; it shows popularity and success.
Black communities have been the most aggressively pursued by marketing branders. Nike became so focused on targeting black teenagers that they now have their own word for the practice; called ‘bro-ing.’
It is baffling that people can be so easily manipulated by today’s advertising. Marketers pursue our youth because they are an easier target than people who are already accustomed to simple living. A companies’ future depends on our youth.

Jason Sylvester