Material Child
Market Research and Trendsetting
This Chapter 5“Materialism” is main theme in this book. There are a lot of aspects of materialism. Especially I would like to focus on the topic of the way of marketing. White mentioned about marketing industry, Hakuhodo and Dynax, tried to get close to teens themselves. I was interested in the methods that these industries used in order to getting information. Dynax gave telephone party to teens. In this telephone party teens could share their personal problems and issues. Teen calls Dynax and then they record their questions. Other young people call Dynax, they listen to these questions and they give some comments to these questions. Dynax checked these questions and answers, and then they could understand what young people want. I was surprised to find the way that Dynax did. This book was written about 10 years ago, so this method was allowed. However now the situation has changed, internet and cellular phone have become popular. Almost of all young people have each cellular phone and they can use the internet. Marketing industry takes advantage of this situation, they try to get close to young people more and more. For example, there is a fashion show named “TOKYO GIRLS COLLECTION”. In this fashion show audience can buy the item on the spot through the internet of cellar phone which the fashion model in front of the audience is wearing. The data that what kind of clothes audiences buy is totaled, and then marketing industry refer to this data and make the decision about what young people want. Marketing industry give young people feedback about what people want. Thus the trend is formed. I’m sure that materialism is made by both of young people and marketing industry.