URBAN COMMUNICATION | SIGNS AND SIGNALS | STADTGESPRÄCHE
Instrumentalization of urban space for marketing strategies
Brand Communications is a substitute for direct discussion between market participants. Out of a lack and limitation forms of communication have developed far beyond the simple exchange of information on goods and services. As people make their decisions based on a mixture of unconscious, emotional and conscious, rational motives, in the presentation narrative forms are widely used today that attempt to occupy topics to make offers appear in a particular context.
Once brand images are enjoying a certain popularity and notoriety, communication helps not only to sell offers, but goods and services are also used to acquire the related stories. Brands can achieve a meaning to people's lives which goes far beyond the usefulness of the related offer. The construction of interrelations gives meaning to brands. These meanings can also be used in an abusive or parasitic form. You can not dictate people how they should use images to construct their life context.
Today’s Architecture is more and more intended to translate brand interests into rooms for certain experiences. Urban space gets successively transformed into illusion machines. This Play with meanings gives life some kind of shininess and opens room for enriching experiences. We know, that the pictures are more beautiful than the reality. Fictions shape our lives. This forms the basis of our civilization.
Methods of seduction and temptation
Psychology was seen as the key to the development of mass markets. The hidden motives of the people are used to sell goods. „Express your inner self of yourself to others.” Consumption is considered as a form of social self-healing.
To consume today does not necessarily mean to raise enjoyment possibilities, but to invest in social affiliation. Goods have a symbolic character. Advertising has the task to provide goods with meanings. When we use goods, we ourselves become advertisers. The enthusiastic cooperation of the manipulated is the most important resource of commercial vendors and advertising is the raw material that we use to increase our own saleability.
In market-oriented societies, the opposition of ruler and ruled dissolves. We do not experience ourselves as victims of a comprehensive propaganda machine. We are largely convinced that the markets keep all the goods and services which we need to live a happy life. Only our lack of financial resources may block our path to happiness. However, this is our own fault. Our self-representation is not convincing enough to appear as an attractive offer. We have to invest more in our own marketing, whatever it costs. With the same tricks, with which advertising tries to seduce us, we also want to become successful. With an impressive "packaging" and promising accessories, we want to convince and impress. There are no limits in this competition. This social and economic structure has therefore promised a steadily growing prosperity for all.
