Marketing drives me nuts. Mostly, because I see the strings advertisers are trying to yank on to get you to consume more, and I'm wowed that they think it'll work...and that it apparently DOES work. Seriously, I laugh at commercials and billboards and make snide remarks about how obvious they are, and then just groan when I realize how many people fall for them.

Now, connected to that, are focus groups. I wanna know where they find the people to not only write out the questionnaires but to participate in them. Take Campbell's Soup. Just recently, they redesigned their can labels, based on 'neuromarketing', which is just a fancy way to say 'what gets you to buy more when you see it'. This article (originally from the WSJ), details some of the changes, apparently based on whether consumers felt "emotionally engaged" to certain elements. Now, I dunno about you, but the only 'emotion' I feel buying soup is hunger and taste, and no pic on the label is gonna tell me how it actually tastes.

On a semi-related note, the new 2010 penny will have a different picture on the reverse. Instead of the Lincoln Memorial, it's now a shield and scroll, and the linked page at the U.S. Mint vaguely details why. Now, first off, I'm curious as to why we HAVE the penny, anyway. It's a pain in the behind, it's only good in support, and it's not overly useful. Beyond, that, though, think: this is a governmental decision and process. That's all resources and money that could have been used elsewhere. how much was spent on the design process alone, much less new stamp engraving, etc. Just seems very pointless...but then, we ARE talking about Big Government.

Think. Reason. React. It's good for you.