The Groupie Gig
If you ask my opinion, I'd say cricket's amongst the most boring sport ever. In fact if I'm forced to watch the damn thing on telly, that's the closest I'll get to living a nightmare.
Honest!
But just a few days ago the unexpected happened. Being home for the holidays I got to sit with my dad to watch a T20 game on the idiot box. Tell you what, far from the nightmare, what I got to do was enjoy a part of the game. I guess it was because my dad's enthusiasm for the game spilled over and hooked me. In retrospect I am convinced it was the 'together' thing that got me to enjoy what I witnessed. Again, I am sure if it were me on my own, I'd have switched channel.
Its funny what being in a group can do to a person. Even when it comes to a hardcore individualist like me, the group's effect can be quite potent. Group influences can have both uplifting and debilitating effects. For marketers, engineering and leveraging 'artificial' groups can turn out to their advantage. A cafe' chain can promote togetherness so its target dimwits congregate, talk shop, and end up spending tons of money on overpriced coffee. A telecom service provider under the guise of friendship can have its target teenagers hooked to each other, flooding the airwaves with worthless nonsense.
Engineering groups shouldn't be taxing to marketers, 'cos by nature homo sapiens are social creatures. Plus, even if there are the loners, you can bet at times the group can get to them too.
I am ample proof to that.
Honest!
But just a few days ago the unexpected happened. Being home for the holidays I got to sit with my dad to watch a T20 game on the idiot box. Tell you what, far from the nightmare, what I got to do was enjoy a part of the game. I guess it was because my dad's enthusiasm for the game spilled over and hooked me. In retrospect I am convinced it was the 'together' thing that got me to enjoy what I witnessed. Again, I am sure if it were me on my own, I'd have switched channel.
Its funny what being in a group can do to a person. Even when it comes to a hardcore individualist like me, the group's effect can be quite potent. Group influences can have both uplifting and debilitating effects. For marketers, engineering and leveraging 'artificial' groups can turn out to their advantage. A cafe' chain can promote togetherness so its target dimwits congregate, talk shop, and end up spending tons of money on overpriced coffee. A telecom service provider under the guise of friendship can have its target teenagers hooked to each other, flooding the airwaves with worthless nonsense.
Engineering groups shouldn't be taxing to marketers, 'cos by nature homo sapiens are social creatures. Plus, even if there are the loners, you can bet at times the group can get to them too.
I am ample proof to that.
Comments
Don't you think quite often a individual influence a group decision ??
Btw - Do you think the same group thing was the reason for Delhi incident .Like in the case of you deciding to watch that T20 match, though you were not interested on the same; don't you think at least one among the group would have restrained from the act(RAPE), but got influenced by the group
In that case do we have a right to hang him for this was a decision he took under the influence of the group> not a conscious one!!
Pls. note my response in my blog post -
http://www.buyerbehaviour.org/2013/01/choices-we-make-dictate-lives-we-lead.html