...and HOW.
In this world of marketing and slogans and corporate branding, all vying for the real estate in your brain-- or "mindshare" as they call it-- there's an undercurrent of rebellion that seeks to wipe out the corporatization, or "branding," of North America. People like these guys.
I am SO not one of them.
I don't know if it's because my teen years happened during the 80's, or because of the demographic I was born into, or what-- but I love our commercial, corporate society.
When Mrs. M and I went on our trip to Banff in June, we enjoyed the Rockies and the park and the scenery-- but then we stopped for coffee in the new mall they have there, and we breathed a dual sigh of relief.
It was like coming home! Here was the smell of fresh-brewed Starbucks coffee, and there, the lights and scent-of-the-month of The Gap; the food court below and the fashion circle above. And we loved it.
When we go to our neighbourhood Chapters, we shiver with pleasure as soon as we walk through the doors: the smell of books and coffee, the FEEL-- the VIBE-- of people Just Like Us sharing in the pleasure of being One Of The People Here At Chapters. It's a fantastic feeling, like everyone knows a special secret that only the people in the store at that moment are privy to. It makes us want to stay, makes us feel welcome.
When we go to the mall-- that's OUR mall. It's Our Place To Be. When we go to the mall with MONEY, well then. We OWN the place. Isn't that fantastic? We, the consumers, feel that the mall belongs to us. God Bless The Mall.
This feeling isn't constant. The older malls and seedier stores don't draw us in. But the ones I mentioned above: Chapters, The Gap, Starbucks-- they all have something that makes Mrs. M and I feel like family. Whether it's lighting and decor, smell, or product-- or a combination of the three-- I couldn't say. I only know that my Corporate Masters have got a firm grip on me, and I'm happy to be there, held in their caring, inviting Land of the Free Gift With Purchase.
I am reassured when I drive by a 7-11 or a McDonald's. Civilization has reached here, I find myself thinking. Huzzah. Or when I see that an older mall has received a facelift instead of falling to urban decay.
(The counterpoint to this feeling of well-being: When I see a mall rotting away, customerless, or one being torn down, I feel uneasy. Here, civilization failed. Here, some corruption got in at the roots and rotted our society away like a cancer. Here isn't safe. Here isn't a Good Place.)
Next time you stop in to a brightly-lit, cheerful retail or convenience stop, take a deep breath and smile. We are safe. We are welcome. We are civilized.
Oh-- and that's a Grande Breve Latte with sugar-free shot of vanilla, please. To GO.
Posted by Agent M at September 18, 2003 12:24 PMSure, that's all well and good. I like Starbucks too. I'm happy to have a venti iced latte.
But answer me this, Agent M : why does civilization have to be the same everywhere you go? I've been to Paris, London, Florence, Amsterdam.. Halifax, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Seattle, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New Orleans.. New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Boston. Among other places. And in all of those cities.. ALL OF THEM.. you can go to the suburbs and stand in a wide parking lot within walking distance of a Bed Bath & Beyond, a Home Depot, a Wal-Mart, a Chapters or a barnes & Noble, an Old Navy, a 15-screen cineplex playing the same movies, an Ikea, perhaps a Starbucks or a GameStop or a Blockbuster. Maybe the names change but the stores are fundamentally the same, with the same array of products. Everywhere. The same architecture, the same friendly customer service. The same welcoming atmosphere. It's great that it's there, it's nice, convenient, a good product at a reasoable price.
But there used to be something else there, wasn't there? memory fades. A small local hardware store that no longer exists. A deli serving Italian or Jewish treats, unfamiliar, maybe even a little grimy. A video shop that didn't carry 80 copies of 'Fast and the Furious 2', but had strange unfamiliar movies from other countries. Instead of Wal-Mart there was a bunch of clothing stores - maybe an army/navy or a workwear place with cheap, well made clothes. Instead of McDonald's there was a sandwich joint with someone you knew. Someone friendly, welcoming and reasonably priced, but they couldn't compete with the chains and so they were crushed.
It used to be there, once, but it's been paved over. Into the same parking lot in Calgary as in Halifax or as in Tampa or as in St. Louis or as in Munich or as in Rome. Little local variations still exist from place to place - but they're busily being erased by this brightly-lit, friendly, 'nice' tide that is all the same everywhere. Maybe the scenery outside is different - but different places used to have different cultures and stores and things to buy and see once you were done with the tourist attractions. Travel is about more than seeing the one or two monuments in a given locale and hitting the Starbucks.
Why travel to visit the same Gap and Tower Records that you see at home, that have the exact same products and the exact same blandly smiling clerks? Why bother leaving home? What's the point?
I'm not a big fan of Adbusters either, but I ask you that question.
Posted by: Burke on September 18, 2003 05:09 PMBranding is one thing...I grew up in the age of "Every McDonald's looks the same", and yes...I take comfort from this...because every HAMBURGER tastes the same...and I can be assured of that when I'm in a hurry for something to eat in Yellowknife, Vancouver, or Toronto. I think that the thing Adbusters is trying to make people aware of is the fact that branding has gone WAY too far. Corporate Sponsors for High Schools...children encouraged to drink Coke and eat McDonald's in class because those companies have offered money for sports & arts programs if these kids will consume mass quantites of product. Channel One (or the Canadian Equivalent) adding more commercial hours to the educational workday when those same kids are going to go home, turn on cartoons, and see ads for Barbie & GI Joe anyhow.
Some companies have gone so far as to buy up the rights to change the facades of city blocks so they can brand their name all over the street. Not just on blank walls, but the WHOLE freakin' square footage of that street. Personally, I'd rather concentrate on the architecture, or see some of the murals local artists have created.
Branding is one thing. But an overabundance of it is a distraction and unecessary. Do we really need a whole street that is "Gap" themed? Or our kids' teeth rotting out because they were drinking cola from 9am to 3:30pm, then getting home and wanting a cola THERE too? Imagine a kid like Mike, who is sensitive to sugar...having access to mass quantities of it in elementary or middle-school. Can you say "Apu doing his hummingbird impression"?
It's nice to have the comfort of familiar surroundings. It's just having the intelligence to know when enough's enough.
Posted by: Maire on September 18, 2003 06:35 PMI no longer go to Starbucks. For the reason why, visit www.tmcm.com and read his commentary entry "Sued by Starbucks: Parts 1 & 2" on the right hand column.
Posted by: Agent Brucie on September 18, 2003 10:05 PMHmmm. I *thought* I was a consumer whore, until I read M's entry today. ;)
Do I take comfort in walking into a store that has a familiar brand name in another city/province/country? Not really. Seeing a familiar brand in a foreign environment is cool...but that's about it.
For me, what it boils down to is...
Did I enjoy myself at the store in question in the past? Was I comfortable there? Did (or do) I enjoy the product?
I drink Starbucks coffee because I enjoy a nice cold double-blended Frapp. Not because it's Starbucks. Because it's TASTY. I've tried the "ice cap" at Tim's, and it just isn't as flavourful. So, back to Starbucks I go. When someone else introduces a superior product ... I'll go there. :)
And, Agent Brucie, I'm sorry to say that the article you referenced didn't change my opinion. Yes, what happened to the author sucked. Yes, Starbucks used him as an example. And it's a great example of David vs. Goliath in the corporate world. However, I'd sympathize with the guy more had he just posted his parody logo on a site, or used it in some other innocuous fashion. However, he PUBLISHED the parody-logo in print, and most likely PROFITTED from it. That's a very dangerous game. While I do not agree with the guns-blazing tactics that Starbucks used, I can see why they took action. (The *degree* of action was a surprise...)
I agree that parody should be allowed, and that his rendering probably wouldn't have harmed Starbucks in any way. But I also feel that if you are attempting to make money with a blatant parody of a very well-known logo, you are taking a massive chance in today's lawsuit-happy society. Personally, I blame the system, which tends to favour the big-guys. Besides, while I may not like the idea of paying the corporate fat-cats... I *do* like the idea of paying the local SB staff, who are always courteous, efficient, and friendly.
Back on topic...
True, I could be considered a whore for some things. For instance, I usually do most (if not all) of my electronics shopping at Future Shop. I simply like it there, and my experiences at some of their competitors haven't been 100% positive. (In fairness, I DID have a huge problem with FutureShop once. I wrote the manager, told him I wouldn't be back and why, and I was contacted, *apologized* to, and given a gift-certificate for my trouble. That's service. Suck up to me dammit! I'm paying your wages!)
I occasionally visit that store that folks like AdBusters consider to be THE Satan these days, Wal*Mart. I like the massive selection.
However, if I'm on vacation out-of-town, and I'm wandering a mall, I doubt I'm going to go into Wal*Mart unless there is a NEED to do so. ;)
So, yes, I'm loyal to certain brands, certain chains. But only until they displease me. (For instance, Blockbuster. I do not, and WILL not shop there, due to how I've been treated there, and the general incompetence of their stafflings. Unlike my experience with FutureShop, letters and complaints were ignored. So you never get a buck from me again.)
I enjoy today's mega-stores. I enjoy the comfortable confines of stores like Chapters, with big over-stuffed chairs one can settle down in. I love the trend that the malls are taking, with great design aesthetics and comfort in mind. Soft lighting, interesting design, and once again, comfy chairs. It's all about the comfy chairs, Agents. ;)
But I also lament the loss of the mom-n-pop stores. I miss the corner video shop where you could rent imported titles, or ones that Blockbuster and Rogers won't carry. (No, not porn.) There is a decided dearth of the family-operated corner store. The little guys seem to continue to slowly disappear in favour of the big names and huge malls. It's really a pity.
Do the big corps have too much power? Yah, they do. Are the big-guys wiping out the little guys? Slowly but surely. Do I consider it the decline of western civilization? No, I think that's going a little far.
In closing my ramblings, I guess you'd call me a consumer semi-whore. :)
ACK!
PS - AgentM, I don't know what it looks like on YOUR end, but on my PC-laden end, it appears you didn't close your italics tag at the end of your rant. Everything thereafter is italics. Just thought I'd mention... ;)
ACK!
To Agent Burke:
I would think that the familiar chain stores in every city would ENCOURAGE travel. Give the people who are less adventuresome something "from home" to make them feel safe as they dip their toes in strange waters.
I put it to you that these corporate chains have not diminished travel; There may be a Gap in Paris, but is there a Louvre in Calgary? No. I would still travel to Paris for the things that I want to see OUTSIDE Starbucks and The Gap.
Your romanticism for the memories of yesteryear and the quaint, intimate storefronts that were there before the giants moves me, as I romanticize those very things myself; but they couldn't compete, could they? In the business world, they were for whatever reason unable to fend off the onslaught of the corporate giants and so they folded.
And yet! There are some that have not. That remain, DESPITE the homogenization around them. They, like the giants, have found something that brings consumers to them. In my own neighbourhood there still exists a mom and pop video store, a little bakery cafe (right across from the Chapters/Starbucks, as a matter of fact) and a used record store. A USED RECORD STORE in a neighbourhood less than five years old. I moved here as it was being built.
The giants are not erasing all personality from the world. Granted, there is a great amount of Common Denominatoring, but I believe that, ironically, this vast homogeneous consumerism might actually bring the world together. And STILL, as I've pointed out, leave room for the individual expression of the little guy.
And, although I adore my Corporate Masters, I must point out to all of you, Agents-- step outside The Box once in a while and see what's out there or, as Agent Burke points out, you risk walking across a parking lot that could at one time have inspired you to see differently than you do.
M
Posted by: Agent M on September 19, 2003 12:13 PMI suppose I should clarify my position. I am by no means a champion of the underdog, Hell just looking at the last few companies that I've worked for will tell you that (Radio Shack, Sears, Office Depot, 7-11, Shell). Nor am I going to scorn those that do visit the hallowed/accursed halls of Starbucks. I guess my point is, it's hard to really look the same at a company like that once you've been exposed to their darker side. As far as my own personal experiences with Starbuck, I noticed that they give out disposable cups even if you're staying on site. It's a small thing, but I just began to think, just how much unnecessary garbage does one, and therefore all Starbucks generate, because someone in their head office made that decision, without considering a more environmentally friendly alternative like standard cups for in-store sales?
Conversely, on a recent visit to a Second Cup they had a brochure there basically outlining their farming and harvesting practices and policies, as well as pointing out that a portion of their profits goes toward building and maintenance of schools and hospitals in the countries and ares where they harvest. I won't go into detail for fear of muddling the facts, but suffice to say it left me with a good feeling about my purchase there, that as far as multi-national conglomerates go, these guys aren't so bad.
I made the decision not to use Gillette products a few years back, because it was revealed to me that they still do animal testing with their products. I don't hate the Gillette company because of it, and I'm not about to smack the Mach 3 razor out of someone's hand while they're shaving (except for the comedic value) but it's somthing that I think about when I shop, and I make an alternative choice. Do the products I used now not do animal testing? I have no idea. But if a health/beauty care company makes a point of not doing animal testing, and lets me know about it on the label, and is not too expensive, I'll be more than happy to give thier products a try.
Posted by: Agent Brucie on September 19, 2003 04:35 PMPoint/counterpoint...
>I guess my point is, it's hard to really look
>the same at a company like that once you've been
>exposed to their darker side.
I think, Agent Brucie, you totally missed *MY* point. So I'll make it simple.
How exactly were you personally exposed to Starbucks "darker side"? How did the plight of the poor lawsuit-laden fellow affect and/or alter your life?
I'm going to guess that it didn't. ;)
As for the paper-cup issue, I agree to a point. When dealing with a stand-alone coffee shop, yes, they should use their good china.
However, in a situation like a Starbucks situated within a bookstore, you can't very well give your customers proper cuppage lest your staff need to run around the entire humungous Chapters store looking for dirty dishes. Just seems logical to me. ;)
ACK!
Posted by: Agent ACK on September 19, 2003 06:54 PMWell, if we really want to trash Starbucks, check this out - http://www.snopes.com/rumors/starbuck.htm
Short version for people who don't want to follow the link: Starbucks at Ground zero on the day of the World Trade Center attack, charged rescue workers $130 for water. And the issue isn't that some drone was stupid and charged for a product that, under the circumstances, should have been freely given. No, the issue is that when the issue was brought to the attention of Starbucks' management, they stonewalled until it became public - then they apologized and returned the money.
Me, I'll go to Starbucks occasionally, but not being a coffee drinker, there's little point.
Posted by: Quixote on September 19, 2003 11:27 PMAs for enjoying, and taking comfort in, the extent of western marketting ubiquity, I have only this to add: Of course you like it M - it's your culture and it's winning. But would you be so blase if your culture was the one that was losing and being pushed aside?
Posted by: Quixote on September 19, 2003 11:30 PMUm, maybe you're missing the whole point of my post, Quix-- I'm NOT blase. I'm IN FAVOR OF. BECAUSE my culture is winning. I'm not conflicted about this AT ALL. That is why I am a Consumer Whore.
Was any of this unclear? I'm not the one complaining about our Corporate Masters-- I'm the one LAUDING them.
Posted by: Agent M on September 20, 2003 12:17 AMCheck it out - http://www.illegal-art.org/print/popups/consumer.html
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