Stephen Garey Recommends Reducing Brand Exposure to Limit Consumption
In a compelling article in issue #51 of the Centre for Media Literacy’s Journal, Media Values, Stephen Garey argues that even when advertising doesn’t work for an individual company, frequent brand awareness increases overall consumption.
According to Garey:
High consumption has far more impact upon our environment than type of consumption. Buying much less and driving much less is better than just switching from plastic to paper or from “normal” unleaded to “super” unleaded. One of the first steps we must take towards consuming fewer goods is to consume less advertising.”
The article goes on to provide six different ways to remove the impact of advertising on your own life.
I’m not convinced that he’s right, but I do know that people committed to consuming less tend to follow his tips anyway. I removed most of the packaging in my pantry years ago. Did that action reduce the amount my family consumes? I can’t say. I certainly tend to buy the same products every week whether I see the brand names or not.
Spending more time hanging around people who don’t care about consumer spending (often other parents at Jonathan and Le Vitrail–two great alternative schools) worked better.
Anyway, following his tips can’t hurt and if they help, we’ll all be better off.
Read the whole article at:Â http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/brands-r-us-how-advertising-works
