U N I T 1 THE CONSUMER SOCIETY In this Unit we will focus on how psychology has become part of advertising, with special regard to motivational research. Moreover, we will concentrate on how the psychological approach has influenced advertising communication. Feelings, emotions, affections are strong and powerful weapons in the hands of advertisers. We will analyse how they work on consumers. A. CONSUMPTION AND THE CONSUMER SOCIETY Consumerism has emerged as part of a historical process which has created mass markets, industrialization and cultural attitudes that guarantee that growing incomes are used to purchase an evergrowing output. If we look back in history, we find very different patterns of consumption from those that exist today. Only a few centuries ago, no one could spend a considerable amount of time or resources on shopping for goods. Earlier than the Industrial Revolution, before the late 18th century in England, or the middle of the 19th century in the rest of Western Europe and North America, the huge majority of each country s population lived in rural areas and worked in agriculture, and, moreover, individual material goods were used with repairs if needed for decades. The Industrial Revolution, without any doubt, has transformed production and has transformed consumption, in that mass production has led to mass consumption. Department stores appeared in the big cities of the world; new packaging technologies were developed, allowing the distribution of goods in bags, cans, and bottles. This industrial progress made it possible for the first time to create nationally and internationally known brand names in the marketing of foods, beverages, cosmetics and other goods. Advertising emerged as an important component of the marketing and distribution of goods. Although advertising has existed as a specialized profession for only about a century, it immediately became a great force in affecting public values and aspirations. Advertising appeals to many different values, to emotional as well as practical 86