Leo T. reviewed The Attention Merchants: How Our Time and Attention Are Gathered and Sold on + 1775 more book reviews
There is succinct coverage not only of the Internet Era but of previous advertising methods, starting with the New York Sun, posters, and the efforts that brought in so many volunteers to support Lord Kitchener. Sadly, there are no illustrations of the 'I need you' recruiting poster, the patent medicines, and the applicances sold to 1920s and 1930s homes. The author connects the techniques of a century or more ago to present advertising methods. Mr. Wu does find a ways to mention (flog) his earlier book, 'Master Switch.'
Considering the 21st C.: "While promising to be 'helpful' or 'thoughtful,' what was delivered was often experienced as 'intrusive' and worse. Some ads seemed more like stalkers than valets: if, say, you'd been looking for a pair of shoes on Amazon, an ad for just those shoes would begin following you around the web, prodding you to take another look at them. What was meant to be 'relevant' to your wishes and interests turned out to be more of a studied exploitation of one's weaknesses. The oveerweight were presented with diet aids; the gadget-obsessed plied with the latest doodads; gamblers encouraged to bet; and so on. One man, after receiving a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, found himself followed everywhere with 'insensitive and tasteless' ads for funeral services. The theoretical idea that customers might welcome or enjoy such soliicitations increasingly seemed like a bad joke."
Notes, bibliography, index.
Considering the 21st C.: "While promising to be 'helpful' or 'thoughtful,' what was delivered was often experienced as 'intrusive' and worse. Some ads seemed more like stalkers than valets: if, say, you'd been looking for a pair of shoes on Amazon, an ad for just those shoes would begin following you around the web, prodding you to take another look at them. What was meant to be 'relevant' to your wishes and interests turned out to be more of a studied exploitation of one's weaknesses. The oveerweight were presented with diet aids; the gadget-obsessed plied with the latest doodads; gamblers encouraged to bet; and so on. One man, after receiving a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, found himself followed everywhere with 'insensitive and tasteless' ads for funeral services. The theoretical idea that customers might welcome or enjoy such soliicitations increasingly seemed like a bad joke."
Notes, bibliography, index.
