This is to inform that the following mentioned committee
(2006/2007 batch) of reMARK will cease to exists from today onwards as
their tenure is officially over,
flash mobs are something you're bound to bump into these days. if not personally, at least they'll get news coverage.
originally
derived from a type of performance art, flash mobs gather a crowd in
public spaces where prearranged action takes place and after a certain,
usually short, time, the people stop doing whatever it is they were up
to and leave the scene as if nothing happened.
in 2006, harper's magazine editor bill wasik
took credit for the invention of the flash mob by revealing how he
organized the first two in nyc in 2003. the term was coined by, who
other but, some random blogger. the schtick itself is familiar from
candid camera shows, but wasik's invention was to utilize people's
willingness to be part of something hip and novel, i.e. change the focal
point of the joke: for him it was trivial how many people walked off
boggled, but success amounted to an eager big group of strangers
bringing an element of surprise to perhaps just one person.
since wasik's originals, flash mobs have appeared at various locales
around the world. sometimes a deeper message is being conveyed; for
example last winter's flash mob in the centre of helsinki where people
would stop, put a mask on, and stare at the biggest department store in
town was a protest to consumer craziness and haste. oftentimes, the mob
is a pure prank. undoubtedly, the appearance of something unusual is a
perfect method to distract people from their routine and either provides
an opportunity to realize how much time is spent in a kind of an
unreflective haze or, as is often the case, scares and annoys people
tremendously.
eventually, mobs would find their way to marketing
where the craze to utilize unconventional methods to get free coverage
is more prominent than ever. the most demanding task is to keep the
event positive but effective, i.e. minimum irritation, maximum pleasant
surprise.
Consuming Life
Publisher: Polity | ISBN: 0745640028 | edition 2007 | PDF | 168 pages | 1,1 mb
(For more advanced readers)
With the advent of liquid modernity, the society of producers is
transformed into a society of consumers. In this new consumer society,
individuals become simultaneously the promoters of commodities and the
commodities they promote. They are, at one and the same time, the
merchandise and the marketer, the goods and the travelling salespeople.
They all inhabit the same social space that is customarily described by
the term the market. The test they need to pass in order to acquire the
social prizes they covet requires them to recast themselves as products
capable of drawing attention to themselves. This subtle and pervasive
transformation of consumers into commodities is the most important
feature of the society of consumers. It is the hidden truth, the deepest
and most closely guarded secret, of the consumer society in which we
now live.
In this new book Zygmunt Bauman examines the impact of consumerist
attitudes and patterns of conduct on various apparently unconnected
aspects of social life politics and democracy, social divisions and
stratification, communities and partnerships, identity building, the
production and use of knowledge, and value preferences. The invasion and
colonization of the web of human relations by the worldviews and
behavioural patterns inspired and shaped by commodity markets, and the
sources of resentment, dissent and occasional resistance to the
occupying forces, are the central themes of this brilliant new book by
one of the worlds most original and insightful social thinkers.
Tim Cooper, "Longer Lasting Products" Publisher: Gower Pub Co | 2010 | ISBN: 0566088088 | PDF | 460 pages | 9.3 MB
The present economic system requires us to consume and throw away more
and more goods. Yet often it's our desire, and the best interests of the
environment, for these goods to last. The contributors to this book,
who comprise many of the most significant international thinkers in the
field, explore how longer lasting products could offer enhanced value
while reducing environmental impacts. If we created fewer but better
quality products, looked after them carefully and invested more in
repair, renovation and upgrading, would this direct our economy onto a
more sustainable course? The solution sounds simple, yet it requires a
seismic shift in how we think, whether as producers or consumers, and
our voracious appetite for novelty. The complex range of issues
associated with product life-spans demands a multidisciplinary approach.
The book covers historical context, design, engineering, marketing,
law, government policy, consumer behaviour and systems of provision. It
addresses the whole range of consumer durables - vehicles, kitchen
appliances, audio-visual equipment and other domestic products,
furniture and floor coverings, hardware, garden tools, clothing,
household textiles, recreational goods and DIY goods - as well as the
re-use of packaging. Longer Lasting Products provides policy makers,
those involved in product design, manufacturing and marketing, and all
of us as consumers, with clear and compelling guidance as to how we can
move away from a throwaway culture towards an economy sustained by more
durable goods.
Elizabeth Shove, "The Design of Everyday Life (Cultures of Consumption)"
Publisher: Berg Publishers | ISBN 10: 1845206827 | 2008 | PDF | 192 pages | 6.5 MB
How do common household items such as basic plastic house wares or
high-tech digital cameras transform our daily lives? The Design of
Everyday Life considers this question in detail, from the design of
products through to their use in the home. Drawing on interviews with
consumers themselves, the authors look at how everyday objects, ranging
from screwdrivers to photo management software, are used on a practical
level. Closely investigating the design, production and use of
mass-market goods, the authors offer new interpretations of how
consumers' needs are met and manufactured. They examine the dynamic
interaction of products with everyday practices. The Design of Everyday
Life offers a fresh perspective on material culture, drawing
crucial--and previously overlooked--links between design, consumption
and use.
It was exactly one year ago, that a real change happened in
our faculty. We, as the marketing students came up with the one and only
subject society in our faculty. We knew that we are on a revolution so came
“re” and we are marketing students, so “MARK” came and the result was “reMARK”,
The Marketing Students’ Association.
I remember the hours of discussions and brainstorming we
had, how we sold the newsletters, pasted posters all over the place. We showed
the character of real marketers from the word “go”. What a teaser campaign we
carried out and a follow up campaign after that.
I must say it was not difficult to set the theme “Learning
to be different”. Because we are any way different and in whatever we do, there
was “Difference”. In the truest sense of fellowship we were successful in
serving our fellow brothers and sisters. Each and every one received even a
single e- mail would provide testimony for that fact.
A big book of thousands of pages won’t be enough to write
all the great times we had as well as the difficult times. In great times as
well as in difficult times there was always our brotherhood and never dying
commitment to keep the house fire burning.
In retrospective, I would say that we achieved most of the
objectives that we set at the initiation of the Association. I should give
friendly invitation to my dear mallis and nangis to join hands with us in this
endeavor.
In this day of Happiness, We should celebrate our success.
And I pay my heartfelt gratitude all the lecturers and all my brothers and
sister who were there from the first day and still with us up until now. There
is no price to value their commitment and effort, because they are all
“PRICELESS”.
Eranjana Kathriarachchi Outgoing President 2010-2011
