Friday, November 21, 2014

De-Ethnicization


While ethnicization  refers to the formation of social boundaries aiming to protect the integrity of (presumed) ethnic-cultural heritages, de-ethnicization refers to the `undoing' of such boundaries. De-ethnicization is the act or process of ceasing to be ethnic or depatronizing your culture and undoing the practices, rites, customs and other processes associated with it. It is believed that one major cause why this phenomenon occurred is globalization since people are now embracing modernization, enrolling to formal education and trying to embrace mobility and living the lifestyle of the city. They tend to deethnicze their culture; other factors associated which led people to deethicize are assimilation and acculturation, cultural and linguistic hegemony, social distance from your own culture and etc.

There have been many products throughout time that have been made for one ethnicity but have become popular in another ethnicity. This process is called De-Ethnicization and it’s the process that one product is made for one ethnicity but now appeals to another ethnicity.
One popular product that was made for one ethnicity but is now popular elsewhere is the ever-favorite pizza. The idea of pizza stemmed from Greece where they would put their preferred toppings on flatbreads.
This idea spread to Italy where they started putting the signature tomato sauce and cheese on it and called it pizza, thus the birth of one of the world’s favorite foods. The queen of Italy in 1889 requested a pizza with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil on her pizza, which was the invention of the margarita pizza. Pizza quickly caught on in Italy and people would put all their favorite toppings on it. In 1905 pizza was introduced in New York in attempts to attract Italian immigrants. It didn’t catch on with the nation quickly though. It wasn’t until the late 1950’s that pizza restaurants started popping up all over.
Now, over 3 billion pizzas are sold every year in a $35 billion a year industry in the US alone. About 350 slices of pizza are sold every second, putting each American at about 46 slices of pizza a year. The number of pizzerias clocking in in the US alone is 69,000-to give you perspective there are only 35,000 McDonalds restaurants WORLDWIDE.
-Mare

Although the hamsa may derive from Islamic or pagan culture, today it has become a Jewish and Israeli symbol. In the Jewish culture, the hamsa is used to invoke the hand of God or to fight off the Evil Eye with the eye embedded in the palm of the hand. Other icons such as the Star of David have found their way into the hamsa, to symbolize prayers for the traveler, the blessing over the house, and the colors of red and blue, which are said to thwart the evil eye. Inside my house we have a hamsa hanging by the front door, so all who enters will be protected from the Evil Eye.

Celebrities such as Madonna, Jennifer Aniston, and Brittany Spears have brought the symbol to the public in the form of accessories. Today the hamsa is a common design featured on graphic t-shirts, or hanging from necklaces and bracelets worn by people who have no idea what it stand for. Similarly to the cross, the hamsa has been turned into a fashion trend adopted by the Western culture, even in companies such as Target, Saks Fifth Avenue and Brandy Melville. Today many people hang them in their houses, on their key chains and their rearview mirrors, and they are commonly found on necklaces, bracelets are earrings. Depending on who you ask the hamsa can be considered an important religious or cultural symbol to some or a fashion statement to others.
-Shani

One of the largest de-ethnicization holidays that America has taken over is Cinco de Mayo.

Originally celebrated for the Mexican militia over the French is 1862. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on May 5th as a regional holiday in the Mexican state, Puebla primarily. Translated from Spanish the holiday’s initial name is El Día de la Batalla de Puebla interpreted as The Day of the Battle of Puebla. Lately, as a way to showcase the pride and honor of being a Mexican is through the merriment of this day. A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations like Los Angeles, Chicago and Huston. Beginning in California, 1860’s Mexican miners fired rifles, let off fireworks and sang song of their country this time of year.
In the 1980’s marketers, primarily beer crafters, exploited the symbolism of the holiday and promoted it into a popular and evolved celebration of Mexican culture and heritage. The United States has taken Cinco de Mayo and made it into a fun night of endless drinking as a salute to this holiday. Cinco de Mayo traditions include parades, mariachi music performances and street festivals in cities and towns across Mexico and the United States. Additionally main items of the night include tequila, salsa and refried beans.
-Mary


Bagels (also spelled beigel) the popular food that means bracelet in Germany, originated from Poland, which was the everyday bread of the Jews in Eastern Europe.
Traditionally, the bagel is shaped by hand into the form of a ring from yeasted wheat dough, roughly hand-sized, which is first boiled for a short time in water and then baked.  Because of their shape-‑with no beginning and no end‑‑bagels symbolize the eternal cycle of life. In the old days, they were supposed to be a protection against demons and evil spirits, warding off the evil eye and bringing good luck.  Bagels were associated with the Jewish culture but have become popular by all of society, and have even come out with different flavors to attract all types of consumers, not solely Jewish people.  It has become the most famous Jewish food in America and the American standard bread. The popularity of bagels is a mass-marketed today.  A few variations include jalapeño bagels, blueberry bagels, and even a green bagel for St. Patrick’s Day. 66 Bagels now account for 3 to 6 percent of all American breakfasts.
-KeAnna


Threading is a hair removal technique where technicians loop a piece of cotton thread, about the thickness of floss, twist the look into a series of knots, and move the twisted area rapidly back and forth across rows of hair in order to grab them at the root and removing them completely very quickly.
The exact origins of this hair removal technique are unknown, but it is said that threading originated in India, the Middle East and South Asia about 6,000 years ago. Threading was whidely practiced among Iranians, but was originally only done when women were getting married or on other special occasions. In ancient Persia, threading was a sign a girl had reached adulthood. It became very popular among middle easterners, and soon made its way to the western world where it is now practiced all over the United States. In Burbank alone, there are several places to go, including three shops in the Burbank Mall alone. What was once special overseas has become an everyday practice that almost all women are aware of.
-Chatty Charlie

Friday, November 7, 2014

Brandfests

Brandfests are events that bring consumers together in geo-temporally concentrated events and entail coordinated activities and brand happenings. They are an excellent way to build a brand community and these are the four elements that Brandfests must meet for a consumption community to exist. 
  • Geographically concentrated- Consumers from geographically diffused areas come together in one location.
  • Temporality- Members (interacting with the brand, with the marketer, and with other consumers) are all brought together in a compact timeframe.
  • Social Context- Members begin as strangers but develop deep acquaintance, even lasting friendships that endure and continue beyond the confines of the event.
  • Consciousness of Kind- The very decision to attend and join a brandfest raises the consciousness of there being a community of brand users. Many do arrive with trepidation, anxious as to whether they will fit in, but—in no small part due to the socialization and nurturing effort of other brand veterans, devotees, advocates, and evangelists, as well as brand hosts (e.g., company personnel)—they slowly ease into a state of psychological comfort, of being seen as belonging to the group. 

A big example of Brandfest that is widely discussed every year is the highly anticipated Comic-Con in San Diego, CA. Comic-Con is an international convention that features comics and comic book characters. Comic-Cons mission statement is: “Comic-Con International: San Diego is a nonprofit educational corporation dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular artforms, primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture.” Previously Comic-Con was known for being nerdy and only people who were really into comics would attend.


However over the past few years Comic-Cons image has drastically reversed. Now it’s ‘cool’ to be seen at or be going to Comic-Con. Stars from some of the most successful movies of all time make appearances, for example Iron Man, Captain America, The Avengers, Spider-man, etc. And it doesn’t only stop with Marvel and other comic book features. Now all shows and movies featuring the super-natural are a must see at Comic-Con such as The Vampire Diaries and most animated TV shows. One of the biggest parts of Comic-Con is that people go dressed, no, DECKED out in their favorite super-natural beings costume. Comic-Con costumes are some of the most noted and well-known costumes of our generation.
-Mare


One example of a Brandfest would be Jeep. Jeep organizes camps for its owners and fans, called Jeep Meet. This leads to the creation of clubs which are organized for Jeep lovers to get together and race, off-road, bond, and have fun together with their prized possessions (aka their Jeeps).There is a website called “Meetup” where individuals can find Jeep only clubs around them or even start their own.


I believe it is not only a way to create a more intense brand loyalty, but connections to others who feel the same way about the brand. It also allows them to spread the word to friends, talk them into buying a Jeep to join in on the fun and get out there to have a blast. Jeep Only Club was the first Jeep club in the nation to originate and create the term "Jeep Night" an event, which by now is a well-known tradition that other Jeep clubs have followed! This Jeep Only Club is open to ALL Jeep breeds, and while some specific events will require an all-wheel drive Jeep (4X4), many trails can be handled by a (4X2) and stock Jeeps. The club members take pride in membership and share in the cost running this Jeep Only group, and this tends to make members truly value this group. It also helps weed out individuals who aren't really interested in participating and attracts quality members and nice families.The Houston JeepPeople was actually formed in 2008 and their mission statement states that they are dedicated to four wheeling as a form of recreation with the following objectives: to promote Jeeping recreation as wholesome family fun, to practive and demonstrate four wheel drive usage that follows an ethical code that allows for both the protection and enjoyment of the people and natural environment, to promote the recreational motorized access to public and private lands, to participate in community activities, and to support the TMTC (The Tread Lightly Program.)
-Chatty Charlie


A brandfest is a corporate-sponsored event intended to promote strong brand loyalty among customers. MAGIC is a fashion tradeshow that occurs twice annually.
60,000+ fashion lovers and industry insiders meet in Vegas to shop and celebrate style. Throughout the past 85 years there has been attendance from over 120 countries, making MAGIC a leader in global brandfests. MAGIC is a buying destination for retails, global showcase for brands and manufacturers, and one stop event for fabric to finished products, hottest brands to top designers and tastemakers to fashion buyers. MAGIC is a brandfest that increases consumer loyalty and awareness by inviting brands, retailers, manufacturers, and fashion industry personnel to view and showcase the latest and the greatest in the fashion world. If it’s fashion you can find it at MAGIC.
-Shani


Oktoberfest is the world's largest funfair held annually in Germany.



It is a 16-day festival running from late September to the first weekend in October with more than 6 million people from around the world attending the event every year.  As for us here in the United States and even locally like Long Beach, it brings consumers all together to experience the German atmosphere with the German traditions.  The festival includes carnival rides, German and polka bands with of course beer involved.
-KeAnna



A growing Brand fest would be the Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas (EDC).

Originally founded as a one day event in California has expanded.  EDC has been around for multiple years bringing all walks of individuals who enjoy EDM music together for a weekend in different states. In the past decade EDC has grown to its largest festival held every July for a three day weekend in Las Vegas by Insomniac Events. EDC is an event that represents the ideals of Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect (P.L.U.R.)
-Mary