Have real life and advertising become indistinguishable?
6/23/2003
Customers used to be the target of marketing. Now they are part of it, or so says author Solomon in this interesting new book. The future of marketing is "consumerspace," where the lines between real life and advertising blur. In this world, soft drink companies vie for product placements on hit TV shows, Web sites allow you to design your new shoes, and a fabulous-looking stranger—an actress—orders a unique cocktail at a bar to create buzz about the concoction. This book explains the new ways customers (particularly upcoming generations) interact with the products they use. The author examines ways marketers can integrate brands into customer culture and lifestyle with interactive media, virtual communities, and offline "reality engineering" strategies.