Blogger Post 4

Christian Gilbert

Lowe’s Smart Advertising

              When I started with this topic, I only knew the basic differences between how the two major hardware stores advertised. I knew Lowes was more amateur friendly towards their customers while Home Depot aimed to attract the professional. Their main advertising campaigns seemed fairly self-evident, but there I did learn more about how Lowe’s is using clever marketing techniques to perform more effective advertising.

              The unique thing Lowe’s is doing starts with a handy little card. It is not a credit card or business card, it’s basically a purchase tracking card called the myLowes card. What this does is track the specifics of what you purchase, whether it be a certain paint color, size of screws, or type of filters. While this is mainly a very helpful way to help customers track their orders and remember what they need, it also serves a great purpose in how they advertise. Everything that is purchased is stored on a database, allowing Lowe’s to learn your purchasing habits. If you were to be shopping for patio furniture and yard care, the website would actively target you with products and sales in that interest. This is clever by itself, but they use this to create wider sales and marketing by seeing what people are buying. This is something Home Depot is not doing, or at least not yet.

              This has shown me that even though they are still second behind their competitor, they are making a large effort to change that by being more engaged with a larger portion of people. I knew they were more engaging with the lesser experienced, which is a larger population. That can attribute to why Lowe’s is just as large as Home Depot. They also offer more support and knowledge for its customers. They give customers specials like meeting installers every few months and a helpful if not overly involved staff. Knowing now how Lowe’s is playing a more engaging marketing game, it seems like Lowe’s possesses the basis to convince more people to shop there.

              If there is a pressing need for the public to know something about this campaign, it’s that Lowe’s gets advertising. It’s a different world now than when Lowe’s was just a regional hardware shop, and they know how to use today’s tech to benefit them in the most effective way. If you find Lowe’s to be more so the place you would shop, know it isn’t a coincidence. They are playing their hand perfectly and it’s no real wonder why they’re consistently giving America’s #1 hardware store a run for it’s money.

Christian Gilbert

Should Video Games Be Considered Sports?

            In the past decade, the video game industry has really taken off and secured a prominent role in the world of entertainment culture as a whole. Much like any other popular form of entertainment that garners attention of the masses, the gaming industry has accrued its fair share of lively debate. Some of the wildly popular topics of the past included whether games led to violence or if gaming reduced your intelligence. These topics have been battled over enough for lifetimes to come. But recently, a new debate has sprung up that has been gaining equal traction on both sides; should video games be considered sports?

            First side of this argument says that video games are sports. Just like traditional sports, there exist causal and professional gaming. One of the main focuses of this argument looks towards the required skill and strategy of players, where eSports athletes train for months, working on their mental focus, quickening their reaction time, and working out their dexterity (Phan). The next piece of this argument comes in with Major League Gaming, or MLG, tournaments, namely the huge fan-bases these events. In 2014, the League of Legends tournament pulled in 11.2 million viewers, compared to the NHL Finals only reaching 8 million (Phan). The final factor in this argument comes down to what can be considered a sport. Most don’t hold games and sports due to the “lazy” gamer stigma. This side asks to hold the same light to things like chess or golf and what defines these as sports (Phan).

            On the other side of this argument does not consider gaming to be a sport. One of the main focuses on this side is the lack of physical activity, which is considered to be a major aspect of being a sport (Phan). This party next discusses the isolation and numbness that can be experienced while gaming. They also talk about the lack of teamwork which doesn’t apply to eSports teams (Phan). ESPN makes points about eSports being considered more of a competition than sport. It falls within the same category of chess and checkers, activities that warrant skill and finesse but not the same requirements as sports (Maiberg).

            The first of these two targets doubters of gamers and those who give no credit to the gaming community. It also can be aimed at sports channels such as ESPN. The issue is framed in a way that shows the similarities between eSports and other sports on TV, highlighting the training and viewers. This argument treats the opposing side in a productive way, using it as a comparison, and how eSports live up to the standard. This serves the large community of gamers who believe in eSports and want equal treatment for gamers.

            The second argument targets the same people as the first, those who believe in eSports as being real sports. It’s framed in a way that talks down on the tournaments and it’s lack of activity. This argument treats its opposition in a dismissive manner, not giving much credit to games and not taking into consideration the cooperative and strategic aspects of eSports. This argument serves those such as ESPN and other sports supporters.

Works Cited

Maiberg, Emanuel. "ESPN Says ESports Isn't a Sport -- What Do You Think?" GameSpot. N.p., 06 Sept. 2014. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.

Phan, Pauline, and David Marshall. "Debate: Is Gaming A Sport?" Choices. N.p., 07 Oct. 2015. Web. 12 Feb. 2016

Christian Gilbert

Drain Your Brain: Lumosity’s Breach of Persuasive Ethics

                I found an example of breach in persuasive ethics in the form of the Lumos Labs’ Lumosity, the brain-training game developed to enhance a person’s brain function and performance. The issue at hand came in the form of false advertising. The program is said to improve mental performance in work and school, and work to prevent cognitive deficits that are typically found within diseases such as Alzheimer’s or traumatic brain injuries. The implied mental acuity and improvement that is being advertised is apparently not accurate (Underwood).

                The FTC has cited a number of complaints about the brain-game for some time, claiming they haven’t noticed any improvement. Their assessment found that Lumosity did not “have adequate science for the claims that they’re making” (Underwood). The only thing found to happen after periods of “brain-training” is an improvement in the games themselves. There was no actual, real-world benefit that people could see. This led to the claims of false advertising (Underwood).

                The breach of ethics here was that Lumos Labs had been claiming that paying for these games improve your mental prowess when that simply wasn’t true. They convinced people that they could become smarter by doing this when the science does not back up that assertion. There is a blatant disrespect for its consumers in the form of false promises and lost money on something that doesn’t do as is stated. People paid for this service, and if they purchased a year subscription, they paid upwards of $200 for essentially boring games (Underwood). I believe this was a deliberate tactic to convince people to join. Lumosity is not the only culprit out there, and many are accused of doing the same thing. It’s a plan of advertising designed to make people want to improve their minds and become smarter. Without the pull of “being smarter”, there would be virtually no reason play these games.

                The “argument” so to speak here is already clearly defined at this point. As of the beginning of January, 2016, this issue has been handled by the FTC on behalf of numerous people citing this violation against Lumos Labs (Underwood). The context of the argument was directed at Limos Labs, the creators, in the form of a lawsuit by the FTC on behalf of scorned consumers. There was a clear violation of ethical standards; truth in advertising. They put out a product deliberately making false claims and enticing people to purchase the program on the bases of a fabricated outcome. It was simple and blatant lying to the public, possibly because they assumed people wouldn’t be able to prove they weren’t learning. Or, perhaps they thought it would have a placebo effect and people would assume it would work. In this situation, the result of this breach of ethics had a fairly just outcome, in that Lumos Labs was fine for false advertising and the wronged consumers were reimbursed.

Works Cited

                Underwood, Emily. "Brain Game-maker Fined $2 Million for Lumosity False Advertising." Science. N.p., 5 Jan. 2016. Web. 27 Jan. 2016.

Feature

Christian Gilbert

Journalism

1 May 2014

Action Movies

                The article I chose to review for my feature is a flowchart on CollegeHumor created by Nathan Yaffe. The style of this feature is the same as the one I plan to do. It is a flowchart with graphics titled “Who Should Star In Your Action Movie” and the reader answers a series of questions that tell which popular action movie star should star in their action movie. Depending on the reader’s choices, they get a specific person.

                This is a good style for an article like this because it is interactive, which is a big draw with a feature. Interactive pieces like this are more appealing to a reader and can draw a bigger crowd. You can also go through mulitple times and keep getting different answers. Another big appeal for this style article is it is lite on the reading, which makes it a quick, easy, fun piece to go over.

                Maneuvering the written road map is made pretty simplistic with easy to follow paths and clear to read text. A place where the article may fall short is it seems to be lacking enough content in certain areas, mostly the answers. It could use some narrative as to why this person is good for a certain role. Another short coming is the answers you are provided seem a bit too forced, but all in all, these minor issues are not a critical miss. For the light-hearted nature of the piece, it works nicely.

                The style and graphics used in the piece lend themselves to the overall theme of the flowchart, looking gritty and exciting, very much like an action movie. The complete look of the article tells the reader immediately that this is just for fun, something to get a quick laugh out of. It’s something that catches your attention and begs you to read through.

                This fun, simplistic questionnaire gives readers something to do to pass the time and appreciate. It is just easy and short enough to keep attention on itself until it has been thoroughly completed. It does well in the areas that an feature like this should focus on. It is quick, clever, simple to follow, fun to do, and appealing to look at. Overall, it is a great example of a flowchart style feature.

Column

Christian Gilbert

Journalism

14 April 2014

An Uphill Battle

                To review a column example I choose a column from the Game Informer magazine by Matt Helgeson. He wrote his column on how the Xbox One has an uphill battle to reach the PS4 level. Its an opinion piece by the author which seems to embody the style of the writer. Matt begins his column by discussing the past success of the Xbox 360. He gives some information on the Xbox’s past with units sold and how it advanced past PS3. He gave important facts so that the reader could understand his topic.

                After he gives the information out, he shares how the current market leans toward the PS4 in most regions and is unlikely to change. He backs it with more information, which is nice, but not required for a column. He then moves into what he feels may start to catch Microsoft back up with Sony. First things he states is the Xbox One exclusive title Titanfall, which is living up to the hype. Helgeson believes that Titanfall may be able to bring the Xbox sales up. Along with building a superb shooter, which he calls the “bread-and-butter” of Xbox gamers, he also comments on an upcoming Halo game and securing the Gears of War franchise. Matt claims that with these titles, Xbox may have a shot to catch up to the already ahead PS4.

                Matt discusses why the Xbox had such a lead for the 360, being out a year before the more expensive PS3 was released, but this time around, Sony made sure to avoid those pitfalls. Sony and Microsoft both released their consoles at the same time, Sony actually being a week ahead and at lower price. Sony has secured the lead this time around and it seems to have paid off.

                Matt’s game plan for Microsoft is a price drop, improved software and much better marketing. Sony is leading in sales in all markets, even in North America which belonged to Xbox last generation. Helgeson believes that Microsoft can overtake Sony but not without a lot of work, not an easy task. Matt began the column with some information for the reader and then discussed how and why he believes Xbox is failing this time around. He then discusses how they should proceed if they wish to surpass their opponents in sales. All in all, it was not a perfect column but it does  give the author flare and thoughts and therefore is a passable example.

Review

Christian Gilbert

Journalism

30 March 2014

An Infinitely Good Review

                  The article I looked at for a review example comes from the popular GameInformer Magazine by writer Joe Juba. Joe writes his review on the critically acclaimed Bioshock Infinite from Irrational Games. The article begins with the title of the game with a clever tag underneath followed by a captivating in-game screenshot. The first paragraph begins with the general overview of the game synopsis with the writer own thoughts on how his life might be in parallel universes. In most cases, this incite would be unwarranted, but it is simply used as a means of naming the game one of the best in any other reality he can live.

                  After establishing the generality of the game and it’s well deserved praise, paragraph two delves a little more into the journey you undergo throughout the game. Juba creates a wonderful capturing of the feel of the world you inhabit and showcases the vivid, picturesque reality that envelops the player. His next segment reviews the themes dealt with in the game and how small occurrences or societal issues create a rich, life-like world. He also tells how masterfully the story, action, and narrative don’t clash, but thrive together to create one of the better story-driven games he’s ever seen.

                  He discusses the gameplay mechanics, which is another big point for any game review. Juba remarks about the creativity of the action and how the mechanics lend themselves to engaging gameplay and high variety of options to play with. There is a lot of positivity given to the tools and combat skills given to the player. He also gives accolades to the intelligent NPC partner players are accompanied by, saying “she is among the best AI companions I’ve ever had.” He finishes up the gameplay section discusses his appreciation for the games infamous 1999 difficulty setting, which really puts the best players to the test.

                  Juba finishes the review going over his favorite aspect of the game, which is the story. He has nothing but good words to say about the pacing, how the story pulls you in and makes you think. He calls Bioshock Infinite a game that will keep you going and reminds you that there are questions you need answers to. In the end, he gives credit to 2K Studios for not just rehashing ideas from their first game, but using both to create a story that will resonate through any fan of the Bioshock titles.

Personal Profile

Christian Gilbert

Journalism

13 March 2014

Becoming Iron Man: 
An Origin Story

            Every hero needs an origin story, a past of hard times and difficult trials that shape the person we know today. The personal profile I read was one from GQ magazine by Chris Heath, and was on the wildly talented Robert Downey Jr. It was an interview with the actor where they discussed his tumultuous past which lead to his present success and what the future holds. The profile is called RDJ’s origin story for the Hollywood actor, one who fell from graces, struggled through many hardships and was eventually reborn into the hero he is today. An appropriate analogy for the portrayer of Tony Stark.

            The profile begins with an anecdote about the small, leather briefcase Downey carries with him at all times. It contents containing notes, quit-smoking gum, and a solid gold Iron Man helmet. Robert then tells about how he just stares at the mask, contemplating what it takes to be the man inside. This is a fantastic beginning the article which leads to the story of the man that fought to be the hero. After the anecdote, the article discusses, for those who are unaware, why RDJ is so huge today. It discusses how popular he is and how much of a change it was from a decade ago. It uses the conversation between Heath and Downey to flawlessly paint a picture of his current success.

            They then move into Robert’s past for some time and how he struggled not only as an actor, but with drugs, arrests and other challenges. Then they described how things began to change and the fight that would put him on top. The fight to be Iron Man, perhaps the most fitting end for an origin. RDJ describes the reluctances of most in letting him have the part, or even get a screen test, but he remained persistent and now he is just as big as his on-screen character.

            After discusses his rise to fame, they spent some time going over his present fame and claim to being one of the greatest actors of his generation. They remark that it seems he can do no wrong, a far cry from his past. The two then move into what his future holds, bringing in the final chapter of the profile. The interview is wrapped up with a glorious quote by RDJ on the topic of Oscars. After claiming he will get one eventually, he is asked if one is enough, to which he replies no, zero is fine and pauses “Zero, or two.”

            The six page article was just long enough for someone such as Robert Downey Jr. and hit all the keys aspects. It transitioned beautifully from segment to segment and carried the story structure all throughout. All in all, this is a fantastic example of a personal profile.