Globalization and Medias Influence of Perception of Luxury - Essay Example

? Globalization and Media's Influence of Perception of Luxury al affiliation Globalization and media's influence of perception of luxury Introduction With globalization taking shape in the world, it is evident that the countries have been reduced to a small world. In response, the topic has become a contentious issue in all areas of study, sociology, and art, amongst other fields. Through globalization, it is possible to understand the relationship between various countries in an easier way as compared to the years of minimal technology. The concept of media globalization cannot be evaded. New technologies have also been witnessed in the globe. The trends that have been taking place in the society as a result of globalization are evident. Globalization unifies the globe into one world. The developments that have taken place in terms of globalization relate to the fact that globalization has created a lot of links that have led to the countries interacting. The media has managed to reduce the borders between states. Varying perceptions have been brought forward regarding the concept of globalization and the media. A total embrace of the aspect of globalization has seen a great change in the manner in which human beings interact in the society. It is evident that the globalization impacts have touched on all parts of the economy ranging from political to economical ones. Moreover, the interactions have been made easier in the society, with the nations developing a form of interdependence between forms vary the modes of communicating parts of the global media world to the types of media. This essay shall highlight the impacts of technology, then highlight the concept of brand luxuries, and the reasons behind making purchases by the consumers. Body Technology in the form of media has impacted the process of globalization. Without the developments in media, the process of globalization would have not attained the level it is currently at. According to the research conducted by Rantanen (2005), the media has been indicated to be the major driving force in steering the process of globalization. The media, as an example of technology, has allowed the progress of production, transmission of knowledge, and changing the perception of persons towards an understanding of the world. In relation to the media and the process of globalization, this technology has altered the intellectual ability of the individuals by imparting them with novel information that allows them to understand the systems in the social order, for instance ability to learn new forms of production, whether in the manufacturing sector or even in the provision of services in relation to banking and security. The media is a form of technology. All forms of technology have a way of making life easier and making their lives more comfortable. This is to indicate that all forms of media have allowed individuals come up with instruments that minimize the gaps between individuals in different areas of the society. In the case of the computers for example, the world has been made an easier place to live in, through an amalgamation of the parts of the computer to come up with databases that store data in the machine. In the current generation, a lot of people have been seen to embrace technology. Embracing a certain aspect means having the ability to control the same. Since the media is a form of technology, human beings have been seen to control it. This relates to the fact that some countries can be termed as rich in terms of technology, whilst others have been seen to be technologically poor. Through media and the implications of globalization, international distribution of television programs has been made possible; hence international acceptance of television programs. Marketability of television programs has been trouble-free with the producers of the best sellers having an upper hand in the making profits in the business. Generally, programs of varying cultures have been easily transmitted from one continent to another. Movie series that have been shot in one country have been transmitted to all over the continents. All forms of technology have a lot to do with change. Media is a form of technology that has drastically changed the world. Through media a lot of transmissions on recent techniques of creation of novel goods and of high technique are possible. Technology in this case can be described as a social term, thanks to the creation of change in the society. The effects of media globalization Through globalization of the media, communication has been made a lot easier. The new platforms for media have led to persons to communicate with others many years ago. For instance, individuals are able to make business calls and close deals even meters away. Business people are also able to track the stock market and make decisions regarding the kind of businesses to engage in. In the work conducted by Rantanen (2005), the developments of the media have minimized the differences between the numerous cultures existent in the globe. Lots of people have been given an opportunity to communicate through various forms of media. In this case, life has been made a lot simpler by the use of varying forms of media. The whole interaction process has become effortless thanks to the worldwide web that is the store of all forms of information in the globe. Being better educated and informed is an important aspect that is intertwined with effects of technology. Global media has resulted in reduction of boundaries between the cultures of the world. However, other analysts argue that media does not always cross the boundaries in the various cultures. For instance other cultures do not appreciate the kind of information that has been presented by other cultures; especially the culture portrayed in the media by the Westerners has not been well accepted by other cultures, by virtue of its being too explicit. The globalization of media has led to a rush by various corporations to get an upper hand in owning the media houses. The local forms of media have been overtaken by the multinational corporations. The wealthy persons in the society have managed to control the media business. As a result, the local media houses have in one way or another been controlled, explaining the fact that the power in the media houses revolves around a few individuals who want to control the lucrative business. The globalization of media in this case can be treated to reduce the freedom of speech of media houses by the multinational corporations. These groups of individuals have been indicated to amass huge amounts of profits. This business has, therefore, been beneficial on a one sided point of view. The merging of multinational corporations has led to the monopoly of the business under the hands of a few individuals. However, the multinational corporations cannot be questioned, but the government must ensure that they regulate the media. The moves by the government have not been stringent enough to deal with the menace of monopoly. Through globalization of the media, the contents displayed in the media, both in terms of politics and culture, have been greatly implicated. In the case of the United States of America, the cultural and the business interests of the country has created a situation whereby the country has turned to shifting a lot of resources into investing in the entertainment industry. It is for this reason that the Americans have controlled the media over a long period of time, through the production of best seller entertainment products than any other nation. Through the control of the media by the American s, the notable dominators of the media are inclusive of the likes of Disney and AOL Warner that have dominated the industry for a long time. With the major players in the industry, a lot of investors have ventured into the industry. The high competition has led to an improvement of the services offered to the ordinary citizens. Globalization of media has resulted in colonization of cultures in the society. In the research conducted by Morley & Curran (2006), this kind of cultural imperialism takes shape when one country dominates the other by exporting a lot of their media content to another country at a higher rate. This is through the programs aired on both the television and radios. Through the popularity and domination of the American culture, a lot of countries have witnessed erosion of the other cultures through excessive airing of the contents of the media. Traditional cultural attitudes have been replaced by the American culture, ranging from the mode of dressing to music. The indigenous culture indeed has an infertile ground for thriving in such a way that it influences the indigenous people to accept it over the American attitude.  Perception of luxury and the media Recent studies and statistics indicate that there has been a growing interest in the social media and networking. This is for the reason that the social media has been one of the major strategies for marketing of goods in the contemporary world. Through the social media, the purchasing behaviors of the clients have taken diverse forms. The media, in relation to the recent studies, is a motivator to the consumer purchasing behavior. The luxury industry milieu has also witnessed massive changes that undoubtedly redefined the brands existent in the market, in relation to Vigneron & Johnson (2004), and the consumer behaviours that shape the purchasing behaviors of the clients. Moreover, the luxury brands in the market can easily be used to identify the kind of purchases that will be made in the future by the clients (Okonkwo, 2007). Preference of luxury products by consumers depends on the outlook of the customers towards a particular subject (Gobe & Zyman, 2002). The inspiration behind making the purchases is the motives behind consumption of goods from a particular brand. The type of motivation, in this case, is greatly correlated to the advertisements that the producers craft in the pursuit to promote a particular good. Through advertisements, the consumers are able to develop a sense of desirability and predilection towards the product in question. For instance, a brand that designs a product in such a way that it attracts clients in an attractive manner grasps the attention of a lot of persons to consuming the brand or investing in the product. In the work by Berry (1994), the theory of precedence plays a vital role in determining the purchasing power of individuals. This emanates from the fact that individuals end up making purchases as a result of their needs. If one does not have the funds, they end up postponing the luxuries for another good. He continues to argue that luxuries are relations and are always directed towards fulfilling tone’s necessities. Berry (1994) indicates that the rules of social identity determine how persons will invest in making purchasing luxurious goods. This argument relates one’s being and the motives behind making purchases. For instance, consumers are likely to make sales from the fact that the products have been attributed to famous celebrities and have been linked with some sort of class (Design Council, 2008). This work by Design Council (2008) emphasizes the fact that through the use of celebrities to advertise goods, for instance female celebrities to advertise perfumes and handbags, has seen a lot of persons attracted to these markets and make a lot of sales in the same. This case has been seen even in the banking sector where a lot of managers have gone for celebrities to be part of their campaign strategies. Twitchell (2002) indicates that an understanding of the concept of luxury depends on various points of view. In relation to the global arena, the concept of luxury has been defined as a global subject that requires a lot of media coverage, while economically the concept of luxury has been defined as a relative term that has dissimilar meanings from the economically able persons and the weak in the then society. The economically able individuals end up preferring luxury goods as compared to the economically challenged who survive with non-luxury goods (Tungate, 2009). Culturally, Chevalier & Mazzalovo (2008) indicate that luxury goods have a way of attracting persons of various cultures. Persons of varying cultures perceive culture differently. The society that shapes a person and determines the kinds of goods one will purchase. Persons of high class tend to have a taste and a liking for goods that have a higher value as compared to persons of low societal status. Conclusion It is evident that the media has had both negative and positive aspects on globalization. Though the globe has been reduced into one small village, the concept of media and globalization holds much value and is worth to be scrutinized. However, the concerned governments have been called upon to ensure that they deal with the contents being displayed in the media. This will create some form of order that will minimize the chances of erosion of indigenous culture by the upcoming trendy lifestyles displayed on television. On the other hand, the theme of luxury brands and purchases of luxury goods has been indicated to have a lot to do with the perception of the clients towards a particular good. Consequently, the marketers of luxury goods have been indicated to be on the frontline to upgrade their marketing skills by incorporating the use of celebrities in the marketing of their goods and services in the market. References Berry, C., 1994. The idea of luxury: A conceptual and historical investigation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chevalier, M., & Mazzalovo, G., 2008. Luxury brand management: A world of privilege. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Design Council, 2008. Diamonds, Woolworths, Marmite: why luxury has become an everyday commodity. Design Council Magazine, 5. Gobe, M., & Zyman, S., 2002. Emotional branding: The new paradigm for connecting brands to people. New York: Allworth Press. Morley, D., & Curran, J., 2006. Media and cultural theory. New York: Taylor and Francis. Okonkwo, U., 2007. Luxury fashion branding: trends, tactics, techniques. Palgrave: Macmillan. Rantanen, T., 2005. The media and globalization. London: Sage. Tungate, M., 2009. Luxury world: the past, present and future of luxury brands. New York: Kogan Page. Twitchell, J., 2002. Living it up. Columbia: Columbia University Press. Vigneron, F., & Johnson, L., 2004. Measuring perceptions of brand luxury. The Journal of Brand Management, 11(6), pp. 484-50623. Read More