This paper introduces an theoretical and interpretive tool, the Process of Argumentative Aphasia, for...
Tag: advertising
Dismantling Stereotypes: Taking an Inside-Out Perspective to Building Better Representation in Advertising for Unilever
Equality, inclusion, and representation are increasingly acknowledged as core tenets of prosperous countries, cities, and organizations. We know that equality is essential, and we also know equality must be enacted on all fronts. Brands and other social organizations are increasingly recognizing...
In Pursuit of Authenticity: Commodified Community, Curated Experience, and Fandom
This paper assesses the economic impacts of hyper-monetization, immersive advertising, and general shifts in...
Anthro Spectacle @SXSW: How Anthropology Captured the Imagination of Marketing Tech
I live in Austin, Texas. Along with breakfast tacos, Willie Nelson, and scorching hot summers, Austin is the home of the international conference known as South by Southwest (SXSW). It’s actually three conferences (Interactive, Music, and Film) rolled out over ten days in March. Much of the...
Leveraging Speculative Design to Re-Imagine Product Roadmaps
Businesses often have strategic visions for the future of a product space; however, identifying and building toward preferable futures is a daunting task, especially when designing for complex systems, e.g., Digital advertising platforms that include multiple complex interfaces and internal...
Back to the Future of Ethnography: Internal User Research at a Consumer Internet Company
The Advertising Products research team at Yahoo! is building an internal research practice within an organization that is user-centered, but optimized for consumer product development. While our fellow researchers observe millions of consumers on our websites, we study our coworkers: their...
Business, Anthropology, and Magical Systems: The Case of Advertising
Magic is one of the oldest subjects of discussion and theorizing in anthropology. From time to time, anthropologists, as well as other scholars from other disciplines, have suggested that magic is not specific to “primitive” societies, but is alive and well in contemporary industrialised...
Enacting Scales: Reflections from an Anthropologist Working in Asia’s Ad World
PechaKucha Presentation—The conference theme for EPIC2020 is all about scale. For many, scale will probably evoke images of sizing up, moving forward, getting better. But does scale carry the same meaning in all contexts? Could scaling back be the key to enacting scales successfully? And is...
The “Race to Embrace the Senses” in Marketing: An Ethnographic Perspective
Pier 1 Imports is a store that specializes in home decor, including wood and wicker furniture, draperies, and scented candles. On the cover of its Fall 2000 catalogue there is a picture of a tabletop fountain made of slabs of brown and grey speckled marble. Down the right edge of the cover is a...