The word culture has a variety of meanings, but most of them focus in the fact that culture is customary beliefs, social forms, material traits of a racial, religious, or social group, shared attitudes, values, goals, and others. Culture is an essential characteristic in architecture by presenting us features of a society everyday existence. If you look at the picture below they would all send us a different message and tell us a different story. Looking at an architecture created by definite group of people you can get powerful insights to persuade them.
As an advertiser where to place advertisements it is an important decision, so we can reach the desire target market. That is when architecture plays its role. For example, if I wanted to reach rich people that expends a lot of money in clothes, I would place them in shopping malls with expensive stores, nice hotels, and expensive restaurants in beautiful buildings etc. They would go not only because of quality , they would also go because the architecture portrays high status. Architecture as any other material goods represents power and status. Like the City Creek Mall vs University Mall what each of this buildings say to you? what you think is the importance of architecture in advertising nowadays?
Shopping Malls
10 comments:
I agree with your blog post. Buildings have the ability to portray status and wealth. Your comparison of City Creek to University Mall is the perfect example. City Creek is new and beautiful and the stores in that mall are generally more expensive stores, especially compared to the stores in University Mall. Each mall attracts different people which is important in advertising. Buildings and places can help you reach your target market. It's important to consider where you place your message because if you target market doesn't go there they won't see it.
I think architecture is so important, especially with buildings like malls and hotels. I think it is safe to say that people like to spend time in nice places, even if they aren't super rich. As the reading discussed, people use shopping malls as a way to kind of get away and I think nicer malls like City Creek are more appealing for this kind of shopping. For example, you often see a group of girlfriends going out for a day of shopping at City Creek. They all get dressed up and go out to lunch or dinner and make a day of the shopping trip. But you never see a group of girls all dressed up for a day at the University Mall. Both malls serve essentially the same purpose, but because they are such different environments they are used different ways.
Sure, each mall attracts different people, but the difference isn't black and white. I think there are a lot of people who shop at City Creek that can't afford to buy anything at the nicer stores. And there are many people who shop at University Mall that could afford anything they wanted. One thing that might be interesting in advertising is the effectiveness of sales/specials at different types of malls. I wonder if people would be more willing to pay more money at nicer malls.
I think buildings definitely say something through their architecture. The way the building is designed lets people know the status of it. What City Creek is trying to portray is vastly different from the University mall, which would more accurately be contrasted in architectural meaning with the Provo Towne Center mall. City Creek had to have unique architecture to make it stand apart from the Gateway and Fashion Place which are also in SLC. They didn't want to just be another mall. City Creek has the slogan of "not just a shopping center". It is trying to send a message and part of how it does that is through the architecture. They designed the mall to flow with the creek that runs through it. It was meant to be high end and function as a city center and tourist destination. If they had designed it to look like a regular shopping mall it wouldn't have the same effect it does. Buildings have to be designed to appeal to the audience and activities they are trying to attract.
I definitely believe that so much feeling can be portrayed through buildings and architecture. City Creek feels like a much more exclusive, newer, more exotic type of shopping mall because it differs from traditional shopping malls, especially what we see in Provo. It is outdoor, has beautiful landscaping, a flowing stream, flawlessly clean, and is full of expensive stores that we don't see in our normal shopping malls. Since people associate fancier architecture, away from the norm, with expensive products, that is a huge asset to know when it comes to advertising. If you are trying to show the excludability of your product in that, we have the best and not everyone can afford to own something of ours, then those fancy architectural spots will be prime location for an advertisement. If you are trying to reach the general public, by saying that anyone can own this, then over-the-top architecture will not exude that message.
No question architecture plays a role in advertising. If I'm an advertiser I try and use architecture that fits my target demographic. If I'm trying to sell higher end supplies, I'm not going to build a big box store and sell from there. I'm going to rent out a luxury store at City Creek and sell my supplies there.
As far as the feeling I get from City Creek as opposed to University, there is an obvious difference. It doesn't take a shopping expert to know that you will likely be spending more when you go to City Creek than when you go to University Mall.
Dan Johns...
Architecture definitely varies in thew way that it appeals to, or attracts different types of people; I agree with that. The University Mall for example, to me, is an average, everyday, American mall. It's definitely not modern, ritzy, or particularly attractive from an architectural perspective. In contrast, the environment and image that the City Creek Mall exudes is much different. It looks, seems, and just feels classy. Because it is an exciting place to be, I'm sure the advertising space is much more valuable (expensive) than the same space might be at the University Mall.
Like the City Creek Mall vs University Mall Say that one is more for middle class as for the other one is for upper class a place where they an go and feel comfortable. The new building is very secure and gives a scene of sophistication.The importance of architecture in advertising nowadays is about the target audience. a person that is from the low class might not feel comfortable in a high class sophisticated mall and vice verse. Its about who the audience is and who will put down the most money.
What city creek says to me is that they are well established and that Salt Lake is growing finically. With the removable roof that they built showing that this is a high end mall.
Architecture now a days does have an effect on advertising. I feel that the better the architecture in malls will better the success of the stores. People rather go to the fancier mall just for the experience, bettering the odds of success for those stores. Just like the example of City Creek is shut down some stores in Midtown.
I agree. I think architecture on certain buildings can attract a certain group of people. Especially shopping malls. If you are going to spend money and purchase items, the experience of shopping is important as well. If your experience is pleasant, then you walk away feeling great about your purchase and the path it took to get there.
University Mall attracts a very different crowd than City Creek. This was done on purpose. City creek also has additional amenities such as a gym and access to downtown areas like Temple Square. This attracts more customers and generates more profit.
I definitely see a definitive difference between City Creek Center and University Mall, among other architectural places that are similar. City Creek projects higher status because of its higher end stores and modern architecture. Ever since it opened, University Mall has become the "ghetto" mall in comparison. University Mall is only one level and is an indoor mall with dim lighting that in no way can compete with City Creek. It shows how a building is laid out can have a big effect on its consumers.
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