Cal Berkeley linguist, George Lakoff, talks eloquently about how politicians frame their messaging to achieve intended results. Those of us in the ad biz also know a little something about the practice of framing.
For a great example of framing, let’s look at Wal-Mart. The world’s largest retailer is running a documentary-style TV spot right now that zooms in on Gastonia, NC. In the spot we hear from local merchants ecstatic about all the traffic the local Wal-Mart store generates for their businesses, which happen to be located directly in the path of said traffic. If this argument is to be believed, Wal-Mart is good for small town America, for it throws off residual income to any and all in its path like a moneyed tornado.
But we never hear from the merchants who have long made up the town center. How do they feel about losing income to the low-priced giant on the periphery? Wal-Mart knows precisely how they feel, which is why they created the spot–to fight the growing community-level resistance to their never ending expansion.
Until Americans decide the lowest price is not in their best interests, Wal-Mart will continue to expand. And, since no one likes paying higher prices for ANYTHING, that decision is not likely to occur in our lifetime.