Comments on: Doughboy RIP (an object lesson in marketing) http://cultureby.com/2005/11/doughboy_rip_an.html This Blog Sits At the Intersection of Anthropology and Economics Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:10:58 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: brian kenny http://cultureby.com/2005/11/doughboy_rip_an.html/comment-page-1#comment-5134 brian kenny Wed, 23 Nov 2005 16:55:04 +0000 http://grantmccracken.com/cco/http:/grantmccracken/page-title#comment-5134 <p>Grant</p> <p>re: <a href="http://www.cultureby.com/trilogy/2005/11/doughboy_rip_an.html#comments" rel="nofollow">http://www.cultureby.com/trilogy/2005/11/doughboy_rip_an.html#comments</a></p> <p>Yesterday, I re-worked an Internet joke about the Pillsbury Doughboy. I was't thinking about generic or brand carbohydrates or celiac revenge, but about insipid, pornographic celebrity. In that mode, I penned in a new line for the joke about scandal, hot crossed buns, and the pop 'n fresh genre. Basically, I validated the awareness that there are irreverent ebb and surging flow components in nearly all contingent constructs of [brand] reputation. (Since reputation is always confirmed or denied by outsiders, reputation remains a legitimate subject of anthropological probity and academic and corporate inquiry).</p> <p>Hermitag wrote me noting a glaring act of ommission in my deconstruction of yeasty brand celebrity. To my e-mail he responded with the eternally important brand construct known as 'true loyalty' (TL). Hermitag let me know that I had failed to account for a consumer test of TL when I neglected mention of the Pillsbury doughboy's companion animal, "Fi-dough" ... ;> Ah, thus it seems that humor -- forever in the making -- is mostly about the acts of creation,<br /> re-performance and storytelling.</p> <p>Since I have chance to again put finger to keyboard, let me say that humor is a brand multiplier with power to equal Einstein's elevator, or just as easily humor turns and becomes the moderating fifth horseman of the apocalypse -- the one riding alongside War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death -- who makes sudden detours to spatter multiple reputations (of the brand) with fresh colic and road apples.</p> <p>Brian Kenny</p> <p>Suggested:</p> <p>Reputations Research Network<br /> <a href="http://web.si.umich.edu/reputations" rel="nofollow">http://web.si.umich.edu/reputations</a></p> <p>Bolton G., Katok E., and A. Ockenfels<br /> 2003 Cooperation among Strangers with Limited Information about Reputation. Available at<br /> <a href="http://www.si.umich.edu/~presnick/reputation/symposium/bolton-katok-ockenfels.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.si.umich.edu/~presnick/reputation/symposium/bolton-katok-ockenfels.pdf</a></p> <p>Cabral, L. and Hortacsu, A.<br /> 2005 The Dynamics of Seller Reputation: Evidence from eBay. Available at <a href="http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~lcabral/workingpapers/CabralHortacsu_June05.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~lcabral/workingpapers/CabralHortacsu_June05.pdf</a></p> <p>Gleiber, D., Shull, S. and C. Waligora<br /> 1998 Measuring The President's Professional Reputation. American Politics Quarterly, Vol 26, No 3, July 1998, pp. 366-385</p> <p>Landon, S. and Smith, C.<br /> 1997 The Use of Quality and Reputation Indicators by Consumers: The Case of Bordeaux Wine. Journal of Consumer Policy 20: 289–323</p> <p>Miles, M. and Covin, J.<br /> 2000 Environmental Marketing: A Source of Reputational, Competitive, and Financial Advantage. Journal of Business Ethics 23: 299–311</p> <p>Whitmeyer, J.<br /> 2000 Effects of Positive Reputation Systems. Social Science Research 29: 188–207</p> Grant

re: http://www.cultureby.com/trilogy/2005/11/doughboy_rip_an.html#comments

Yesterday, I re-worked an Internet joke about the Pillsbury Doughboy. I was't thinking about generic or brand carbohydrates or celiac revenge, but about insipid, pornographic celebrity. In that mode, I penned in a new line for the joke about scandal, hot crossed buns, and the pop 'n fresh genre. Basically, I validated the awareness that there are irreverent ebb and surging flow components in nearly all contingent constructs of [brand] reputation. (Since reputation is always confirmed or denied by outsiders, reputation remains a legitimate subject of anthropological probity and academic and corporate inquiry).

Hermitag wrote me noting a glaring act of ommission in my deconstruction of yeasty brand celebrity. To my e-mail he responded with the eternally important brand construct known as 'true loyalty' (TL). Hermitag let me know that I had failed to account for a consumer test of TL when I neglected mention of the Pillsbury doughboy's companion animal, "Fi-dough" … ;> Ah, thus it seems that humor — forever in the making — is mostly about the acts of creation,
re-performance and storytelling.

Since I have chance to again put finger to keyboard, let me say that humor is a brand multiplier with power to equal Einstein's elevator, or just as easily humor turns and becomes the moderating fifth horseman of the apocalypse — the one riding alongside War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death — who makes sudden detours to spatter multiple reputations (of the brand) with fresh colic and road apples.

Brian Kenny

Suggested:

Reputations Research Network
http://web.si.umich.edu/reputations

Bolton G., Katok E., and A. Ockenfels
2003 Cooperation among Strangers with Limited Information about Reputation. Available at
http://www.si.umich.edu/~presnick/reputation/symposium/bolton-katok-ockenfels.pdf

Cabral, L. and Hortacsu, A.
2005 The Dynamics of Seller Reputation: Evidence from eBay. Available at http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~lcabral/workingpapers/CabralHortacsu_June05.pdf

Gleiber, D., Shull, S. and C. Waligora
1998 Measuring The President's Professional Reputation. American Politics Quarterly, Vol 26, No 3, July 1998, pp. 366-385

Landon, S. and Smith, C.
1997 The Use of Quality and Reputation Indicators by Consumers: The Case of Bordeaux Wine. Journal of Consumer Policy 20: 289–323

Miles, M. and Covin, J.
2000 Environmental Marketing: A Source of Reputational, Competitive, and Financial Advantage. Journal of Business Ethics 23: 299–311

Whitmeyer, J.
2000 Effects of Positive Reputation Systems. Social Science Research 29: 188–207

]]> By: Charu http://cultureby.com/2005/11/doughboy_rip_an.html/comment-page-1#comment-5133 Charu Wed, 23 Nov 2005 15:19:41 +0000 http://grantmccracken.com/cco/http:/grantmccracken/page-title#comment-5133 <p>Grant, excellent perspective, as always. "if they build it" reminded me of the story I have heard behind doughboy's birth - that qualitative research had shown that for many women, the process of baking was akin to giving birth. and bingo! the doughboy was born. I have no idea about the vercity of this story, but as a qualitative researcher, this ranks very high on my list of favorite urban branding legends :)</p> Grant, excellent perspective, as always. "if they build it" reminded me of the story I have heard behind doughboy's birth – that qualitative research had shown that for many women, the process of baking was akin to giving birth. and bingo! the doughboy was born. I have no idea about the vercity of this story, but as a qualitative researcher, this ranks very high on my list of favorite urban branding legends :)

]]> By: Jim Dingwall http://cultureby.com/2005/11/doughboy_rip_an.html/comment-page-1#comment-5132 Jim Dingwall Wed, 23 Nov 2005 05:47:01 +0000 http://grantmccracken.com/cco/http:/grantmccracken/page-title#comment-5132 <p>Grant: I have faith that Doughboy will rise again and be reburned. But until that glorious day in hoven let me just say happy 1st anniversary from all of us to you and Pam (hard copy card to follow). And yes indeed, have a great Thanksgiving. </p> <p>dingwall</p> Grant: I have faith that Doughboy will rise again and be reburned. But until that glorious day in hoven let me just say happy 1st anniversary from all of us to you and Pam (hard copy card to follow). And yes indeed, have a great Thanksgiving.

dingwall

]]> By: jens http://cultureby.com/2005/11/doughboy_rip_an.html/comment-page-1#comment-5131 jens Wed, 23 Nov 2005 00:00:53 +0000 http://grantmccracken.com/cco/http:/grantmccracken/page-title#comment-5131 <p>.happy thanksgiving<br /> "... if they build it, they will come." also sounds like a classical asacker line. i always like that.<br /> happy thanksgiving to all.</p> .happy thanksgiving
"… if they build it, they will come." also sounds like a classical asacker line. i always like that.
happy thanksgiving to all.

]]> By: Grant http://cultureby.com/2005/11/doughboy_rip_an.html/comment-page-1#comment-5130 Grant Tue, 22 Nov 2005 22:14:16 +0000 http://grantmccracken.com/cco/http:/grantmccracken/page-title#comment-5130 <p>Tom, thanks for the kind words and the season greetings. I will have my ethnographer's hat on on Thursday as I watch my Americans relatives giving thanks. Of course, I will be giving thanks of my own, not least for having been delivered out of the hands of the colonials. Thanks, Grant</p> Tom, thanks for the kind words and the season greetings. I will have my ethnographer's hat on on Thursday as I watch my Americans relatives giving thanks. Of course, I will be giving thanks of my own, not least for having been delivered out of the hands of the colonials. Thanks, Grant

]]> By: Tom Guarriello http://cultureby.com/2005/11/doughboy_rip_an.html/comment-page-1#comment-5129 Tom Guarriello Tue, 22 Nov 2005 22:06:38 +0000 http://grantmccracken.com/cco/http:/grantmccracken/page-title#comment-5129 <p>Grant, "if they build it they will come" is one great line!</p> <p>Happy Abundance Day! (or Thanksgiving, as we Yanks call it!)</p> Grant, "if they build it they will come" is one great line!

Happy Abundance Day! (or Thanksgiving, as we Yanks call it!)

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