Marketing 101: Word Continuity

Rorschach InkblotWord association is a very powerful tool in marketing, so it's no surprise I enjoy this form of word-play. Give me a piece of paper, a pen and a dictionary/thesaurus, and I am in heaven with word continuity.

While waiting for public transportation this afternoon, I came up with these sets (evil-lawful & chaos-order). Word-play can often occupy my time for hours; have a go at the word-play word association (hate-love, poor-rich, hunger-satiety, etc), you'll find yourself addicted to them. I'm not sure if they can be called poems, but prepare yourself for an emotional roller-coaster ride:

Evil-to-Lawful
Evil
Nefarious, Sinful
Malicious, Wrong, Indifference, Right, Affectionate
Loving, Virtuous
Lawful

Chaos-to-Order
Chaos
Mess, Jumble
Confusion, Disorder, Random, Complex, Array
Structure, Thoughtful
Order

I've tried the continuity for Man-to-Woman, but it is very limiting; however, going from Child-to-Adult holds much surprises. Yes, this is the kind of silly games often played in marketing meetings. When we get bored with word association games, we turn the coffee cups over and see what Rorschach Inkblot patterns emerge. This is how products and companies are named.

tags: ......
another point of view ...

Blogger Julie


Are you serious about product and company names? And all this time I thought it was just a smart person "in Tune" with society...heh heh...
 

Blogger Unknown


What is the rule for the middle line? I think this might be a fun game.
 

Blogger Nam LaMore


JADEDMANIAC: completely serious. marketing is usually just about generating reports from focus groups. and the top marketeers are not in-tuned with society at all -- on the contrary, they are actually at the fringe of societies; either trying to bring the past back, re: retro, or invent the future, re: self-fulfilling destiny.

think of the futurist faith popcorn. she's one of the most amazing marketeers i've ever met. she's really out there. check out the "popcorn report" if you get a chance.
 

Blogger Nam LaMore


MQUEST: can't say there's any rule per se. the only thing i think that makes sense is that the middle line needs to be the point of inflection -- when the continuity starts to shift in a very apparent way to show both ends. i can't imagine anything else.
 

Blogger Nam LaMore


ANTHONYPEREIRA: ah, i'm sure sooner or later you would have come to that conclusion .. marketing is not as random as most people would like to think. i mean, would you pay lotsa $$$ just to call your company after a fruit?
 

Blogger True Jersey Girl


That's pretty cool. And in your Rorschach inkblot I see a Hawaiian tiki-guy bringing me fresh watermelons (to make watermelon margaritas, of course). What does this say about me?
 

Blogger Scarlet Hip


Love this blog. Love it love it.
 

Blogger diadima


you have a knack for always posting unique blog entries. love it.
 

Blogger Unknown


It is not as easy as it looks.
 

Blogger Unknown


Full
Stuffed, Gorged
Satisfied, Ample. Unsatisfied, Want
Starved, famished.
Hungry
 

Anonymous Anonymous


help...... these are challenging.
I tried sour to sweet, but stuck
here's what I have so far

Sour -to -sweet
sour
tart, pucker
old, sickening,???, sticky, sugary
goodness, ???

sweet
 

Blogger frankysbride


~lol!~
I'm glad to hear the market economy is still as independent/unplanned/footloose as ever. *bg*
 

Blogger Nightmare


I have a degree in Advertising that is going to waste. Why don't you hire me to come work at your company. It sounds a lot fun then talking high power exc's out of their money...I mean selling them much needed displays.
 

Blogger frankysbride


ps-- Nothing to do with word association, but I just posted some photos of last month's Alaska trip on my blog-- The Chugach Mountains kind of look like Rorschachs, especially when you're flying over/through them and feel existentially uneasy. *bg*
 

Anonymous Anonymous


Straight to gay, Republican to liberal, Give to recieve. Hmmm. After reading your associations I can almost see the words inbetween.
Cheers,
k
 

Blogger The Complimenting Commenter


A very interesting and thought inducing post. There seems to be a connection between everything when you get down to it. Well done.
 

Blogger Nam LaMore


ANTHONYPEREIRA: you're still young enough that you don't need to be financially responsible. heck, if you weren't living beyond your means (re: credit and debit cards), then i would be a bit worried that you're not contributing to your generation's rising debt.

by the way, an interesting anagram for 'debit card' is 'bad credit' -- i have a post on anagram, you might enjoy it!

TRUEJERSEYGIRL: i love what you see in the inkblot .. i think that just means you're ready for a vacation! on your blog, i remember seeing a posting about your basement-turned-tiki bar; i've aspired to have a tiki bar, but that never happened .. i go out to the bars too much, i think.

BROOKE ROSE: thank you so much for swinging by. i dropped by your blog earlier today, and i love your blog. hope it's ok that i add you to my blog parade!
 

Blogger Nam LaMore


DIADIMA: thanks so much .. you've just made me smile. i love your blog, that's why i started visiting your blog, you know that, dontcha? as a youngster, you have all the angst and potential that is so 'neat' to hear .. i really like the fact that you have the conviction to post some of the most political posts i've ever read.


MQUEST: you're thinking too hard! if you just let your mind take off, then you're see some of the most amazing word association come through. i like your FULL <-> HUNGRY i'm gonna have to come up with my own version.


PERI: oh, i like what you have started .. suggestions for two of your blanks: syrupy - dessert
 

Blogger Unknown


I have not given up-- I am still stuck
 

speak up!


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