Flavor Psychopolitics 24 Jun 2023

Flavor marketing naming schemes have emerged as powerful tools through which corporations exert control over our sensory experiences. Once a private experience, taste has become commodified and particular flavors are determined by a committee. Examining the evolution of these strategies can uncover the underlying motivations and tactics employed by corporations to manipulate our senses and shape our preferences.

Literal Naming

Literal naming schemes prioritize simplicity and marketability above all else. High-velocity consumer packaged goods often rely on this as their is no imagination required. By assigning straightforward names like “cherry” or “lemon,” companies seek to create an immediate connection between the flavor name and the taste experience. While this approach offers clarity, it disregards the complexity and uniqueness of flavors from different varieties of fruit, collapsing them into flat, homogenous derivations of the original. This has the effect of reducing dynamic flavors with seasonal and varietal differences to generic interchangeable labels; corporations streamline their messaging but sacrifice the depth and diversity that exist within flavor profiles.

Analogical Naming

Analogical naming schemes aim to exploit our desire for familiarity and tap into our emotional responses. Names like “tropical punch” draw upon our existing knowledge and positive associations with tropical flavors, evoking images of exotic fruits and refreshing beverages. Similarly, the term “blue raspberry” exemplifies how analogical naming can combine familiar elements to create a unique flavor experience. While raspberries themselves are not naturally blue, the combination of raspberry flavor with a vibrant blue hue taps into our recognition of raspberries while adding a visually distinct twist. By leveraging our emotional connection to raspberries and our curiosity for novel flavors, companies entice consumers to explore this imaginative blend. It is essential to remain aware of the intentional manipulation involved in these analogical associations, as they are carefully crafted to steer our preferences toward specific flavor profiles, including the unconventional yet intriguing “blue raspberry.”

Metaphorical Naming

Metaphorical naming schemes leverage our emotions and cultural references to create an immersive experience. Flavor names such as “Tiger’s Blood” or “Silver Fox” in snowcones evoke a sense of intrigue, excitement, and adventure. By tapping into our shared narratives and desires, companies aim to establish a deeper connection with consumers.One must critically assess whether these metaphorical names genuinely reflect the flavor experience or if they rely on emotional manipulation and empty promises, leading to consumer disillusionment and loss of trust in the company who produced the product.

Hyperstitious Naming

Hyperstitious naming represents the pinnacle of sensationalism. Examples include names like one of Monster energy drinks named “Ultra Paradise” designed to elicit extreme sensations and transport the consumer away from the experience of the product itself and into a world constructed by The Brand. Another example is Five gum, which has modeled their ad campaign not dissimilar to that of Axe Body Spray. The product is less about the flavor imparted to the consumer and rather a signifier of the cool, calm, and collected lifestyle. Employing hyperbolic language and invoking superstitions, companies aim to create an irresistible allure that keeps consumers hooked on their products. Whether these experiences enhance our enjoyment or if they are mere marketing tactics aimed at securing market dominance loses its distinction as they are packaged to fulfill the same desire and quell the fear that the consumer is making an excellent choice that reflects well upon their status. The hyperstitious approach risks prioritizing hype and exaggerated claims over genuine flavor satisfaction, favoring the ‘star power’ granted by being seen consuming the product.

Flavor as Sign

Drawing from Baudrillard’s theory of the four stages of the sign in Simulacra and Simulation, we can identify parallels between the process of flavor naming schemes and the concept of simulacra. The first stage of the sign, the image-copy, corresponds to literalist naming, where the sign is believed to reflect a profound reality. The second stage, which Baudrillard describes as the perversion of reality, the sign becomes an unfaithful copy, masking and distorting reality as an evil appearance. Here, flavor names hint at the existence of an obscure reality that the sign itself fails to encapsulate fully. This aligns with Baudrillard’s notion that signs and images no longer faithfully reveal reality but rather serve as indicators of something real, albeit elusive.

The third stage, where the sign masks the absence of a profound reality. Flavor names pretend to be faithful copies, but lack a genuine original. Baudrillard refers to this stage as the “order of sorcery,” where semantic algebra conjures human meaning artificially, creating references to hermetic truths. In this context, flavor names claim to represent something real, yet their connection to reality is arbitrary and suggested rather than grounded in actual relationships. This aligns with Baudrillard’s critique of symbols as disconnected from any genuine referents, creating a realm of hyperrealism where authenticity is replaced by mere copies of copies.

In the fourth stage of the pure simulacrum, we witness the detachment of the sign from any reality whatsoever. Here, signs reflect other signs, and claims to reality are merely echoes of similar claims. This regime of total equivalency finds resonance in the world of flavor naming, where cultural products no longer pretend to be real but instead embrace artificial, hyperreal terms. The experiences of consumers’ lives become predominantly artificial, leading to a perception that even claims to reality must be phrased in simulated terms. The analogical is taken as real with no index The proliferation of second-order simulacra, as per Baudrillard, blurs the boundary between the real and the simulated, resulting in a culture where spectacle and simulation supercede genuine experiences.

Second-Order Simulacra

The propagation of second-order simulacra in the context of flavor naming has cascading effects on the perceptions of consumers that fall victim to the false promises of flavor advertising. Nothing is “real” anymore, yet those engrossed in the illusion are oblivious to this fact. Instead of experiencing genuine flavors, consumers become spectators of elaborate spectacles, observing through real or metaphorical control screens. The distinction between the map and the territory, as illustrated by Baudrillard’s reference to Borges, dissolves, leaving only the map or the simulacrum. In the postmodern epoch, the territory itself ceases to exist, and what remains is an amalgamation of simulated experiences.

The influence of second-order simulacra extends to the termination of history. In a society devoid of oppositional elements, where the masses become a silent majority and passively absorbs images, the people themselves are marginalized and symbolically represented by governing agents and market statistics.

This occurs as opposing viewpoints are equated, erasing the agonistic nature of differences. Baudrillard highlights the equivalence of moral universalism with globalization, where immutable values are replaced by mediums of exchange and equalization like the global market and mass media.

In the context of flavor naming schemes, the propagation of second-order simulacra and the blurring of distinctions between the real and the simulated raise questions about the authenticity of flavor experiences and the genuine relationship between flavor names and the taste they represent. As discerning consumers, it is crucial to recognize the manipulative tactics employed by corporations to influence our senses and shape our preferences. By critically examining the simulated nature of flavor naming, including edge cases, we can make informed choices that prioritize genuine flavor experiences untainted by the influence of second-order simulacra.

Conclusion

Flavor naming schemes in marketing exhibit manipulative tactics reminiscent of Baudrillard’s theory of the four stages of the sign in Simulacra and Simulation. Literalist naming corresponds to the faithful image/copy stage, simplifying flavors at the expense of authenticity. Perversion of reality aligns with the distortion in flavor names, while analogical naming exploits our desire for familiarity and emotional connections. Metaphorical naming plays on our emotions and cultural significance, while hyperstitious naming employs sensationalism for market dominance. The inclusion of edge cases like “blue raspberry” showcases the invention of flavors that attempt to sound real but are not genuine.

The absence of a profound reality and the detachment from authenticity reflect the order of sorcery and the pure simulacrum, respectively. The propagation of second-order simulacra blurs the boundaries between the real and the simulated, leading to a culture dominated by spectacles and simulations. The termination of history, as per Baudrillard, occurs when opposing elements are equated, marginalizing the people themselves.

One must be aware of these manipulative strategies, including edge cases, and make choices that prioritize genuine flavor experiences free from the influence of second-order simulacra. As discerning consumers, we should recognize the tactics employed by corporations to shape our preferences and consciously opt for flavors that truly resonate with our senses and emotions, untainted by corporate influence.

article [ business  philosophy  ]