Merchandising is more important than ever that to stay on ahead of information overload.

Society goes about their day differently than in decades past.  A near necessity to stay socially connected at all times has been created by the incorporation of new technology.  People are more conscientious of what others around them are doing and thinking.  Mobile devices have created a way in which an individual can stay connected to almost any website they may be engaged with at all times. 

            The increased awareness of an individual’s connection to the rest of the world has allowed for some industries to develop and expand at much faster rates than in years past.  Technology is constantly evolving, which in turn can have positive and negative effects on different industries.

It is easier than ever before to do many creative things that were once only financially available to professionals – recording music in a studio, creating digital art, and editing and assembling movies.  Consumer computers are powerful enough to carry out such projects, and the resources needed are becoming more affordable each day.  

Creative mindsets are required in today’s fast-paced world.  The easier it becomes for anyone to network and spread word about new ideas, the more difficult it becomes for businesses to stay popular and noticed.  Because society processes such a vast amount of information every day, only some elements will end up remembered.  There is a constant struggle to stay noticed.  New and old businesses alike must find new ways to stay successful and popular, as today’s world continues to thrive on instant gratification.  The amount of time people spend on a single web page continues to decrease as the amount of information available increases.  A lot can be overlooked, which prompts businesses to attempt staying a part of one’s life in all aspects.  Alternate means of revenue must be created in order to satisfy society’s need for instant gratification, as well as to create a venue for more exposure to more people.

Higher impact when worn

Merchandise allows for businesses to do both of these things.  People can purchase an item that is not related to the service or product offered by the business, but still includes their identity. The general public’s purchasing of merchandise does two things for a business – creates financial benefit, and allows for a business’s name to appear in situations not possible by only selling the service or product they claim to fame.  As society’s attention span decreases, merchandise becomes increasingly essential to a business’s success.  The abundance of advertisement on the Internet has become less effective, as people have learned to ignore elements of a page that come off as advertising.  Merchandise allows for a company name to be out in the world in a traditional way that cannot be ignored.  The individual will always process a hat or t-shirt with a company logo.  People wear a business’s merchandise because they want to be supportive, which in turn allows for a positive environment in which the name can be advertised.  One’s individual choice to wear another company’s name creates a personal connection between people and businesses, which is the major downfall of advertising online.  On the Internet, advertising feels as if there is no concern for that personal connection, which leads to many businesses becoming overlooked.

No matter what kind of business, there can be benefit

Businesses, music artists, brands, and sports teams all require merchandise.  It is a promotional tool that also can serve a purpose, such as a simple shirt or a custom-printed water bottle.  A business’s need for merchandise usually results in seeking out locations that will design, print, and ship various types of merchandise with a company logo or similar promotional idea.  One such business that specializes in custom merchandising is Nightmare Graphics.  Since the 1980’s, they have helped satisfy the needs of local and national businesses looking to attain custom merchandise.  They are able to produce large amounts of shirts, stickers, and embroidered products at their single Columbia, Maryland location.  Nick Kaminski, a printer at Nightmare Graphics, discusses some of their clients and recent orders, and how merchandise can benefit all types of businesses.

Although many aspects of developing technology allow for people to start new businesses more easily, companies like Nightmare Graphics still are imperative to creating a successful business model.  They handle shipping and preparing products, and do so at rates that attract large and small businesses alike.  Their services allow businesses to reach out to a demographic that would be unavailable otherwise.  Merchandise can help boost a company’s reach, while offering an affordable product that creates a personal connection with customers.

privacy: unfortunately, a thing of the past.

with the recent change in google's privacy policy and the growing popularity of gps tracking devices, society's privacy is slowly vanishing.  facebook's controversial and ever-changing privacy policies have always been under the scrutiny of the public eye, and now google's sudden change only adds to the concern of privacy.  it is not fair for large internet forces to gain control of individuals' information, but there is no one to stop them, as the fourth amendment does not seem to have effect.

congress also seems to be concerned with the change in google's privacy policy, as they formally wrote a letter to google requesting an explanation as to why it makes sense for the search engine to change its policy.  when the government is interested enough to personally ask for explanation, it shows the scale of change that is created from the shift in the policy.  society as a whole is concerned about the sharing of their information across the internet, and with the direction it's moving, zero privacy could become a real possibility.  even ignoring the fact that lack of policy violates the fourth amendment, it is not ethically correct to slowly take away people's privacy online.  google and facebook are doing so at a pace that has become excepted by society, and it is using it to their advantage to gain valuable information about multiple facets of individuals' lives.  facebook began with simple, to-the-point privacy features that allowed users to control the visibility of all of their information; and now, many aspects of users' privacy are open to developers right from the get-go.  people have made noise to combat this issue, but in time the majority of people just come to accept it.

 in a world where ideas are slowly moving towards equality for all people and everything should be out in the open for all to see, this online progression does nothing but aid in taking society away from where it should be - where people can say, do, and act as they please, and each individual has the right to their own privacy and opinion.

google's issues with their new privacy policy in detail:
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Google-Microsoft-Spar-Over-Privacy-Policy-Claims-394067/

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