Corporate suffocation Jun25 '04

On the way into Target this afternoon, Shell and I were having an argument over "corporate suffocation." The particular Target we were at is having a Pizza Hut put inside the store. It is not up yet, but it will be soon.

Pulling into the parking lot at Target...

Shell: "Argh! When is that Pizza Hut going to be finished? I’m starving!"

Me: "They’re putting a Pizza Hut inside Target!?"

Shell: "Yep."

Me: "Talk about corporate suffocation."

Shell: "Corporate suffocation!? That’s a good thing!"

I full–heartily disagree. This simple observation then turned into a "raised voices" argument.

I’m sorry, but I find that "corporate overload," resulting from the current branding and franchising methods, by certain large organizations, has created a "tight choakhold on America." If you ask me, I’ve seen one too many Pizza Hut’s, Starbucks, and Wal–Mart’s. These places are suffocating this country.

Not only am I sick of being bombarded with the branding of these organizations – which includes billboards, TV commercials, advertisements, etc – I am also shocked at the sheer muscle that these organizations flex, by using their giant bank accounts and unlimited resources to shove off small business.

Why do we need multiple Starbucks locations in the same city block? Why is Dunkin Donuts now combined with Taco Bell, Togo’s, and Pizza Hut? Geez, how much more can we cram into one building!? Why not put a Blockbuster, Walgreens, and Best Buy in there too? And if you ask me, those obnoxious orange colors of each Home Depot I see every few miles makes me want to puke. And why does Target need a Pizza Hut inside of it’s store!?

Some people are not bothered by this. Some people are oblivious to this "corporate suffocation." But I am assuming some people just don’t mind.

But every time I see another Starbucks being built, and another non–franchised coffee shop closing it’s doors, I wonder heavily on where this country is going.

To understand my viewpoint better, it would probably be helpful to re–read my first write–up on this topic, which was inspired by one of my favorite books of all time – No Logo, by Naomi Klein.

Categories: Branding

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Just to let you know that there is a lot of planning that goes into where a company will place their next store. If the market in a particular area ... Read more.

matthom is published and produced by Matt Thommes - an independent publishing enthusiast, mobile blogger, content creator, informative writer, web developer from Chicago. Never one to conform, Matt intends to promote the effect the web has on our lives, in an effort to intensify, instruct, and clarify all that is happening around us.