Comments on: How’s the Economy? Check Your Underwear

By: Taxi Pete

Taxi Pete — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:03:37 +0000

@VS so true, we run a taxi dispatch service and basically are able to track GDP or other parameters with our internal booking metric. So Plenty of Taxi = Bad Economy rings true to me. Don’t know about the briefs though…

Pete

By: Melissa

Melissa — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:31:25 +0000

Melanie, I think that is a great idea about using things more interesting, such as baseball cards and underwear to educate children about the financial aspects of the economy. While it may not be a government responsibility, many (most) parents are not well educated enough in the area of economics to provide their children with the information they will need to be financially responsible citizens in the future.

By: VS

VS — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:53:25 +0000

In London one measure they use is how easy it is to get a taxi(cab), the more the City is booming the fewer taxis there are available – and vice-versa. This is may be a more useful way to judge for yourself rather than checking the state of other people’s underwear…..

By: Melanie Serra

Melanie Serra — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 06:26:53 +0000

I thoroughly enjoyed reading a post that took a very current, often depressing, issue and addressed it with a lighter tone. The idea that there is a Men’s Underwear Index (MUI) not only merits a little bit of laughter, but it also encourages outside-of-the-box-thinking. Most times when you tune in to CNN, open the Wall Street Journal, or receive insight from the government the current economic situation is described by specific, Census Bureau indicators. However, your point about men’s underwear gives a new perspective on the detriment this country is experiencing. I fell that it is particularly important to educate the younger generation of the severity of this financial downfall, and although you did not address this issue in your post, I believe something like the MUI, or similar barometers, could be utilized to illustrate, in more relatable terms, the reasons behind and economic indications of what our country is experiencing. Just imagine teaching children how to monitor the economy by looking at numbers that show them the trends of underwear sales over the past year. Yes, it is still encompasses financial jargon, but “dumbing down” the indicators, so to speak, could potentially help younger generations not only comprehend the economy, but also prepare for their future lives as adults who manage their own finances. Another author posted a similar idea with regards to the baseball card industry. He proposes that the baseball card industry can help explain the economy as we know it. All it is comprised of is combinations of infinite individual decisions made on a daily basis, anyway—so the baseball card idea is just another way to become financially savvy. I am curious to know your opinion on the matter of educating younger generations using theories such as the one you discussed in your post. Is it plausible to use such theories as a means of education for younger children? Is it the government and social institution’s responsibility to do so? In any event, never before have been so interested in men, underwear and purchasing patterns that correlate the two—so thank you for your insightful and entertaining post.

By: Joshua Dorkin

Joshua Dorkin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:15:12 +0000

Does it matter if we’re talking about boxers or briefs?

By: Neuromarketing

Neuromarketing — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:22:56 +0000

Interesting point… and probably true. (Though I suppose the same might be said of many “nonessential” purchases.)

Now all we need is to get the underwear makers to publish their combined sales data for an “Undie Index of Consumer Sentiment.”

Roger
.-= Neuromarketing´s last blog ..Digital Forces Brand Authenticity =-.