This infographic is showing what brands members of the Democratic and Republican parties prefer and their impressions of the brand. The infographic is using comparison and contrast, but instead of showing how their members prefer different brands, as one would assume, it shows how they seem to mostly prefer the same brands. Of the top ten brands for each party, seven appear on both lists.
The infographic also uses balance in two ways, the first balance is visual, the highest rated companies are listed on top, and the 10th highest rated on bottom. The second is that both sides, Democrat and Republican, are represented, it wouldn't make much of an impact if only one side was shown.
I think this representation is a very interesting way of saying how alike the two groups are. Oftentimes ad hominem arguments are used against one's opposition, and this is showing that though ideals may be different, the two groups are more similar than we think.
ReplyDeleteYour point about how the balance appears both in the visual and in the information is interesting to me--it seems to suggest that they reinforce one another and make the graphic have more impact. I'm wondering, though, what it's intended to show--that Dems and Reps are really very similar? That the small differences are meaningful?
ReplyDeleteHow did they come up with these brands? They seem very random to me, but maybe I'm missing something. I like yours and Kathleen's point about how it shows the similarity between the two groups though. Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteThese are brands that individual members of each party hold in high regard. I think it is just a coincidence that so many appear on both sides, other than the fact that those brands are highly rated by everyone.
DeleteI agree in that this infographic has a strong sense of balance. It is visually appealing which makes it easier for the reader to become engaged and ultimately understand the information better!
ReplyDeleteFor some reason this infographic strikes me as really random. Why compare what brands they use? Is it some kind of tactic? I'm not sure. But, it is nicely done and does implement balance.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kathleen and how interesting it is to see how similar both groups are. Your post uses comparison versus contrast, but it more so shows us the comparison between both parties rather than the comparison. I never thought Republican and Democrats were so similar
ReplyDeleteI find this infographic interesting because under close evaluation, one can almost determine the demographics of the voters for each party. Aside from the stereotype "Republicans prefer FOX", some of the subtle differences may reflect details about the audience (or supporters) of either party. The fact that Obama's highest supporting percentage of voters is in the 18-35 year range is reflected in statistics such as the higher consumption of Cheerios, mostly consumed by young families with toddlers. Also the business with the most democratic users appears to be Google, suggesting perhaps a more technologically-savy, information-seeking student base. Although these may be stretches, for the differences between the brands used by both parties are minor, I find it interesting to dissect reason among the statistics.
ReplyDeleteInteresting in how political ideology can translate to consumer ideology.
ReplyDelete