Made to Break Analysis Page 1-81

              Made to Break by Giles Slade analyzes the introduction of advertizing and obsolescence into American production. Thanks to industrialization, products were being manufactured at much faster rate than ever before. At times the amount of inventory was overwhelming because production was much higher than consumer demand. This issue led to the implementation of effective marketing strategies and advertizing campaigns to get their name known and have a loyal costumer base. Another problem was distribution. In order to combat this issue, highways were built and cheap, reliable railroads were used. Also during this time, manufacturers began making products based on planned obsolescence, which guaranteed that they would have returning costumers and a constant inflow of revenue. Companies created products, at reasonable costs, that would be used once and then be thrown away. Popular examples used in the book were Yankee watches, Gillette Razors, and disposable clothing. Yankee watches were cheap and the consumer preferred to just buy a new watch when it broke instead of sending away for a “free” new one. Razors got dull after a few uses and had to be sharpened often. Gillette came up with the idea of disposable razors that were cheap and could be thrown away after use. Disposable clothes made out of paper were also very popular at the time, since laundry was not so convenient, especially for men. They would wear paper cuffs and collars and just throw them out when they got dirty. This sales strategy was very effective and people were willing to spend the money to buy new products that were more convenient for them. Another type of obsolescence was progressive obsolescence, first coined by Justus George Frederick. Progressive obsolescence was the idea that products should constantly be traded in after a short period of time, more for new style, then waiting for them to break. This was a very affective strategy and people were drawn to the idea.

             Obsolescence is key in the production industry. As consumers we are always looking for the next best thing and often buy new products way before they have reached their end of use. We often trade in our cell phones at the end of our contract to get an upgrade even though our old one might work perfectly well. We also are constantly getting new electronics, such as iPods, whenever a new model comes out. We fall for the marketing strategies and clever packaging every time.