My husband is in the Jewelery Industry and runs a group called Gen-Next Jewelers. This group focuses on how the internet and social media have changed the jewelery industry forever. The jewelery industry is small and family centered. It was slow to change and is not neccessarily cutting edge in its ability to keep up with how the internet has changed businesses. The group focuses on how ignoring social media can be catastrophic as our culture changes and embraces these new ways of connecting with customers.
Recently, an ad appeared in a local newspaper in St. Paul, Minnisota in which a man held a gun to his head and the caption read, "My God, what have I done?" The ad implied that if you didn't go to the "right" jewelery store, you could get ripped off in buying or selling an engagement ring.
The image caused an uproar, with many stating that, although the intention was to be funny, that the image went too far. The drama spilled over onto the jeweler's Facebook page, where apologies and debate took place.
I find this interesting for a few reasons. One is the idea of an image going too far. Who gets to decide what crosses the line? What IS the line? It seems to be relative, and it depends on the taste of the image's creator. What are the implications for this in terms of the first amendment? This reminded me a little of the article we read in class that I presented about the Danish political cartoons.
I also was captivated by the idea that Facebook could be a public forum for debate and apologies. It's amazing how the internet has democratized our ability to access those whom were formerly inaccessible. Whether it's a store, a CEO (for example, the CEO of Zappos regularly talks with customers via Twitter), or a celebrity, the implications for the images we post and share are immense. More evidence that we truly live in an image culture!
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