An Old Buzzword Is Back: Bargains

New York Times, October 24, 2008 — As the year began, consumers started to see a trickle of advertisements that played up brand value rather than attributes like status or prestige. As the economy worsened in the spring and summer, the trickle became a torrent.

Now, as the crisis in finance continues, a veritable tidal wave of ads devoted to saving money is washing over the country.

Marketing textbooks suggest, however, that a focus in the short term on pinching pennies could in the long run have a deleterious effect on the images of brands or products by cheapening them.