Marketers get to us in more ways

— -- It's marketing mayhem out there. It's subtle. It's subversive. And it's murky, says journalist Rob Walker, who writes the weekly "Consumed" column for The New York Times Magazine. And murky is a stealthy way to sell, he reveals in his new book, Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are.

Most people say that brands and logos mean nothing to them. They say they buy things based on a handful of factors — experience, recommendations from friends, price, convenience, quality and pleasure. And sometimes, for ethical reasons.

Walker isn't buying it. "There are probably more pretty good products being sold in America now than at any time in history. This is a tribute to progress, but it both complicates our decision making as consumers," he writes, and makes it difficult for one product to stand out.

As a result, people are creating their own brands and participating in marketing campaigns for their favorite products. Motivated consumers are even creating Internet video ads and becoming loyal word-of-mouth agents for their brand du jour.

"Everybody sees right through traditional advertising. You'd have to be an idiot not to recognize that you're being pitched to when watching a 30-second commercial," Walker writes.

The rise of 'murketing'

But contrary to the belief that today's short-attention-span consumer is impervious to marketing, and that big brands no longer matter, Walker argues that marketing methods are stronger than ever, just harder to spot.

It's what he calls "murketing," and it's omnipresent.

"We live in a world defined by more commercial messages, not fewer." They range from deals to place products and brand mentions in movies, computer games, comic books and cult online Web video shows. Dunkin' Donuts recruits teens to wear temporary tattoos of its logo on their foreheads. Toyota bankrolls underground club parties. And so on.

Walker fills his richly reported book with insights from cutting-edge marketers, entrepreneurs and artists. He clearly has clocked some time delving into case studies of resurging old brands such as Timberland and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, as well as hot-selling energy drink Red Bull and Lance Armstrong's Livestrong bracelet.