Some people are offended when marketers refer to an event such as the Super Bowl as sacred. Explain how the concept of sacred in consumer behavior is both the same and different from the concept of sacred in a traditional religious context

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

In marketing, an event, place, or person becomes sacred because it is "set apart" from normal activities and begins to be treated with some degree of respect or awe. There are numerous reasons why this may happen, religion being only one of many. There is nothing in the definition that refers to specific or historical religious events, places, or persons. The term as utilized, however, does have similarities with religious feelings. A "sacred" object in religion is treated as very special. It is handled with care and given special packaging considerations. This is also true of sacred objects in marketing. Religious people would be offended if a sacred object was treated casually, or if someone made light of it. The same is generally true with a sacred object in marketing. The manner in which society reacts to Elvis Presley or Princess Diana is quite similar to how a saint would be treated by a religious person.
The two concepts are different in that a sacred object need not have religious connections of any kind. Even those who react to an event like the Super Bowl as a sacred occasion may be offended if the suggestion is made that the event has religious overtones for the person.