Soft Drinks

This map shows how people in different counties in the U.S. refer to soft drinks in general. This map has a more cultural approach since it dives into the realms of each county’s dialect and analyzes how a certain element can be called in different names in relation to place. Up to some extent we can say that most of the factors that influence whether how a county generally calls its soft drink products are greatly influenced by the media. Advertising plays a very substantial role when it comes to the promotion of a product, and in this case we can see that the map is dominated by blue, which in the legend indicates ‘pop’. Therefore we can say that the advertising capacity of this specific soft drink company far exceeds that of the others. This map to me is a very effective means of conveying general information. This map functions with both simplicity and effectiveness, and in that respect it fulfilled some of the most crucial requirements that a good map ought to possess. This map is also very detailed in terms of coverage since it covers the areas by county and not by state, therefore giving its audience a closer look at a larger scale. Obviously the target of this map is the general public. However, we can also see this as a marketing strategy since the “general” terms for soft drinks are actual brand names. And it goes to show that this map may possibly have a powerful leverage when it comes to influencing the preference of its audience, proving that maps can also have such functions that are far beyond its original purpose.

http://www.popvssoda.com/countystats/total-county.html