NEW YORK
--For only $29.99, you too can be a part of history. Under PulseTV.com's great gifts suggestions, consumers may buy their very own World Trade Center Commemorative Pin cast from a hand-carved mold. "The tragic events of 9/11 will certainly not be forgotten and this exclusive offering will be a family heirloom for years to come," the site boasts. Satisfied customers also can purchase an American Flag mouse pad for $4.99 and a limited edition FDNY baseball cap for $9.98.
Less than a year after the attacks, Amazon.com boasts 699 product entries under the keyword "September 11." From books to CDs and documentaries, companies recognize that there's a demand for such products, yet they face the challenge of marketing products while remaining sensitive to the events of Sept. 11.
"Companies need to treat the situation with the utmost reverence," said David Mick, Robert Hill Carter professor of marketing and editor of Consumer Research. "That means they should not exploit images of suffering or destruction from the event, and they should strive to share a large measure of their profits with reputable organizations that are working to relieve suffering and loss related to the attacks."
Because businesses recognize the fine line they must toe between making a profitable product while remaining sensitive to the event itself, many companies avoid mentioning Sept. 11 entirely.
For example, Southwest Airlines' call for consumers to return to air travel mere weeks after attacks struck some as insensitive, yet it was a risk that paid off -- Southwest carried on its operations relatively unscathed.
Nevertheless, many companies have steered clear of Sept. 11 sales ploys entirely, instead offering messages of solidarity and patriotic gestures as American corporations.
"The problem is that, even with the best of intentions, any business that touches events of Sept. 11 is playing with fire and the risk of such actions being misinterpreted are relatively high," Commerce Prof. James E. Burroughs said.
Street vendors at Ground Zero, however, seem quick to exploit the sentimental leanings of tourists who frequent the area. Along the avenues surrounding the World Trade Center site, vendors have abandoned hocking imitation Kate Spade purses to visitors. Instead, they peddle memories of Sept. 11, including picture books chronicling American Flight 11's and United Flight 175's collision into the Twin Towers. For $5.95, visitors can buy an album of photos detailing the horror of those running from the area and the heroism of rescue squads on the scene.
"I am very sad about the attacks, but I am just selling the things people want to buy," New York vendor Salvador Malverde said. "Doing this helps me make money and feed my family. I'm not doing anything wrong."
Visitors coming to pay their respects at the site find themselves browsing through the merchandise displayed on portable card tables and, more often than not, walk away with photos, books, T-shirts, magazines, pins and postcards of the WTC.
Tourists "say to themselves 'I just can't believe this happened' and things like that," Malverde said. "They'll usually end up buying something."
The tourists themselves offer various reasons for what draws them to the remembrance merchandise.
"Looking through all this just reminds me of what happened, where I was, what I was doing," said Lynne Samuels of Houston as she paid $7 for a shirt reading "United We Stand" set against the backdrop of the towers. "I know I don't need this, but it helps me feel a part of it all somehow."
Indeed, the communal desire for patriotism and solidarity spurs a great deal of the demand for commemorative mementos as a way to show support for the victims of Sept. 11, New York, Washington and America itself.
"Events like these don't leave much room in the middle," said Paul W. Farris, Darden Landmark Communications professor of business administration. "If you are either 'with us' or 'against us,' this kind of merchandise gives people the opportunity to make their sentiments known."
With Americans feeling a sincere sense of shared loss, both in terms of lives and national innocence, businesses can help faciliate those sentiments to help the victims of the attacks in addition to communicating and reinforcing national solidarity against terrorism, Mick said.
Perhaps the most successfully marketed product resulting from the nation's restored sense of patriotism is demonstrated by the ubiquitous displaying of the American flag.
On the day of the attacks, Wal-Mart sold 116,000 flags, and retailers nationwide quickly caught on, selling Americana items throughout the year.
"The flag is one of the most powerful and visible symbols of our culture and our country, and symbols are very important in helping maintain and direct culture," Burroughs said. "Seeing the flag displayed by others assures us that we are united and share a common goal, that we do not face this threat alone"
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