How Social Media has Impacted Marketing

Social media is a rather new form in which we market our products.  One could even argue that it is one of the most effective ways we do so as well.  Although it is relatively new, it is also one of the fastest growing ways in which we market in history.  Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and the like are examples of social media sites that practice advertising on their pages.  In this post I will talk about how social media advertisements started and how it applies to marketing today.

http://justmedia.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/social-media1.png

Huge social media sites today did not always have advertisements in their early stages.  However, in order to employ the number of people required to run an operation large enough to sustain such a site, it is necessary to have quick ways to make money.  Advertisements are set up on sites so that companies can pay for different magnitudes to which their ads reach.  When businesses first began advertising on social media sites, it was a gamble on their part.  People were skeptical about it, and thought that it would take away from the experience of the sites.  But ,any advertisements have proven to be very successful.  Aside from ads you see in the margins of your facebook page the most successful type of ads are videos/commercials.  It is easy to say the YouTube is the home to most of these advertisements and can be easily found.  

Here is a video of one of the most watched commercials online of the year, and with its attached hash tag; #FriendsAreWaiting, which has generated a large number of responses to the commercial.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eubWYPhcEEo&t=21   

YouTube gets paid for every commercial that it runs before their youtube videos, and millions of these videos are being played everyday.  There is also now technology being developed where search engines such as google are able to memorize what it is you are looking for and suggest similar or related products.  This is a whole new level of marketing as now companies are able to see trends and know what the consumer is going to like.  Then companies will adjust their marketing strategies accordingly.  Pricing is especially important for social media sites because it is going to be the first thing, aside from the product, that the customer is going to look at.  

When I am scrolling on Facebook, very often I will come across for an item I had viewed on an online store.  This is an example of the same technology discussed previously.  But it is not only Facebook that is partaking in this, it is almost every popular social media website out there. 

http://idaconcpts.com/wp-content/facebook-ads.gif

The picture above discusses one of the reasons why advertising via social media, and specifically Facebook, can be beneficial.  Most companies these days have their own, if not several Facebook pages, because it is a direct way to keep in contact with your customers and be able to advertise to them in a much more efficient way.  

Social media is one of the most accessible and quickly growing forms of advertising and it is what is going to be adopted for generations to come.  Use of social media is a great tool to stay in touch with customers on an individual basis and is also a great way to collect data and information about what exactly customers want,  but what certain customers tend to purchase or relatable products.  

   

Here is a quick video that gives a detailed explanation of how advertising on Facebook can benefit a business.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzIkKOlaAxU

  

How TV Revolutionized Marketing

Since the beginning of television commercials in 1941, TV has been one of the most pivotal ways in which we market products and services since the start of advertising.  Being that almost every American home has a television it makes it one of the easiest ways to advertise a product to every family across the country.  Today I will discuss how and why TV has made such a major impact in our world of business and how it will affect marketing in the future.

 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/RCA_630-TS_Television.jpg

The first television commercial commercial aired in 1941 and was only ten seconds long.  With a picture of a clock and a logo, the voice in the background says, "America runs on Bulova Time."  Since that very simple TV ad, commercials have become more creative and effective.  The following are examples of an old commercial and a more recent one.  

*Sorry it's not embedded, sight wasn't allowing it*

(1951)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3U-FdtrZ_Y 

(2015)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHpt2MPcIqM

Aside from the obvious visual advancements commercials have changed in other ways as well.  In the first commercial, Ford is advertising how durable their 1951 cars are and targeting families, where as In 2015 they are selling more of the look and performance of the car and most likely targeting urban commuters.  This is just a quick example of how television ads have changed over time. 

TV's themselves have changes over time as well.  From the first box TV to the flat screen and now to these slightly curved televisions.     

http://216.7.174.214/6EuIe7oEiI/M280131.1.jpg                                   http://www.samsung.com/us/glossary/img/LED800065.png   

http://media3.onsugar.com/files/2014/01/06/985/n/1922507/82c16ff82bc6406c_Curved_UHD_U9000__Front_re.jpg.xxxlarge_2x.jpg

I remember when my family first bought a flat screen TV.  I was so excited to be able to start watching things in High Definition.  In the coming years, we are going to be completely converted to HD and it will be interesting to see what effects TV's and commercials are going to have in the next ten years, and if and how the new curved TV's will have any affect.  The way that these televisions have looked also coincide with the style of the furniture in homes.  Flat screens fit with most contemporary furniture, while these curved televisions might go a little better with what style of furniture is going to be around in five or ten years.      

As televisions became more common to own, they continued to grow as the best way to reach the most Americans.  Over the course of the past 60 years commercials have also grown from boring two minute infomercials to creative and sometimes entertaining clips about products.  Commercials have even been integrated into one of the most popular holiday cultures every year, The Superbowl!  I personally look forward to seeing the commercials on Superbowl Sunday because some are very funny and witty.   

These instrumental entertainment systems have forever changed the way in which we advertise products.  With the advancements of color and technology watching TV has become as realistic and clear as human vision.  Older televisions had a very grainy picture and it was somewhat distorted. Just as televisions have changed in style, so have commercials, keeping up with what is current and going to be most popular.  Televisions can be found anywhere, in gyms, restaurants, offices and so on.  The reason why TV ads get results is because Americans are constantly looking at a screen.

Thanks to all of you who take the time to read these posts, please look out for future ones!     

Reviewing the Radio and its Influence on Marketing

The radio is a method of marketing that has been around for decades.  When advertisements began to be integrated into radio shows, marketing became possible on a whole new, and much larger scale.  For the first time in history, information about products could reach large amounts of people and would be more effective than any other form of advertising before it.  The radio also plays a large role in advertising today, however, other techniques have been developed that are arguably better than the radio, such as social media and TV.

"In the 1930's consumers were hit with a growth in radio advertisements.  Advertisements actually aided in the growth of the radio itself" (...Radio).  It was ideas introduced during this period that drove the radio to become what it is today.  Back in the day, radio shows would advertise products in the middle of broadcasts and get paid for doing so.  Since then, the shows today will take a break from their broadcasts to go to a commercial made by the company of the product being advertised.  This is what marketing has developed into in reference to the radio.

 

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2014/02/interactive-radio-history-201421310356539864.html

The radio is a good source for advertising products that don't necessarily need to be seen.  Most of the time goods are better marketed over TV and services are more suited for radio.  Knowing this can be beneficial to companies that utilize radio for advertisement because consumers want to see what they are buying.  If they can't see what is being advertised they wont be interested.  Most of the time, radio advertisement target commuters and people that spend a lot of time of in their cars, such as stay at home mom's and other demographics.

This form of communication is a really good source for conveying the 4 p's of Marketing, however, it is not affective in displaying what a product looks like.  This is why TV and internet are more efficient means of advertisement in this day and age.  They are able to reach more people and are the most popular forms of entertainment.  However, radio gets the job done and is still used by businesses everywhere.

There are some companies that are even trying to incorporate both the use of radio and internet in an effort to market their products.  Pandora is an example of an online radio that has short advertisements in between every so many songs.  Youtube is another example of this, however, it does not carry out the standard radio format.  The listener has control, which is why they are so successful.

                 http://www.markramseymedia.com/2011/05/yes-pandora-is-radio/               http://bgr.com/2014/09/02/best-new-youtube-features/

The radio reaches millions of people everyday and it is more affordable than TV ads.  With a strong radio campaign, a business can have success and an increase in customers coming through the doors for their product.  Radio has been very influential in advertising and continues to play a major role in the field of marketing.

Thank you guys for taking the time to read my posts, please stay tuned for further posts about marketing and the different ways companies advertise.     

Sources:

History of Advertising: Golden Age of Radio, (...Radio).
http://historyofads.the-voice.com/golden-age-of-radio

Successful Branding

Sometimes the success of a business stems from how you decide to brand your product and company.  Branding is "the way in which an organization uses a name, phrase, design, symbol, or combination of these to identify its products and distinguish them from those of competitors" (Marketing, 278).  The way in which a company brands itself can have either a negative or positive effect and once a brand is established it is usually extremely difficult to un-brand or re-brand itself.  We will take a closer look at some companies who have good and bad reputations with their brands, and some possible causes for their success or failure.

Kleenex is probably one of the most successful companies at branding its product.  When you think about it, a lot of people have become accustomed to saying, "May I have a Kleenex?" over, "May I have a tissue?"  This is because Kleenex has a firm establishment in the tissue industry, "partly because tissues were trademarked 'Kleenex' in 1924" (Kleenex).  When a company such as this one has a clear purpose and goal, it is not as hard for them to establish brand recognition or a name for themselves.  

There are also endless examples of companies that crash and burn because of the brand they are attempting to establish for themselves.  When a name is established that sends a message that is anything less than positive, it will most likely ruin the reputation of the company.  The picture below is of the product of a soda pop company who's name seems to be unconventional.  This product would be a failure for obvious reasons.  Nobody wants to drink any liquid out of a bottle that says "pee" on it.  This is a perfect example of a company failing due to branding.
 

Some companies have more success than others when it comes to branding.  Organizations such as Apple, and Rolex have developed more than just recognition but have also established brand equity.  This is " the added value a brand-name gives to a product to be on the functional benefits provided" (Marketing).  When products are bought as status symbols they have gained a certain equity.  For example, fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton, Versace, and Gucci are all bought due to their high quality, but especially because they act as a status of wealth.

              

Despite some common misconceptions branding is not so much about the brand itself but more about how that brand pops out at, sticks with, and resonates with consumers.  Its all about the impression left with potential consumers and how those impressions are going to influence potential customer behavior.  The following video talks about what exactly branding is and how we use all forms of communication in order support it.

Branding is a method of marketing and when executed successfully can establish a business that is in a new league so to speak.  Presentation applies to all of the 4 p's of Marketing.  Branding can have a huge impact on the success of a company.  How a company presents itself to the public has a major effect on how consumers behave in relation to the business.

Please stay tuned for my next blog post which will discuss how the radio has influenced marketing in the past and today.

Sources:

"The Kleenex Brand Story" (Kleenex)
https://www.kleenex.com/BrandStory.aspx



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