Marketing to today's youth

Today's youth brings about a whole new world of marketing. They have grown up always using a remote control to their televisions, they have listened to their music with cds and most use a computer for more than just homework. According to our week 7 lesson, 96 percent of children between the ages of 8 and 18 have been online at least once and spend an average of more than one hours each day using a computer on top of their schoolwork, with 48 minutes of that bein online. Amazingly, 54 percent of all young people use computers for recreation, compared to 85 percent who listen to music and 81 percent who watch television (Ramos, 2008).

With these statistics, I am looking forward to this week's lesson as I have two stepchildren, 14 and 17. From my observations, the 14 year old girl is much more active with computers with a MySpace page, iTunes for her iPod, not to mention her texting on her cell phone. These are all characteristics of a typical girl her age. In fact, last night, I took her to pick up a friend for a sleepover and the entire trip, neither one of them spoke as they were texting in the car, while listening to their iPods.

A report by the MacArthur Foundation reports that youth find the digital world creates new opportunities for them to explore interests, develop technical skills, and experiment with new forms of self-expression, which have captured their teens' attention because they provide avenues for extending social avenues, self-directed learning and independence (Ito, M., et al, 2008).

So as we start this week's lessons, I will be sure to relate my stepchildren's habits to the lesson and look forward to reporting what I learn.

Reference:

IMC 619 Week 7 (2008). The Young and the REST, but not LESS: Targeting Youth and Multicultural Audicencs wtih Emerging Media. West Virginia University.

Digital Youth Research (2008). Final Report on Our Findings. Retrieved on November 29, 2008, from http://digitalyouth.ischool.berkeley.edu/.

No time for Popcorn with Short Films

So, after watching my first short film commercial, I am still not really sure what to think about them. I mean I found it entertaining, but still I am having thoughts on the use of them. The one I watched was titled, Last Night. It was a Ritz Carlton/American Express short film and told of a groom on the night before his wedding. You can view it here: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Films/Films.htm

Ritz Carlton is targeting a younger audience with the disposable income to stay with the hotel chain. There was only one time when a brand name was shown and was for American Express. Unless you had seen the Ritz Carlton website or the title of the short film on YouTube, you would not have known that it was the Ritz Carlton hotel.

So, my question is, where do these fit in the IMC mix? I mean, paying for a 10 minute commercial would quite expensive. Through some virile marketing where people go out in search of the short film would then prove to be a marketing success. With this campaign, it was one of three that Ritz Carlton produced. Emails were probably sent to loyalty club member s and since it was in partnership with American Express, cardholders probably heard about them also.

I think these are innovative ways to market their services and products but I believe they need to market these films to spread the word about them.

Short Films Show Cinematic Sides of Business

This week in IMC 619, we are discussing short films as a form of new media. I have to admit that that I hadn’t heard much of this subject, but I found it intriguing.

It’s amazing how the Internet has played such an integral role in new media. But then again, the Internet is a new medium with what seems to have limitless possibilities.

With short films, there are six elements to a successful campaign – hero, wants, action, conflict, climax and resolution (Ramos, 2008). Short films also must have a distinct focus, have a sense of freshness, simplicity, show conflict, and appear to be a film.

In 2001, BMW broke out in the short film business with an Internet-based short film titled, The Hire. With more than 100 million views it was and still is considered one of the most original and creative ideas. With its success, judges at the Cannes Film Festival created a new award for innovative advertising, the Titanium Lion (Ramos, 2008). To view the BMW short film, The Hire, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i2m7W1CR3w

It seems just when we have seen and heard it all, here comes another form of advertising. It will be interesting to see what new form of advertising will be the latest and greatest in ten years.

Marketing on the Go

This week, our new media class studied and discussed mobile marketing and its quick rise in popularity. It seems that everyone these days have has a cell phone with email, Internet and texting capabilities and which is opening a new medium. Now, marketers can reach us anywhere at anytime. When we're on vacation, at work and even when we wake up in the morning.

Is it invading our privacy? Well, most of the time we are giving these marketers permission to contact us when we opt-in and give them our email addresses and from time to time, our cell phone numbers.

An example I provided in our class was receiving dinner specials from Olive Garden during the holiday period of Black Friday to the Decembe 23. Imagine, shopping in the evening and you receive a text message of a special of 10 percent off your total bill from Olive Garden, good for dining in and or carry out, the message also gives you the phone number and address of your closest restaurant. All you have to do is place your order and and show them the text message to receive your discount. Dinner is ready and the family is happy.

Clearly, mobile marketing is up and coming and we are only touching the tip of the iceberg.

Mining for Data Can Lead to Gold!

Have you ever wondered how direct marketers know so much about you? How they know that are in the market for a particular product or service at a particular time? Data mining can be a gold mine for a direct marketer. But it can also be considered an invasion of privacy.

With data mining, a person viewing a website has a number assigned or a cookie placed, in his/her hard drive so a company can track the sites he/she is visits. This gives marketers information about that person, the sites they visit and what they are spending their money on. With this information, marketers can learn if they are in the target market for their product or service. They can personalize their message just for you. And in the end, a consumer/business relationship can begin and flourish.

However, not everyone sees it as rosy as above. Some believe it is an invasion of privacy. Some believe that if consumers are being tracked online, then they would not act themselves.

An implication that marketers need to consider is the relationship with the customer. Afterall, building a relationship is more beneficial than a one shot purchase. The relationship builds loyalty, but if a customer learns his viewing habits are being tracked, that relationship can be severed. The ball is in the consumer's court and the marketer needs to realize that.

What are your thoughts on data mining?

Youths and their contribution to our economy

Many in the professional world believe that internet advertising targets children too much while others say that targeting children via the web is today's version of Saturday morning advertising. Some critics want restrictions placed on marketers when marketing food and beverages, believing online marketing is contributing to today's childhood obesity epidemic.

Classmates of mine all had to visit different websites that targeted children, such as Barbie, Ringling Brothers, Disney and more. Opinions crossed the spectrum for different sites but one this is for sure, marketers are targeting children and in a big way.

The buying power of today’s youth is stronger than ever. According to a report by Harris Interactive, kids have tremendous buying power and that 15 percent of their spending is done online (iMedia Connection, 2007). With youths spending this amount online, advertisers need to go where they are.

With more and more kids going online, this new medium has a great influence on their buying behavior. In an article printed in the New York Post, it states that 50 percent of teens said their electronics purchases were influenced by Internet advertising, compared with about 42 percent for broadcast and cable TV (NY Post.com, 2008). With a majority of their buying is done online, To me, this tells me one thing - the internet is a powerful tool for marketers.

iMedia Connection (2007). Study Shows Buying Power of Youth. Retrieved on November 12, 2008, from http://www.imediaconnection.com/news/1985.asp.

NY Post (2008). REACH KIDS BEFORE THE SCHOOL BELL RINGS. Retrieved on November 12, 2008, from http://www.nypost.com/seven/07262007/business/reach_kids_before_the_school_bell_rings_business_holly_m__sanders.htm.

Cnet News (2008). Protecting kids from online food ads. Retrieved on November 12, 2008, from http://news.cnet.com/Protecting-kids-from-online-food-ads/2100-1025_3-6184479.html.

A Blog About Blogging

This week in our IMC 619 class the main topic of conversation was blogging. We were each asked to find a company's unofficial blog, describe it, and explain how marketers could use such information for their products or services.

The blog I selected was Coca Cola Conversations authored by a gentleman who has served as Coke's historian for nearly 30 years. Others chose blogs regarding Disney, Blackberry, WalMart and even Notre Dame.

I have to admit that at the beginning of this class I truly wondered what the big deal was about blogging. I read where this phenomonen was growing by leaps and bounds. In fact, our professor's lesson states that there are more than 77 MILLION blogs in existence and approximately 120,000 new blogs created daily (Ramos, 2008)!!

Blogs are now becoming more of an integral part of an IMC campaign. They provide a direct communications with current and possibly new customers. Marketers can read and learn consumers' likes, dislikes, problems and suggestions of their products and services, take them to heart and see it through the consumers' eyes.

While blogging is still not considered part of the mainstream marketing campaign, I can see it growing and expanding in the future.

Reference:

Lesson 3 (2008) Creating Buzz: Viral Marketing, Crowdsourcing & Blogs. Retrieved on November 6, 2008 from https://ecampus.wvu.edu/webct/urw/lc5116001.tp0/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct

It's Election Night!

This is an exciting night for our country. No matter who you support, this is the day we, as Americans, get to exercise our right and privilege to vote. What a change not only in our country, but in the way our results are getting to us. Looking at MSNBC's website, we can get the widget of our country's map that will detail how the election is going. Four years ago, widgets were something you studied in Econ 101!! Blogs are furiously being written to stay current. Emails are flying. Citizens can contribute their stories of election day to their favorite news site.

The new and emerging media is certainly being showcased on an evening such as this. But we all noticed it in the past few months. Emails announcing who their running mates were. Campaigns now rely on the new media to reach the masses faster and more efficient. Social networks got in on the action by urging its members to vote. On Facebook, members could "donate their status" to remind their friends of election day and show their support for their favorite candidate.

Marketers are rewarding us for our votes as well. On my Facebook page, I learned I could go to Ben and Jerry's and receive a free ice cream cone. I could visit Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and receive a red, white and blue star shaped doughnut and to finish out my free election meal, I could go to Starbucks for a hot cup of coffee. But it was Ben and Jerry's who advertised this special on Facebook. If there are any MySpace users, I wonder if marketers used this social network as well.

Clearly, with new media emerging, election campaigns is using these new mediums to get their messages out to the masses.

Clearly, this night is showing how far we have come with new and emerging media.