Example of Virile Marketing

While we are looking at social networking sites this week and how the youth use them, I have seen something that started out as an idea and will actually come to fruition this weekend. Back in September, I, along with a few other friends RSVP’d to an invitation on FaceBook about attending White Night. White Night started out as an idea to pay tribute to WVU’s quarterback Pat White and all he has done for WVU’s football program over the past four years – two BCS bowl wins, a Gator Bowl win, and more. The promoters for this idea want everyone who plans to attend the South Florida game this Saturday night in Morgantown to wear white or wave a white towel.

Anyway, now, it seems the idea is catching on. About a month ago, it was mentioned here in our local paper’s sports section and again just this morning. The marketing department at WVU’s Department of Athletics has paying attention to the idea and plan to advertise it heavily days before the game. And, now it official - fans are encouraged to wear white and now the team will switch from its conventional dark home uniforms to wear white also.

This is just one example as to how social networking can team up with virile marketing can get a simple idea of one person’s to become popular and influence 65,000 of your closest friends to get in board and do it. Here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=49262200896

And here are a couple of links from the newspapers’ sports sections: http://www.wvgazette.com/Sports/WVU/200812010797; http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08334/931709-100.stm?cmpid=news.xml;

After reading some of our readings outside of our lesson this week, I see many similarities between my stepkids and my husband. In one article, For Toddlers, A World Laden with Advertising, it describes the relationship my husband has with his teenaged kids. According the article, the Western International Media divided parents into different categories and I would say he fall into the “Conflicted” as he is the divorced father whose purchasing behavior is brought on by guilt (Masters, 2006). The article also notes that a survey of 750 kids between the ages of 12 and 17 found that kids may ask an average of nine times before the parent gives in. I have to admit, I have seen this done in my household. It may not happen in one hour, but spread out throughout the day until finally, he gives in.

Marketing to teens has been truly interesting to observe over the week. Texting is the new communication for teens and most of what I have observed, and use the internet as a way to retrieve information, entertainment and more.

As I mentioned in my last entry, my stepdaughter is more versed in the digital media than her brother. She uses text messaging on her cell phone, she has a MySpace page (protected), and goes online outside of homework daily.

A few years ago, while I worked at the WV Dept. of Education, all staff attended a three day professional development event on 21st Century Learning. There we learned how the brains of today’s kids are actually networked to learn differently than ours are. We also learned that members of our generation are known as Digital Immigrants as we have had to migrate towards and learn of this new world of communication and technology. We also learned that today’s youth are known as Digital Natives in that this new age is all they have ever known.

So, with today’s new marketing, it only seems to target today’s youth with the medium that they utilize the most just as we were targeted on Saturday morning’s on television.

Reference:

NPR (2006) Foro Toddler, a World Laden with Advertising. Retrieved on December 4, 2008, from www.npr.or/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5569423.