Social media: The new
hybrid element of the promotion mix
By: W. Glynn Mangold & David J. Faulds
The article starts off by defining
Integrated marketing Communications or IMC as the guiding principle
organizations follow when communicating with their targeted markets. It goes on to that by using this method of
communication organizations attempt to control various elements of promotional
methods such as traditional advertising, personal selling, public relations,
publicity, direct marketing, and sales promotions, in order to look professional
and unified in their communications on the way to achieving objectives set
forth.
Social media, also known as "consumer-generated
media", has changed the way that
tools and strategies are used by organizations.
This form of media creates new sources and ways that consumers learn,
use, and educate each other about an organization, product or brand. The term social media is a blanket term that
includes, blogs, discussion boards, chat rooms, emails from consumers to
consumers, and consumer driven ratings online.
These can also be done on personal pages or company sponsored
pages.
The article goes on to explain that with the explosion of
social media in the 21st century managers and organizations have still failed
to realize the full potential of utilizing social media as a brand management and
promotional tool. The article does not
suggest that organizations move strictly to only using social media as a
marketing tool, but to incorporate it into their already proven strategies
creating a hybrid tool. Justification
being that "Social media is perceived by consumers as a more trustworthy
source of information regarding products and services than corporate-sponsored communications
transmitted via the traditional elements of the promotion mix." Due to
this traditional means on their own have diminished in value in the eyes of
consumers.
In order to do this Organizations must learn to :
In order to do this Organizations must learn to :
1.
Use social media to help shape
discussions and consumer conversations about their brand and product.
2.
Provide networking platforms for
consumers to network with like minded consumers and further the flow of
conversation.
3.
Use blogging and social media sites to
engage customers and promote their brand.
This is twofold as they get feedback from the consumer about their brand
or product and can use this information to transform it into a consumer driven
product.
Organizations
must not abandon traditional methods but use social media as support. They must also provide necessary information
to facilitate these discussions, Be outrageous and creative in order to catch
our attention since we have increasingly short attention spans. Organizations can also support causes that
are important to their market consumers and utilize consumer stories. IMC is a powerful tool since social media is
ever present in our everyday lives. IMC
is no longer has just one avenue to go through, but multiple to use to an
organizations advantage.
The Power of
“Like”:
How Brands Reach (and Influence) Fans Through Social-Media Marketing
By: Andrew Lipsman, Graham Mudd, Mike Rich, & Sean Bruich
As
the title suggests, this article is about the social media platform Facebook
and its usefulness in brand management and promotion. The article starts out by giving some facts
about Facebook such as how it accounts for ninety percent of all activity on
social networking sites, Branded content have many different avenues of use on
Facebook, Facebook users spend more than a quarter of their time on the
newsfeed portion which also means that 4 percent of all internet use is
browsing a Facebook newsfeed. It goes on
to state that users are 40 to 150 times
more likely to consumer branded content on a newsfeed than a brands on fan page
due to other consumers sharing.
The
article then makes a unique distinction with regards potential audiences of branded
content. It identifies 3 types of
audiences of branded content, Fans of brands, Friends of Fans, and Non fans( This
distinction is not made until later in the article). Fans are the easiest to reach and promote to
as they are already fans of the brand, but an important side effect happens in
that friends of fans exposure can be more than the exposure to just fans of the
brand. Friends of fans represent a
larger set of consumers on average and receive exposure by way of their friends
who are fans of a page. This research
means that the more "fans" a brand gets, the more friends of fans can
potentially be reached like a domino effect.
Facebook
has been identified as having two unique consumer experiences of brands. The brand and consumer can now interact with
each other simultaneously and directly and consumers can share a vast amount of
information between each other. Brands
now have the consumers directly at their fingertips and vice versa, which if
used correctly is powerful. The article
offers a great amount of unique research about fans of a brand on Facebook and
what Facebook can do for a brand and organization with regards to promotion and
maintaining a brand. This all shores up
the statement that a brand fan is a powerful tool at the brand's disposal and
can be used to facilitate and reach other non fans or soon to be fans faster
and more efficient than the brand could do traditionally. Coupled by real life stories and testimonials,
this is also a cheaper alternative since most of these postings and
testimonials are free and unsolicited.
Social media and especially Facebook, is still a widely untapped market
than will continue to grow.
Questions
Social media: The new hybrid element of the promotion
mix
1. What are
the risks to using Social Media as a tool?
What can go wrong if not done properly?
2. What
social media brands or pages have you seen that are thought of as too
"gimmicky"?
The Power of “Like”
1. Have you
ever tried a product that a friend recommended or gave testimonial about on
Facebook that you otherwise would not have tried?
2. Do you
think that brands take over your newsfeeds and diminish the value of what
Facebook is all about?
3. Have you
ever left a testimonial or feedback on a brands page? If not why? And if so,
what did you say and did you receive
feedback back from the brand?
1. Social Media is harder to control than something more concrete like a business website. People can post things that are inappropriate and unprofessional on the business page, which bring down the image of the business. If a social media page is not being used properly, it can actually turn people away and become annoyed instead of interested. For example, if I liked a business of Facebook and they made 10 posts a day, I would get very tired of seeing them post. I would probably start skipping over the posts and advertisements because they are too prevalent. Having too many posts is an issue and also too little because people might forget about you, or move on to something new.
ReplyDelete2. Anything that doesn’t have interactions on the page is always a red flag for me because it tells me other people don’t trust it, or that the people behind the page do not care to interact with them. Also if the page is not well put together it brings down the credibility of the page. For example if there are not any pictures, or not enough information in the about section, then personally I don’t view the site as professional as one that would have those details
1. I have not, but I would if it was a close friend. Sometimes people share things or post suggestions because they get points, or something in return for posting. Therefore having someone you trust, or someone you know outside of Facebook post something makes it more believable. I think hearing from people about a product is some of the best advertising. Many people look at reviews before they buy something, and having a close friend suggest something is even better than a review because you know the person, making it more relevant to you. If I saw that one of my friends was using something that I thought about buying, I would feel more inclined to get it because my friend has it and uses it.
2. I don’t see brands taking over my Facebook at all. Therefore I don’t think they have diminished the value of what Facebook is all about. When I do have brands appear I just am so used to seeing them and skipping over them I barely notice they are there. I think Facebook changed tremendously the more it grew, but it was inevitable. When Facebook became so popular and successful, everyone wanted to be a part of it including businesses. Facebook wanted to make money and so did the businesses so it was a win-win that can be expected with almost any social media tool.
3. I have not left feedback or a testimonial on a brands page because I don’t want to put myself out there like that. I don’t like to give anyone on Facebook the idea to creep on me and posting on a brands page that has a many strangers on it would definitely put myself out there. I also don’t like getting a bunch of pointless notifications on Facebook, and if people liked or commented on my feedback I would get very annoyed and probably delete the post However the main reason I do not post is because I don’t like putting my name and face out there.
Social media: The new hybrid element of the promotion mix
ReplyDelete1. Social media as a whole is a great thing. It allows users to share their opinions and things that they like with others. It also allows family and friends to stay connected even when distance is a problem. But using social media as a tool can lead to many problems, if you use social media to support a controversial topic then you can expect a negative response from the supporters of the other side. If you use social media to keep others up to date about your life, this can allow criminals to find out information like when you are on vacation of where you are at which can lead to them breaking into your house. So multiple things can go wrong if it is not used properly allowing people to know your life story opens up the possibilities of stalking and or crimes, the use of social media as a source to support a controversial topic can lead to arrests if it is obscene use of language and you can bet that the opposing side of the topic will lash back as well.
2. In terms of a gimmick website after working for the computer forensic department last summer I have seen my fair share of credit card scammed websites. Basically any web page that is from another country especially China is not safe. Also websites like Facebook the ads that are used on those sites if clicked on will flood your email with spam. There are a lot of web pages that are gimmicky and usually a good way to detect this is if the web page wordings are spelled wrong. Believe it or not if the words look miss spelled or off then don’t use that site.
The power of “Like”
1. Yes I have, I play in a men’s softball league over the summer and I was looking for a new bat. My brother referred me to a new Facebook page that allows people to trade and sell top of the line softball bats. So I did this and got myself a very good bat at a low price.
2. Yes absolutely, my whole news feed is all advertisements that are things that I do not even want to see. Always a new deodorant or cologne, this diminishes the value of Facebook because it takes away the social aspect and now companies are pushing products down your throat.
3. Yes I have, the softball bat company that I mentioned above I left them a great testimonial on their page saying, “it was a great company and easy to use, and I cannot wait to buy my next bat”. They instantly told me thanks and gave me like a 15 percent off coupon.
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ReplyDeleteSocial media: The new hybrid element of the promotion mix
ReplyDelete1. The risks of using Social Media as a tool is that once it is online it is there forever. If not used properly there can be detrimental consequences. I know from personal experience that social media tools can cause great turmoil, my best friend and her husband lost custody of her husband’s kids because the things they would post on her blog about things like the fights they got into and all the drama their lives entailed, which is the main reason they lost custody because of the way they were perceived by the judge.
2. The social media brand I have seen that I thought of as too "gimmicky" is the IPhone 5S this is a phone that is not much different from the other phones apple promotes, but they make it seem like there is something special about it, when in reality the phones are all very similar, this company just wants their customers to continue upgrading to the “Next Best Model”
The Power of “Like”
1. I have never tried a product that a friend recommended or gave testimonial about on Facebook that you otherwise would not have tried, this is because I only have a handful of friends and they are not into the social media revolution they are more into talking on the phone about what they may like or not like.
2. I think brands take over my newsfeeds and diminish the value of what Facebook is all about because I don’t get on Facebook for ads, I get on there to connect with family and to see how people are doing that I went to school with, I hate advertising I don’t buy into it, companies spend so much money on advertising that could be going to people in need, I find it repulsive.
3. I have never left a testimonial or feedback on a brands page, because I have no time to tell some stranger about my experiences, or about the products I use, nor do I have the time to just leave a testimonial, I have better things to do like spend time with my kids or do homework.
1. The risks of using social media as a tool are good and bad. The good being a platform that customers can discuss, evaluate, and voice opinions on a product or business. If a business uses social media well (reaches out to customers with negative experiences, distribute freebies and coupons or interact with customers) I believe that a product/business will thrive. The bad in using social media can consist of no interaction with customers, too much advertising, and inappropriate content from users. If the use of social media is not done properly the idea using it as a platform to promote and expand a product or business is completely lost.
ReplyDelete2. I think that most facebook pages that are made to promote a new videogame or console are generally very gimmicky and over the top. In my opinion these pages make far too many updates and try (too hard at times) to promote and involve fans. Some interaction is needed between the brand the fans but too much will result people turning away.
1. I have tried a product that a friend recommended. I received a coupon to try a new waterproof bandage from facebook. I did not leave a testimonial but I did use word of mouth to express that I was happy with a the free sample and would recommend them to others.
2. I think that some brands absolutely take over feeds and diminish the value of what facebook is about. It's nice that users have the ability to hide updates from companies but having to do so diminishes the value of facebook.
3. I personally have never left a testimonial or feedback on a brand page. I have always had the thought that if I genuinely like a product it would much more resourceful to praise it by word of mouth rather than leaving feedback or a testimonial on a fan page.
Social Media: The new hybrid element of the Promotion Mix
ReplyDelete1. The risk of using social media as a tool is that random people can post on it, and they can post innapropriate or vulger comments if they are not happy with the product or company. Once those comments are on the site, they are there forever and anyone can see them. Another problem risk of using social media as a tool is that the company or brand can over do the posting and advertising. If every time you get on your FB profile you see ten or twelve posts from one company, then that would get annoying and most people would just start ignoring it and avoiding the company all together.
2. I find that Facebook is becoming too "gimmicky." With all the ads tailored to each user, I feel that I am being sold as a product and not valued as a user. Sometimes it can be okay that I get so many ads, whether it be for an actual product or just to "like" a certain page, but it gets to the point that I don't want to "like" any more pages, because it's too much. My whole newsfeed gets blocked up with ads and updates from bands and companies trying to sell me.
The power of "like"
1. I have not. Although one of my close friends recently recommended spotify to me. I asked him about it, because I always see on FB that he is on it, and he recommended I check it out. I have not tried it yet, but I would not have ever thought about using it, if I had not seen it and asked about it.
2. To an extent I do think that brands take over my newsfeed. But I would probably rather see advertisements from pages that I have liked, instead of seeing a bunch of unoriginal statuses about what is going on, or seeing who has drama with who. It does get annoying when certain pages are linked together and I get the same notification in my newsfeed three different times from three different sites. But I think the point of FB is to be able to follow things that interest you, and you wouldn't "like" different pages if they were of no interest to you.
3. I have never left a testimonial on a brands page. I feel that you should know what kind of product you are getting through the brand that you are getting it from, so there should be no need for a testimonial. For example, I play drums and follow different drum brands on FB. Each brand or company specializes in different products, and as a seasoned drummer I know which companies have better quality products, and it is almost common sense in the music community. I do not need to go leave a comment for them saying "great product" when I most likely won't get any feedback and almost everyone knows that they have a great quality product.
Social Media: The new hybrid element of the promotion mix
ReplyDelete1. There are a lot of risks that can come from Social Media. A few are that your message might not even get to the person intended for the product. There are a lot of different products that can be shown to the person of interests. I know from my own personal experience that I ignore 90% of adds that I see on facebook or whatever social media that I use. I’m no there to see the ads for items, I am there to see my friends and look at other interesting things. Some of the things that can go wrong are the message getting mixed or taken the wrong way. Pages can get ignored or not found completely and that would be a huge waste of money for the company. The message might not get across to the consumers and that’s a marketing ploy that is dead. If the page owners don’t have the right setting established, people can come in and troll or flame the comments, thus turning people away. They could over post which would also turn people away because they would get tired of seeing it.
2. I feel as though that any major group like Microsoft or Apple’s social media presses is way too gimmicky. If you are a company that the majority of the users of the social media tool are using to see it, there is no point to it. On facebook they have ads that are tailored to each specific user. Knowing this, I ignore the ads I see and so do most of the people who see them. If I want something, I will go out and look for it myself. It feels like they are pushing their product on me which ends up pushing me away.
The power of “Like”
1. Yes, I have. It was a while ago and it was Minecraft. Prior to having bought the game, I knew about it but I didn’t feel the need to go out and purchase it. I looked into buying it but with a price tag of 20$ I decided that I didn’t need it that badly. A few months later my best friend told me he was playing this cool game that was like Legos but a game. It turned out to be Minecraft which then got my interest again. Since my friend was playing it I was able to see how it was, and it took me about two days to convince myself that I wanted to buy this game and play it.
2. Yes, well kind of. I use the game service Steam for my computer gaming needs. On the service you are able to leave a recommendation or feedback about the game. When I am playing a game with my friends I am able to let them know that I like it and why I liked it. I talked about all of the fun things you can do in the game and why they should buy it and play it. No I didn’t get feedback from the brand. It would be cool if I did though.
Social Media
ReplyDelete1. There are going to be risks when using social media. If you are trying to promote something it will probably be a little challenging to spread the word through some sort of message or on a page. I know when i get emails or posts i usually delete them right away without actually really reading it. Social media is a great way to get your message out instantly. To properly have your post or messaging looked at you should be creative and grab their attention.
2.What i see that tends to be too gimmicky is the Kia Soul car commercial because they really try to grab your attention and the dancing hamsters are fun to watch but they also incorporate a popular song by Lady Gaga which they are kind of promoting both products in one commercial.
The power of Like
1.I saw this Facebook ad about lifeproof phone cases that i normally wouldn't pay $80 for but everyone kept telling me it is the best phone case to get because it actually works. So i bought it and put it in water for 30 minutes and the life proof case stayed dry.
2.I do think at times that brands do take over what Facebook is actually intended for. Facebook is used to keep in contact with friends and family but lately it has just been about advertising. When you go from page to page the ads change to what your interested in.
3.I have not left a testimonial on a page just because it seems like a waste of time if i am in the middle of something. I do appreciate when people write what they think of a certain product because that is one way i decide if it is worth buying.