"Buy the Way…" Insights on Integrated Marketing Communication

I admit that I often get sucked into the technophile sphere of influence, enticed by the latest tablet, cellphone, or social network. If you are a communicator, then you should naturally be interested in all of these things because they are the tools you use to communicate…but they are only the tools.

The field of Communication is so much more interesting than just the gadgets we currently use to communicate with. What seems to get lost amongst all the discussion of the latest electronics and communication platforms is the actual people we are supposed to be conversing with. Communicators are in the people business, and we should spend just as much time studying people as we do the communication tools.

So what do I mean? Here are some examples:

History: What better way to learn about the way people think and act than by looking to the past. I like to switch between the large, strategic views and the individual perspective of a situation. You get more out of a book if you understand who the author is and when the book was written. Was it in the moment of a major event? 30 years after? Was he or she an outside or an insider? The enormous amount of books to read on any given topic allows you to constantly switch perspectives in order to gain a better understanding of the way individuals think. This “selectivity, simultaneity, and the shifting of scale” by historians is talked about by John Lewis Gaddis in The Landscape of History.

Psychology: For this, I’m thinking more about the psychology of the individual. There are lots books on mass communication theories out there – how to communicate to large groups of people – but we should also be interested in how to understand and communicate with the individual. There are lots of self-help books about the relationship between Men and Women, but we should also dive into topics like negotiation, persuasion, and influence. If you are a corporate communicator and cannot effectively communicate to your boss, you are going to fail.

Culture: Think of culture beyond the local or national perspective. Granted, the United States is very diverse but it’s hard to understand the way people think, act or behave unless you have an idea of a persons cultural background. In lieu of spending large amounts of time in different areas of the world – although that is fun too – there are tons of books that can help expand ones thinking, Clifford Geertz’ The Interpretation of Culture and Richard Nisbett’s Geography of Thought are just a few.

Don’t get me wrong, I love gadgets too. They are the way we communicate in 2012, but it is not what we communicate.

Once you get beyond the medium, there is a whole other level of knowledge just waiting to be learned about individuals, small groups of people, and large groups of people in different locations with different backgrounds in different circumstances.

Matt Harding became famous for his Dancing Matt videos. He used technology and gadgets to coordinate and communicate with all the people who eventually wound up in his videos. What’s special about these videos is not the fact that he used a specific cell phone, posted the content to YouTube, or used Google Maps to pinpoint and coordinate the locations that he would be at for anyone to join him dancing.

What’s special about these videos is the communication and connections made between people.

http://www.digital-cameras-help.com/clouds.html?id=4

Long thought of as a sight, to tell daydreamers to comeback to by “getting your head out of the cloud” – advertising and marketing people may want to put their heads back in and have a look around.

For our purposes, a cloud is a metaphorical off site data backup that stores personal data and information.  Cloud computing has been in the works for over a decade, yet there still so much information floating that it makes it hard for companies to decipher what it is (Ulander, 2012). One thing for sure is that cloud creates a seamless connection from all of your devices making all of your information accessible anywhere. It literally brings the whole world to your fingertips.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/06/0604_cloud_computing/3.htm

The way people compute is evolving as technology advances and consumers are spending more time online. One popular trend is the use of cloud based computing within a company to streamline internal processes. For example, Avon recently launched an internal cloud based computing system in an effort “increase the sales and efficiency of Avon’s distribution system” (Hamm, 2012).  This system will be utilized by 150,000 sales representatives as well as accessible via smartphone and PC (Hamm, 2012). Not only does a system like this integrate the company’s system, it also is cost effective. I’d say that’s a win-win for any company.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/apple/details-emerge-on-apples-icloud-strategy/10222

Another rising movement is the creation of personal clouds. Apple’s iCloud is a great example of how a company can capitalize off of creating personal clouds. Not only has Apple been able to generate direct revenue from storing their user’s content, they are also able to market other products within the cloud and create a more meaningful brand experience. They market their iCloud service with a simple emphasis that it is “automatic and effortless” (Apple, n.d.). Since the information stored is available everywhere you go, it encourages the use of more Apple products and a continual connection to the Apple brand.

Apple has maximized this new technology and brought its usefulness into reality as an excellent business solution. Now other major companies (for example, HP and IBM) are attempting to follow in their footsteps because they have realized that the cloud is changing everything.

Based on current theory, developing a cloud strategy is becoming a necessity to stay relevant in today’s market. Ulander’s (2012) advice is to learn “from others who have already built highly scalable, successful clouds that have helped them transform the way they deliver and consume IT resources”.  Because the cloud has endless interpretations and possibilities, each company has to come to an understanding of what the cloud shift means for them.

It’s hard for consumers and companies alike to know where to begin and to not to feel like their head is in the cloud in the information. This just goes to show more research is needed to fully understand the implications of this new technology and how it can be best utilized.

Apple. (n.d.). iCloud. Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/icloud/features/

Hamm, S. (2012). How cloud computing will change business.  Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_24/b4135042942270.htm?chan=magazine+channel_special+report

Ulander, P. (2012). Top 5 things the cloud is not. Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/cloudline/2012/06/top-5-things-the-cloud-is-not/

During the 2011 RSA conference keynote address, famed physicist and visionary, Dr. Michio Kaku, discussed the future of computers and the internet (RSA conference, 2011).  His speech is fascinating and his vision of biotechnology, robotics, and quantum physics could be game changers for humankind.  But the way he describes how flexible OLED technology may be used opens up a whole new world that marketing professionals may not be   (photo: youtube.com) prepared for.

OLED technology, a display technology that offers bright, colorful images with a wideviewing angle, low power, high contrast ratio and fast response time for sports and action movies, made its debut in small screens in the 1990’s (pcmag.com).  What makes the technology unique is it doesn’t require back lighting and the screens can be ultra-thin (pcmag.com).       (photo:Samsung)

Samsung announced they will be releasing the world’s first 55-inch organic light emitting OLED Smart television in late 2012 (Paracha, 2012).  This television won the Best of Innovation Award Honoree at CES 2012 for its fast response time resulting in less blurring, ability to view two channels on the same screen, and ear phones attached to 3D glasses (Paracha, 2012).  What does this mean for the future of marketing?

Samsung’s new Smart television is just the beginning of the OLED revolution.  As the new smart televisions get rolled out every year, they will get thinner and thinner.  And as the flexible OLED technology gets mastered, these televisions could become wallpaper in your living room.  This means  companies aren’t just rolling out smart televisions, but smart homes, (photo: Samsung.com) offices, department stores, libraries,                                               schools, and whatever else your                                                     imagination can think of.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             The possibilities are limitless.  Imagine every wall; everywhere you walk contains an advertisement.  But the flexible OLED technology doesn’t stop there…

Scientists are working on getting this technology embedded in car windshields, storewindows, and mirrors (OLED-Info.com). And to top it off there are companies who are creating smart clothes with chips that can connect to all of these processors (Freudenrich, nd).  So the walls, glasses, and mirrors of advertisements will contain the things you and your friends have ‘liked’ on your Facebook page or added to your Amazon ‘wish list’.                                                                                                                                                                 (photo: techguy.org)

Did anyone see Minority Report?

Someday manufacturers could have 24 hour access to consumers everywhere they go. What may seem like science fiction could be a reality and computer engineers are working to make it a reality sooner than you think.  The byproduct of this evolution will be more information for consumers which will mean the consumer has the advantage and the manufacturers will have to be fiercely competitive.

(photo: hometheaterequipment.com)

Is the marketing profession ready for this?  If so much information is flashed at consumers all the time, how will marketing professionals make their products stand out?

References:

(1)  Definition of OLED. pcmag.com. Retrieved from http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,1237,t=OLED&i=48357,00.asp

(2)  Freudenrich, C. (nd). How OLED works. howstuffworks.com. Retrieved from http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/oled4.htm

(3)  OLED technology explained. OLED-Info.com. Retrieved from http://www.oled-info.com/oled-technology

(4)  Paracha, U. (2012, May 10). World’s first OLED TV by Samsung will be available by the second half of this year. Technorati.com. Retrieved from http://technorati.com/technology/article/worlds-first-oled-tv-by-samsung/

(5) RSA conference. (2011, July 12). RSA Conference 2011 keynote-The next 20 yrs: Interacting with computers, telecom, & Ali in the. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6kmb16zSOY&feature=relmfu

Established in November 2008 as a publicity held company, Groupon’s goal was and still involves providing consumers with a one-stop location for online deals with massive discounts (Groupon). Available to consumers in more than 48 countries, Groupon offers companies the chance to market their company to people in an effort to gain awareness and introduce people to their services (Groupon). All one has to do is log onto www.groupon.com or if easier (and yes it is) use a smartphone with the Groupon app to see all of the daily and Groupon Now deals offered in their area for the designated amount of time.

As a daily (and I mean daily) Groupon user who has actually decreased the amount of deals purchased, I like what the company offers. From the local eateries in my area to the beauty, sports, fitness, retail and other deals, Groupon gives consumers such as myself a vast amount of discounted treasures to explore. I for one purchase the Groupon’s offered by The Body Shop, La Peer Beauty, movie tickets (e.g. the then $5 tickets to see The Lincoln Lawyer), $5 magazine subscriptions, yoga, restaurant deals and more. What I purchase are things that interest me and I actually use. What is also great about Groupon is that consumers have 24-hours to get a refund on any purchase, plus any expired Groupon retains its original value.

With the ups and downs of our economy, so many people (that I know) who are financially settle and just making by are using online deal sites like Groupon to explore and enjoy new products, food and adventures. Groupon has spurred other sites such as Living Social, Yipit and high-end sites Gilt City and Jetsetter to offer consumers access to a bevy of deals as well. Some of these deals include international travel to exotic locations including Fiji, Australia, Cabo San Lucas, Turkey and Morocco. Why pay a travel agent to research and book a trip when it can be done with one single click and purchase from a computer or cell phone.

Online shopping appears to have become a staple part of many people’s lives. Companies such as Groupon are taking advantage of that by giving consumers options that can’s be beat. Everyone likes a great deal, right?

Reference

Groupon’s About Us. Retrieved on June 23, 2012. http://www.groupon.com/about

In the world of sports, the concept of branding is now reaching far beyond the teams and leagues we watch and support. We may cheer for our favorite team every time they are in action, become a fan of the squad’s Facebook page, and follow the official Twitter feed for all the latest news.  Sports teams at all levels are taking advantage of the vast branding possibilities new media has to offer, with each setting out to create the uniformity and standards across mediums worthy of the term ‘integrated’.  But while your favorite team is busy creating an integrated branding strategy designed to keep you engaged long after you leave the stadium, your favorite player is developing a unique brand of his own – and changing the way we interact with professional sports.

In the past, an athlete could often be misrepresented in the press, based on a misconstrued quote in the daily newspaper following a poor performance.  Now? an athlete can bypass the mainstream media altogether, breaking news related to them via their Twitter account or Facebook page and rendering the media obsolete.  Shaquille O’Neal, one of the greatest NBA players of his generation, chose to break the news of his retirement himself – using his Twitter feed. This way, his mass of followers – the people directly responsible for helping him build his social media brand – would be the first ones to know of such a huge announcement.

Athletes are using social media to hold contests for fans (such as Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips, who used Twitter to hold contests for fans and reverse the public’s perception of him as a dirty player) to help create the brand they desire for themselves.  While we as fans are given a window into the lives of our favorite sports stars we have never had before, the athletes themselves can create their own unique brand using a variety of new media channels.

Whether it be a personal website detailing their positive contributions in the community, a Twitter feed where they answer fans questions, or a Facebook page where they post content solely for the eyes of their Facebook fans, an athlete can engage with his or her fans in whatever way they see fit.  And, if done correctly, they can create a brand that can lead to an incredibly positive public image, and future endorsement deals down the road.

What do all these avenues have in common? Each new media channel available to an athlete allows them to control the message, a valuable commodity they have never had until this point.  They can essentially create their own brand from the ground up, controlling exactly what their fans see and hear and remain at the controls of all the content.  And if they get any advice on branding, they will make sure their messages are uniform across all mediums, one of the signature signs of an integrated strategy.  Some basic branding knowledge and an integrated approach can make an athlete’s brand more famous then the team they play for, which is an incredibly powerful tool at the disposal of the 21st century sports star.