"Buy the Way…" Insights on Integrated Marketing Communication

Who doesn’t like the idea of creating more attractive content for their audiences? And who doesn’t want to attract a wider and larger audience?

In the last week, Skyword and Media Update have both written about increasing the effectiveness of visual content. What each had to say is relevant to marketers, as most people remember information better when it is presented visually rather than when it is presented through text . In fact, visual content is said to increase the effectiveness and engagement of a post (Sheetrit, 2018). Instagram also apparently has higher post reach than any other social media network (Media Update, 2018). If you look at the graphic above (Bingham, 2015), you’ll see the impact that visual content has.

Based on this information, and more presented in the two articles, it is imperative for marketers to not only know that visual content has an impact, but how to do it right. It is not just about doing it — it is about doing it well and effectively.

Another article, published on Search Engine Journal, highlighted ways to use visual content effectively. These suggestions included making sure to use visuals in across all content, being creative, being consistent across platforms (remember our discussions about Apple a few weeks back?), using the right, high-quality images, creating content that can be repurposed, and utilizing user-generated content (Sheetrit, 2018).

The Skyword article not only reminds its audience that visual content is important, but also goes into detail about how to create copy to go with visuals. In other words, it is reminding marketers that words and visuals need to go together. We can’t make the mistake of relying solely on visuals or solely on text. We need to create content that works together to appeal to a wide audience. The article highlights why it is actually a challenge to piece together visuals and text. You don’t want your text to take away from your visual, and you need the visual and the text to work together — in limited space. Lam (2018) writes that it is not easy and goes on to say, “you’ll need to make each word count” (para. 7). Some of the suggestions that stood out in this article to me including collaborating with the designer of the visual content, honing in on your message, writing for an emotional pull, and keeping in mind how the visual already tells the story (Lam, 2018).

Questions to consider:

How are you already using visual content in your marketing communications? How could you incorporate more visual content?

In regard to the “less is more” principle that Lam (2018) wrote about for text copy, do you think less is more also applies to visuals? In other words, is it possible to overdo the visuals?

What is some of the most effective visual + text content you have found/seen?

References

Bingham, P. (2015, March 25). The 10 rules of visual content marketing. Retrieved from https://www.shuttlerock.com/articles/the-10-new-rules-of-visual-content-marketing/.

Lam, J. (2018, Feb. 9). When less is more: Writing great copy for visual content. Retrieved from https://www.skyword.com/contentstandard/storytelling/when-less-is-more-writing-great-copy-for-visual-content/.

Media Update (2018, Feb. 15). How visual content marketing increases engagement. Retrieved from https://www.mediaupdate.co.za/marketing/143402/how-visual-content-marketing-increases-engagement.

Sheetrit, G. (2018, Jan. 19). 6 ways to master the art of visual marketing content. Retrieved from https://www.searchenginejournal.com/master-visual-content-marketing/232191/.

Do you enjoy seeing a pop-up ad when browsing a website? Have you accidentally clicked on one of the sticky ads when you are scrolling down? Do you feel embarrassed in library when some video ads just play automatically with sound? And don’t forget those creepy display ads stalk you everywhere. Admit it, you hate it! Those annoying digital ads!

Here comes the good news. Google Chrome is going to block some of the most annoying ads, including pop-up ads, prestitial ads with countdown, autoplay videos with sound and sizable sticky ads for desktop PCs. For the mobile devices, more ads will be muzzled (Allan, 2018). It doesn’t mean that you’ll see no digital ads on websites. Only those failed to meet the “Better Ads Standard” will be killed.

What does it mean for marketers?

In fact, it is not the first time that web users display negative attitudes toward online advertising. Many of them use ad blocking software or apps to avoid digital ads. According to a report from PageFair, there are 615 million devices from PC to mobile blocking ads by the end of 2016, which represent a 30% annual increase (O’Reilly, 2017). The survey also reveals the reason why people download an ad blocker. The top three reasons are exposure to virus and malware, interruption, and slow website loading time (O’Reilly, 2017). Marketers are not the only one to be worried. The majority of digital publishers rely on the adverting revenue and a large part of it is digital ads. Basically, it challenges their business models.

Do ad blocker users hate the brands featured in ads? Not really. A recent study shows that 40% of ad blocker users blame the software when they are interrupted by an ad. And 28% blame the website. Only 14% blame the brand (“Ad Blocker Users don’t Blame Brands for Annoying Ads”, 2017).

Do they hate advertising generally? The answer is still no! People hate advertising because it gets in the way of what they want. People hate it more when those bad, intrusive and annoying ads display everywhere (McKelvey, 2015).

It’s about the time for marketers and advertisers to find a new strategy to engage the consumers and provide them the best experience. Please bring your A game. Image a near future, more creative, funny, or informative ads that you resonate with. Isn’t it nice?

References:
Ad blocker users don’t blame brands for annoying ads. (2017, June 14). Retrieved from https://www-warc-com.libproxy2.usc.edu/newsandopinion/news/ad_blocker_users_dont_blame_brands_for_annoying_ads/38824

Allan, D., (2018, Feb. 14). Google Chrome’s ad blocker goes live tomorrow to kill annoying online ads. Retrieved from http://www.techradar.com/news/google-chromes-ad-blocker-goes-live-tomorrow-to-kill-annoying-online-ads

McKelvey, S., (2015, Feb 17). People don’t hate advertising. This is what they hate. Retrieved from https://scottmckelvey.com/people-dont-hate-advertising-this-is-what-they-hate/

O’Reilly, L., (2017, Jan. 31). Ad blocker is up 30% – and a popular method publishers use to thwart it isn’t working. Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/pagefair-2017-ad-blocking-report-2017-1

Well, if you have never imagined that you could make your own digital content or music, and marketed it to the public, and even generate some success in gaining a following and responses (whether you like them or not), I have some news for you.  Yes, you can do it too!

It doesn’t have to be music, it could be something else that you would like to create and share, but for this example, I’m using musical audio content creation as a base.

For some people, finding themselves in a creative space just comes naturally. They are either blessed with the “gift”, or they spend countless hours not just creating but honing their personal craft. For some of us we might just think that they got struck by that “lucky lightning”. It’s more than just “the moons lining up”. For my 13 year old, he may just be trying to impress his friends and I (dad) am playing the enabler role in the equation… but no matter how involved “dad” gets, it is his personality that makes his creations unique. This is true for everyone. For the marketing of any product, I don’t think that the customer comes first, I believe that the creator (person) does.

Let’s look at independent music on the web. So let us say you have already pushed a few buttons on the computer, spent time in the recording studio, or just recorded yourself singing in the bathroom with your phone (They all record audio btw). Like it or not, you have created something called “content”, and it is uniquely yours.

Whatever your audio creation might sound like, you are the person behind it. You are the brand no matter what you produce. Marketing your music then becomes nothing more than being yourself and finding the best way to amplify yourself and amplify your brand. This means figuring out the best way to communicate you and your brand.

Now as a “person” you have strengths, and there are one or more characteristics that people are attracted to. It’s the thing that builds connections, something that draws people to you. For a lot of people that may be humor. A lot of you might be good at roasting others or making funny memes. Use that! It might be something else like being passionate or intelligent about a topic (You may know a lot about the music creation process) related or unrelated. Use it!

But, if I was talking to someone about “Sally” and I said, “you know Sally… that lady that sings in the shower”? Well, most people might not know who I am talking about. But if I said… “you know Sally, the funny one, the one that makes funny memes and posts them on her page all the time”? They might just know who Sally is then. So whatever your strengths are, are where you need to put your energy and focus and this is the baseline of your self-marketing strategy.

The importance here is in the person creating the content and not just the content. I have heard a great song or seen something amazing online and then looked at the creator’s page only to be disappointed in what I found many times. People will hear your creations on the back end, but your strengths are what will draw people in.

In this time of Internet saturation (only increasing) and everyone has a page, a link, a site, or a presence of some kind on the interweb… you are your best foot forward. Identify your strengths and distinguish yourself as you and not by a title. It may sound cheesy, but we need to focus more on distinguishing ourselves not but what we create, but by who we are and by using that to build our personal brand. We will, in turn, get the customers, the audio fans, the clients, the consumers, the support, and the following we are after, by being ourselves to the highest degree possible.

How do y’all plan on putting yourselves out there? Here are some links that offer more information and might just encourage you to put yourself out there…

Cheers,

Darian

https://www.fastcompany.com/28905/brand-called-you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXHCcLqN8RA

https://www.forbes.com/sites/meghanbiro/2013/02/24/5-steps-to-empowering-the-brand-you/#491fc58632d6

http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/7-music-marketing-truths-all-musicians-should-know.html

It seems so ironic that the biggest scandal involving a sexual predator of young women who were participants in the Olympic games was just convicted days before the start of the Olympic games in South Korea. The gravity of the crimes committed by Larry Nassar during his tenure with USA Gymnastics are so heinous they may never be fully understood, or analyzed in their entirety. The one question which still remains a mystery is why so many other entities who were informed of the situation never took action (Barry, Kovaleski, & Maur, 2018). The FBI were informed about his activities for almost a year before they became seriously involved with his activities, yet during that time many more women fell prey to this monster (Barry, Kovaleski, & Maur, 2018). Only when this case came to light did advertisers decide that enough was enough (Lam, 2018). AT&T said that they would withdraw their sponsorship after the full impact of the case became all too obvious to everyone involved (Lam, 2018). Only when there was demonstrated responsibility by USA Gymnastics that their house had been put in order, and made sure that this would never happen to athletes again would AT&T, as well as other advertisers be willing to bring back their sponsorship (Lam, 2018). Athletes have spoken out fiercely since these crimes became public stating that USA Gymnastics may need to be replaced as a result of the unfolding events of the past month (Barron, 2018). They may be on the right track to identifying the other accomplice in these crimes since USA Gymnastics would have taken a big blow to loose a client like AT&T, and other media giants who dream about securing a client as big, and as prestigious as the Olympic Games (Lam, 2018). Young female athletes who were abused by Nassar, now totaling 265, stated they repeatedly made their situation known to USA Gymnastics on more than one occasion, and yet nothing was done on their behalf, at least not immediately (Barry, Kovaleski, & Maur, 2018). When the FBI finally was able to view the evidence; videotape of Nassar performing examinations of young athletes did the FBI realize this was a situation where they had missed the warning signs (Barry, Kovaleski, & Maur, 2018). Why did USA Gymnastics take more than a month to notify authorities of the situation? Was it concern about their ability to retain sponsors? And why did the FBI take almost a year to get serious about the investigation? It may be nothing more than the inefficient machinery of bureaucracy losing track of citizens within the system. One thing seems almost certain; the punishment handed down to Larry Nassar is only the beginning of an investigation that will certainly last longer than the time that USA Gymnastics took to notify the FBI of the crimes that were taking place inside its doors.

References:

Barron, D. (2018, January). USA Gymnastics may need to be replaced in wake of scandal. Houston Chronicle [Web news article]. Retrieved from: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/olympics/article/USA-Gymnastics-facing-uncertain-future-as-sport-s-12511479.php

Barry, D., Kovaleski, S. F., & Maur, J. (2018, February). As F.B.I. took a year to pursue the Nassar case, dozens say they were molested. The New York Times [News web article]. Retrieved from: nytimes.com/2018/02/03/sports/nassar-fbi

Lam, K. (2018, January). AT&T suspends USA Gymnastics sponsorship, joining several companies in wake of Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal. Fox News [News web article]. Retrieved from: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/01/24/at-t-suspends-usa-gynastics-sponsorship-joining-several-companies-in-wake-larry-nassar-sexual-abuse-scandal.html

I latch onto comic relief, courtesy of The Princess Bride (Scheinman & Reiner, 1987), in navigating this acutely personal topic of concern: clocking time and its influence on employee engagement and organizational culture. Clocking time is an age-old tool for measuring productivity and efficiency. I can imagine management luminary Frederick Taylor confidently strolling by with a stopwatch in hand, beaming with admiration at the effectiveness of a job well-done. And I echo that sentiment. There’s pride in doing a job; more so, doing a job well. However, the perfectionist in me grapples with the idea of just shipping a product juxtaposed to fine-tuning it until I feel it is done right — timely or not. Simultaneously, the draw of challenging work and the pursuit of mastery intoxicatingly call me on an exciting journey to personal growth — to do great work in less time for perfecting my craft. In which case, my dogged, perfectionistic focus transfers from the product to the process. (Seems a bit like an addiction, don’t you think?) Nonetheless, the freedom to authentically engage with a project and the call to time clock efficiency and subservience continue to war for my loyalty. Thus, my titular play on the memorable nuptial quote from The Princess Bride (Scheinman & Reiner, 1987): on the one hand, you have my heart, and on the other, I’m merely working for a wage. That is, do I place my pride in the ownership of doing a job well (on time and my terms) or do I place it in meeting a budgeted length of time to serve the bottom line (at the possible expense of authenticity and quality)? In the end, I doubt it is so cut and dry.

To clarify, “clocking time” in this discussion refers to the logging of all time involved for completing a task. It is not just clocking in upon arrival to work and clocking out at the end of the day. Specifically, it is the measuring of time to perform a task and striving to keep within company performance standards, which mark success.

My experiences with clocking time reflect a love-hate relationship. On the one hand, I love the increased mindfulness for how I use my time, as good stewardship of time it is part of maturation in any industry. As a graphic designer, creativity may often be considered a “black art” (Chase, 2008). And to a degree, implementing methodologies can assuage some client fears for wanting repeatable results (Chase, 2008). A company’s bottom line should always be in view, yet the art of art isn’t always so straight. The road between Point A and Point B might not be a straight lane but a winding route through hills and valleys with detours along the way. In such case, clocking time may afford insight into best practices for improving methodologies and spurring on creative inspiration while thinking “within the box” (e.g., boundaries that affirm effective, timely decision-making).

On the other hand, clocking time sometimes seems restrictive and oppressive. When elevating time at the behest of limiting cost, quality tends to get cut (Atkinson, 1999; Schenkelberg, 2017). Yes, here it is important to ship a product, perfection aside; and again, that is part of maturation. However, as I have experienced within creative spaces, subservience to the time clock may produce bitterness, disengagement, and subpar execution. Such angst manifests when the time allowed does not deliver the quality desired, and subsequently, the employee may be reprimanded for not successfully meeting the goal, or the employee may lack pride in his or her quality of work and consequently feel defeated or undermined by the company’s performance standards. This perception is not unfounded, as Taylor also encountered such “labor-management” conflicts even in the 1800s (Wren & Bedeian, 2009, p. 125).

Many contemporaries thought Taylor’s Scientific Management Theory was cold, though he was quite the opposite of his intentions (Wren & Bedeian, 2009). He defended laborers by believing it the responsibility of management to inspire and incentivize employees to the mutual benefit of all (Wren & Bedeian, 2009). His “first-class worker” exhibited initiative and excellence in meeting organizationally established performance standards (Wren & Bedeian, 2009, p. 129). And clocked time is arguably a viable performance standard. That said, I hope this post initiates conversation concerning the efficacy and best practices of clocking time for project management, measuring success, and positively impacting employee engagement.

References:

Atkinson, R. (1999). Project management: Cost, time and quality, two best guesses and a phenomenon, its time to accept other success criteria. International Journal of Project Management, 17(6), 337-342.

Chase, M. (2008, September 04). Retrieved February 12, 2018, from http://www.lynda.com/Design-Documentaries-tutorials/Branding/685/38838-4.html

Parmar, B., Keevil, A., & Wicks, A. (2017). People and profits: The impact of corporate objectives on employees’ need satisfaction at work. Journal of Business Ethics, 1-21.
doi:10.1007/s10551-017-3487-5

Scheinman, A. (Co-producer) & Reiner, R. (Co-producer and Director). (1987). The Princess Bride [Motion Picture]. United States: MGM Studios.

Schenkelberg, F. (2017, April 10). Introduction to the quality triangle [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@fmsReliability/introduction-to-the-quality-triangle-f7e771884caa

Wren, D. & Bedeian, A. (2009). The advent of scientific management. In The evolution of management thought. (pp. 121-155). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

It’s a random Tuesday and you are scrolling through your Facebook feed just browsing through friend’s pictures, posts, and status updates and then all of a sudden, those black suede shoes you were looking at the day before, pop up. Wait a minute, what the heck? I know we’ve all experienced this, right? This is not something new to any social media user out there, it’s been happening for a while now. These ads are populated as a result of ‘cookies’ and although users are skeptical about the way Facebook taps into targeting ads, they’re analytics and data about users are the driving force behind these ads.

But we haven’t seen the end of this method. Cue Augmented reality and smart glasses. We know these have been in the works as well but the new craze geared towards marketing is something to take a closer look at. According to a recent Forbes article by Joe Surprenant (2018), these will allow for further marketing strategies. The ability to increase brand awareness by tapping into the consumer’s point of view and instantly generate information about the product (Suprenant, 2018). Aside from this feature tracking a consumer during point of decision will be key, the ability to see the individual reaching for a particular brand of product can allow for brands and competitors to instantly influence the consumers during their buying decisions (Suprenant, 2018).

Considering the use of cookies and analytics that are already tapping into our buying behavior, are we doomed as consumers as technology progresses? Do you want to constantly be reminded of what you searched for, thought about, or passed by?

References

Scheiber, N. (2017, September 28). Facebook’s Ad-Targeting Problem, Captured in a Literal Shade of Gray. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/technology/facebook-ads.html

Surprenant, J. (2018, February 06). The Future of Marketing Will Be Heads-Up and Hands-Free. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2018/02/06/the-future-of-marketing-will-be-heads-up-and-hands-free/#c956d70501e3

Part of growing up is shedding naïve and overly idealistic concepts or beliefs. For many people, this might include things like the government always has our best interest at heart or that doctors wouldn’t prescribe harmful or addictive drugs to their patients because of financial bribes and pressure from the pharmaceutical industry. The news accurately covering the day’s events with honesty, integrity and truthfulness was, for a long time, taken for granted as fact. However, this has sadly continued to erode for a long time and when there is big money associated with media corporations, the narrative is often completely changed to fit the agenda associated with the political party that company is aligned with.

During the 2016 Presidential election night coverage, it was almost comical to switch back and forth between CNN and Fox News to hear the different and completely biased coverage each network had for their candidate and the unfolding results. Events that would seem to only have one truth, are quickly spun to reflect the ideologies and propaganda of one party or another. While not a part of the American English lexicon prior to Donald Trump winning the presidency, “fake news” was chosen as word of the year for 2017 by Collins Dictionary just a year later.

To add to the uncertainty of what we hear in modern media, well known and highly trusted broadcasters, such as Brian Williams, have been caught in outright lies about stories they’ve told. As if it wasn’t bad enough that the traditional institution of news media has devolved into such a state, we now have countless independent news sources promoting fake stories and false truths. Social media often provides a launching pad for far reaching dissemination at light speed. News, whether real or not, gets spread over the internet to all corners of the world. This growing problem with a lack of reliable information has resulted in a wide range of issues from the relatively benign false reporting of celebrity deaths to the more serious instances of accusations of treason at the highest levels of government. Although mainly a favorite accusation of President Trump, this is a bipartisan issue that has reached both parties and has disrupted the smooth operation of government and the productive discourse of the American people.

There is a growing sentiment that social media, mainly Facebook, has to do more in combating Fake News online. There are a number of tips for consumers of news media to avoid becoming victims of fake news stories. Examples include considering the source and its mission, read beyond the headlines, do a check on the author, investigate supporting sources, and checking the date for currency. Accurate, non-biased reporting of actual events is imperative to a successful and thriving democracy and we need to figure out a way to mitigate or altogether eliminate the problem of fake news.

Phil

References

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/22/579732762/facebook-says-social-media-can-be-negative-for-democracy
http://www.newsweek.com/fake-news-word-year-collins-dictionary-699740

Social media must curb fake news

Marketing is a fascinating field of study to me, as I am endlessly intrigued by the ingenuity and creativity that marketers display. I find myself critically and analytically viewing ads with eye to determining how the marketers went about identifying their products’ target markets, establishing brand recognition, devising discriminators, eliciting customer loyalty, and accomplishing myriad other feats to execute a successful marketing campaign. In particular, with today’s explosion in new product development, general rise in consumer acquisitiveness, and rapid obsolescence of product iterations, I find marketing an engaging and challenging field of endeavor.

Most of the hottest products skyrocketing to consumer attention at present include mobile phones and the endless variety of associated applications, gaming and entertainment devices, and other technology-driven offerings. A rather different new product, however, now coming to the forefront that fascinates me from a marketing perspective is…. marijuana. Legalized, recreational marijuana. For decades, clandestine use of illegal marijuana was ubiquitous, if often intentionally ignored, like the proverbial 800-pound-gorilla in the corner. Thus, though a product heavily in demand among certain segments of the population, marijuana was obviously taboo and could not be publicized or commercially marketed. Even the devices produced to aid in its consumption, though themselves composed of wholly legal materials, were highly controversial and subject to legal restrictions in many locales.

Today, however, marijuana is gradually segueing into the mainstream. Scorned and condemned by some but gleefully, giddily embraced by others, marijuana is still controversial but is now becoming a legitimate subject for marketing campaigns. Furthermore, as is true all hot, new, consumer products, marketers are beginning to establish themselves as viable representatives for this emerging industry, largely in the states where marijuana is legal and especially Colorado, one of the groundbreakers in legalization of recreational marijuana.

What is somewhat surprising about marijuana marketing consultants is that they are unexpectedly serious, sedate, and reserved. For example, Cohnnabis (https://cohnnabis.com/# ), rather than reflect a frivolous or dreamy façade as one might expect given the company’s focus, presents an almost austere image, emphasizing its respectability and successful history in marketing. Similarly, 4blooms Cannabis Business Services (https://www.4blooms.guru/blog/) site is quite heavily laden with statistics, financial projections, and other hard-core business features. The highly respected Atlantic Monthly magazine even published a marketing analysis by Vauhini Vara (2016) about the marijuana industry, contemplating such typical dilemmas as branding discrimination difficulty among producers and the challenge of winning over new, uninitiated consumers.

One is almost led to believe that the legalization of marijuana has turned it into merely another contender in the commercial rat race; yet some playfulness remains, especially regarding its continued illegality and cognoscente aura. The Washington Post, for example, published a chuckle-worthy article by Maura Judkis (2017), on the stealthy marketing surrounding what is known among marijuana aficionados as an unofficial holiday of sorts, April 20, fondly referred to as simply 420. April 20 is the legendarily date of the first marijuana smoke-in held in 1970 and since then, every year, 420 is a day of irreverent celebration. Food purveyors hoping to attract susceptible customers on 420 tantalize audiences with photos of gargantuan sundaes and overflowing burritos, making veiled allusions to the special date

While considered a legitimate new business territory by many, the fact that marijuana has perception-altering properties, is subject to abuse, and may exacerbate substance dependency repulses others. Nonetheless, as a legal product in search of all the benefits befitting an up and coming industry, cannabis may open up new avenues to marketing professionals looking for an unexploited niche.

References:

Judkis, M. (2017). Brands want to capitalize on 4/20 munchies. Pot advocates say it’s time to grow up. The Washington Post. April 18, 2017. Available at https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/food/wp/2017/04/18/brands-want-to-capitalize-on-420-munchies-pot-advocates-say-its-time-to-grow-up/.

Vara, V. (2016). The art of marketing marijuana. The Atlantic Monthly, April 2016. Available at https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/04/the-art-of-marketing-marijuana/471507/.

From his other-worldly aspirations to colonize Mars to plans for Jetson-like air travel to jumpstarting a revolution in the auto industry, it does not seem anything is impossible for Elon Musk.  It’s safe to say the Tesla founder and head of SpaceX is the closest thing we’ll see to a real-life Tony Stark.  While discovering ways to sustain life on the Red Planet or building state-of-the-art electric cars are remarkable accomplishments, his greatest feat may have happened earlier this week when he produced a car commercial that was literally out of this world.

This past Tuesday, SpaceX launched its Falcon Heavy rocket into space and attached to it was a 2008 Tesla Roadster (Matousek, 2018).  Musk’s thought-process behind fixing an automobile to a rocket ship was to help people view exploration through a different prism and realize how technological advancements are taking space travel to the next level (Matousek, 2018).  Rather than attaching a standard concrete block to his ship, Musk (2018) wanted to use “something that made us feel.”  It turns out the brilliant inventor executed that to a tee as his decision to use the Roadster was widely applauded as a genius marketing move and an ad campaign other auto companies could only dream of launching (Matousek, 2018).  Aside from the stunning visual of a car in space, the other spectacular aspect of the entire SpaceX/Tesla launch is that Tesla did not stray from its marketing strategy and spend anything for advertising (Matousek, 2018).  Unlike most of its competitors which shell out millions of dollars for ads, Tesla’s sales rely solely on a model of word of mouth and media coverage (Schultz, 2017).  While this complete disregard for ad sales bucks industry attitudes toward marketing, it has not hurt the company’s portfolio one bit—as of August 2017, more than 500,000 deposits have been placed on Tesla’s Model 3 automobile (Schultz, 2017).

I find the entire Tesla case study fascinating because the company flips the entire model of advertising/marketing success on its ear.  Tesla shows us that not only is it possible to succeed without spending millions of dollars on ads, but you also do not need a comprehensive marketing strategy.  Instead, Tesla’s success teaches us the power of a strong brand and thinking back to our readings, the company itself exudes so many of the stickiness principles (Heath & Heath, 2007).  In terms of credibility, emotions, concreteness, and unexpectedness, Tesla’s products fulfill all of those criteria because many of us did not expect to see an automobile company make an impact with its state-of-the-art technology at such a rapid rate.  Furthermore, while this may sound counterintuitive, Musk’s concept behind the automobiles is simple—build an amazing car that does not use gas.

Alluding back to what Brandon Rochon said in our recent live session, the geniuses always find a way to package a complex concept into simple terms and that’s exactly what Musk did in his SpaceX/Tesla launch—he didn’t have to explain all the bells and whistles, just show the car.  Another important factor to consider in Tesla’s success is Musk’s ability to be authentic.  Unlike many other billionaires and CEOs who either have no online presence or depend on a media relations team to protect their image, Musk is not afraid to be real and sometimes poke a little fun at himself (Matousek, 2018).  As Coughter (2012) states that kind authenticity goes a long way in endearing followers to a brand because people feel like they can trust someone who is being genuine.  Although most of us will probably never relate to Musk’s technological genius or bank account, he at least makes us feel like we do and many times that is just as important.

With all that said, what are some other popular brands you know of that do not spend any money on advertising?

References

Coughter, P.  (2012).  The art of the pitch: Persuasion and presentation skills that win business [Kindle version].  Retrieved from Amazon.com

Heath, C. & Heath, D.  (2007).  Made to stick: Why some ideas survive and others die [Kindle version].  Retrieved from Amazon.com

Matousek, M.  (2018, February 7).  Tesla created the world’s best car commercial without spending a dime on advertising.  Business Insider.  Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-made-the-worlds-best-car-commercial-without-spending-money-2018-2

Musk, Elon [@ElonMusk].  (2017, December 22).  A red car for the red planet.  Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/BdA94kVgQhU/?hl=en&taken-by=elonmusk

Schultz, E.J.  (2017, August 3).  Tesla still doesn’t need paid advertising to make sales.  Ad Age.  Retrieved from http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/tesla-paid-advertising/310008/