"Buy the Way…" Insights on Integrated Marketing Communication

Several brands have been impacted by the coronavirus in their own ways. The below will show what high-profile brands do that leads the way and inspires businesses to strategize their own ways to return to the “new normal.” For all companies and brands, changing their marketing strategies is key to adapting to a new normal. As they are doing their best, the challenging question is how to instill trust to an audience. Do you find these campaigns helpful? Do they inspire you to think of “back to new normal” campaign for your current employer or work place?

Let’s take a look at the following “back to the new normal” digital ad campaigns or post-COVID-19:

Starbucks | Welcome Back

As we all know Starbucks is a famous food and beverage brand, and are promoting their mobile application for contactless order and pay. Their Starbucks app is savvy as ever before and ensuring trust in customers to shop at Starbucks Coffee even during post pandemic.

Adidas | Ready for Sport

The pandemic has put a lot to a halt and Adidas is teaching people that “the moment is the matter.” The pandemic should not hold you back from seizing your day and taking every chance you have and do what you want to do. Adidas products has the ability to run to your dreams.

Starbucks (2020). Navigating Through COVID-19. DOI: https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/navigating-through-covid-19/

B. Jeff (2020). 4 experts reveal how COVID-19 has changed the advertising business. Fast Company. DOI:https://www.fastcompany.com/90553887/4-experts-reveal-how-covid-19-has-changed-the-advertising-business

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Digital Adwork Agency (2020). Inspiring “Back to the New Normal” Ad
Campaigns by Brands for the Post-COVID-19 Era. https://digitalagencynetwork.com/inspiring-back-to-the-new-normal-ad-campaigns-by-brands-for-the-post-covid-19-era/

If you have little ones like me, you have probably spent hundreds of dollars on “mystery toys” this year alone. For those of you who don’t have children or have never bought these toys for a niece or nephew, “mystery toys” are toys of various brands and sizes which are strategically packaged to create wonder and excitement for parent and child because the contents of the package are a mystery. Some famous brands of “mystery toys” are L.O.L. Surprise Dolls, Hatchimals, Ryan’s World Mystery Eggs, and Orbeez Wow World Surprise. What is it about these types of toys that keep the children entertained and wanting more? Is it the element of surprise with each unpackaging? Is it the need to “collect them all?” No matter the reason, it has become an addiction for children and parents!

I once read a book by Jonah Berger, Contagious: Why Things Catch On. In the very first chapter of his book, he wrote about “Social Currency.” Berger states, “scarcity and exclusivity boost word of mouth by making people feel like insiders (p 55). This had me thinking about how can a little mystery toy create such a craze among kids and adults.

Let’s take a look at one of the most popular “mystery toys” on the market, L.O.L. Surprise Dolls. According to an article written in The Atlantic, L.O.L. Surprise dolls sales boomed to 800 million sold from the time they were released in 2016 to 2018 alone (Semuels, 2018). There could be a dozen factors that contributed to their sales and popularity, but from my experience alone, much of its success has to be from all the social hype that is created on YouTube! According to Semuels, kids love watching unboxing videos (2018). A sample unboxing video typically consists of an influencer or a whole influencing family. The influencer(s) will have a complete series of the “mystery toy” unboxed in the video. Most of these series consists of a “common, rare or ultra-rare” toy. This presentation of mystery toys becomes a “teaser” for the viewer and of course, if it is a kid watching, you will most likely hear “I want that!” 

Sadly, as a full-time grad student, employee, a teacher during Covid, and mommy of two girls under 7 years of age, I heavily rely on these YouTube channels to keep my kids busy, so I can keep my sanity! However, I have come to the conclusion that keeping my kids on YouTube while I handle my business has cost me hundreds of dollars on mystery toys this year. So the question is, why do I keep buying them? I know better right? Well, I clearly don’t! 

These videos have convinced me that I need to keep buying these mystery toys until I get the “rare” or the “ultra-rare” collectible for my kids. Thinking back to Berger’s point on social currency, I realized my purchases were the results of the persuasive effects of promoting exclusivity and being able to exalt “look at me and what I was able to get” for my child (p.56). Price was not an issue, especially since the “ultra-rare” costs the same as the “common” mystery toy. It was the instant gratification in knowing that I possibly could have purchased an exclusive collectible that my child can feel proud to brag about on her next Zoom call with her classmates and friends.

Well played “mystery toys”….well played!

Berger, J. (2013).  Contagious:  Why things catch on.  New York, NY.  Simon & Schuster. 

Semuels, A. (29 November  2018). The strange phenomenon of L.O.L. Surprise Dolls. TheAtlantic.com https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/11/lol-surprise-dolls-and-mystery-toys/576970/

Some major companies in the U.S were in the process of creating new marketing communication plans to help their underperforming businesses but failed to do so in time for the onset of COVID-19 pandemic.  COVID-19 like the Grim Reaper has sucked the soul out of several brands while leaving others on their last lifeline. It seems as if these brands didn’t understand the importance of continuous marketing communication and how it contributes to the brand’s performance and ultimately the brand’s survival. Here are the 3 brands whose days are numbered if they don’t reposition themselves in time.

1. California Pizza Kitchen

Oh Nooooo not CPK. On July 30 CPK filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and have closed nonperforming locations. It was stated that CPK was pursuing a strategy to gain new customers and retain the existing customers by relying on takeout and delivery services and launching meal kits to allow consumers to make CPK signature entrees at home. Let’s hope this plan will allow them a speedy recovery.

•  24 Hour Fitness

Now this one hit home being that I am a member. On June 15, 24 Hour Fitness filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and have permanently closed 100 locations. 24 Hour Fitness CEO Tony Ueber stated “if it were not for Covid-19 and its devastating effects, we would not be filing for Chapter 11″. The team at 24 Hour Fitness will use this time to create a marketing plan to introduce new innovative products and services hoping to bring themselves back to life.

• Neiman Marcus

Neiman Marcus has been another company hunted by the COVID-19 Reaper. On May 7 Neiman filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy looking to eliminate $4 billion in debt. Neiman was enhancing their “Digital First” strategy to engage customers more but COVID-19 eliminated those plans. Neiman Marcus had recently received their lifeline and found the investors needed to end their bankruptcy.

References:

CNBC (2020, September 25) Neiman Marcus emerges from bankruptcy. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/25/neiman-marcus-emerges-from-bankruptcy.html

DiMartino, M. (2020, August 10) California Pizza Kitchen Plans to Emerge From Bankruptcy This Fall. Los Angeles Business Journal. Retrieved fromhttps://labusinessjournal.com/news/2020/aug/10/california-pizza-kitchen-plans-emerge-bankruptcy/

Pandise, E. (2020, May 13) From Century 21 to Lord & Taylor, Main Street bankruptcies continue as pandemic deepens. NBC News. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/which-major-retail-companies-have-filed-bankruptcy-coronavirus-pandemic-hit-n1207866

Tucker, H. (2020, May 3) Coronavirus Bankruptcy Tracker: These Major Companies Are Failing Amid The Shutdown. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/hanktucker/2020/05/03/coronavirus-bankruptcy-tracker-these-major-companies-are-failing-amid-the-shutdown/#19b4be6a3425

Valinsky, J. (2020, June 15) 24 Hour Fitness files for bankruptcy and closes 100 gyms. CNNRetrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/15/investing/24-hour-fitness-bankruptcy/index.html

At the beginning of October, Paramount Network came back with their “Killer Classics” movie lineup to help get the audience in the mood for the spooky Halloween season. This is a month-long event in which the audience can re-enjoy some of their favorite horror and classic thriller films. Here is a cool TV spot that guides the viewers through the programming lineup.

There are a few things to note. Tim Curry, famous for playing Dr. Frankenfurter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, narrates the TV spot. The lineup includes a series of nostalgic content like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Addams Family, The Dark Knight, IT, Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones franchises, etc. Each movie is depicted with its iconic characters and imagery. What’s more interesting is that the spot is animated. As a whole, Paramount Network effectively uses two different styles of marketing: nostalgia and animation. These elements added together give the audience a much more sinister feel while also making it very pop.

Tapping into nostalgia has been a widely-used strategy, and research has shown that nostalgia is especially appealing in times of crisis (Brunk, Giesler, & Hartmann, 2018). In uncertain times of COVID, we yearn for familiarity, which explains why we end up knitting, baking bread, listening to Mariah Carey’s old albums, and re-watching classic films. We get to go back in time and relive certain emotions that alleviate negativity surrounding the current situation. There’s more to nostalgic marketing (that was also discussed in my previous blog), but my main focus is on the other aspect of the TV spot, which is animated marketing.

Animated marketing is effective in many ways. Firstly, animation is “simple, informative, and quick to consume” (Kearsey, 2019, para. 4). Paramount’s spot only shows the silhouettes of iconic movie characters and scenes, but it’s enough for the audience to identify each movie and get an idea of the movie lineup. Moreover, Paramount utilizes the unlimited possibilities of animation to the full extent, invigorating each of the scenes with eerie yet captivating visuals and effects. As a result, Paramount has not only exhibited its unique brand personality but has also created a longer-lasting impact on consumers’ minds (Kearsey, 2019).

Most importantly, animation appeals to audiences of all ages (Breadnbeyond, n.d.). Paramount’s “Killer Classics” programming includes films that reflect its demo target, which is “men and women 18-49,” as the network president Kevin Kay has pointed out in the past (Andreeva, 2018, para. 6). But by showing the snips of content in an animated style, the network can reach a broader range of and potentially attract new audiences. Versatile animation reduces a significant amount of gore, disgust, and terror, which are all factors that might make viewers uncomfortable if the spot was to extract actual scenes from the horror films. Even if viewers are still not appealed to watch the program, they may perceive Paramount as creative, fun, and hip. I am not a horror fan, so I wasn’t convinced to watch the horror films, but this spot made me want to watch some of the classic thriller films again (e.g. Indiana Jones franchise) and caught my attention with its appealing visuals.

For those of you who are able to watch the Paramount Network and are horror/thriller fans, here is the line-up for the remaining days of the “Killer Classics” program: 

• Sat, 10/31 – The Iconic Tim Curry Trinity featuring Clue (35th anniversary), Stephen King’s It (30th anniversary), & Rocky Horror Picture Show (45th anniversary)

• Sun, 11/1 – Blood-Sucking Sunday featuring the Twilight franchise

Sources:

Andreeva, N. (2018, January 15). Paramount Network bosses talk programming strategy, stay mum on possible Viacom-CBS merger – TCA. Deadline. Retrieved from https://deadline.com/2018/01/paramount-network-programming-strategy-possible-viacom-cbs-merger-keith-cox-kevin-kay-tca-1202243524/

Breadnbeyond. (2020, May 18). Animated marketing: Why businesses should use animation for marketing. Breadnbeyond. Retrieved from https://breadnbeyond.medium.com/animated-marketing-why-businesses-should-use-animation-for-marketing-51185ff1eb8e

Brunk, K. H., Giesler, M., & Hartmann, B. J. (2018). Creating a consumable past: How memory making shapes marketization. Journal of Consumer Research, 44(6), 1325-1342. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/jcr/article-abstract/44/6/1325/4159195?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Kearsey, R. (2019, August 5). 5 reasons to use animation in your brand video content. New Breed. Retrieved from https://www.newbreedmarketing.com/blog/use-animation-in-brand-video-content

“Brands love social media influencers because they can create trends and encourage their followers to buy products they promote”

When scrolling through Instagram, a picture pops up… it is Kylie Jenner holding Sugar Beach Hair vitamins. Scroll a little further down, the caption reads “blue for my hair + pink for my body @sugarbearhair has the most delicious vitamins #ad #sugarbearhair.” 198m followers, Kylie Jenner, who markets products, is what the social media world calls an influencer. Influencer MarketingHub defines social media influencers as “people who have built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a specific topic.” Kylie Jenner revenued 1,000,000 off of the Sugar Bear Hair ad.  Some may be thinking, well, how much did SugarBearHair make? In 2019, the company was rumored to have made millions. However, the mega-million company profits did not arise until after Kylie Jenner’s post. 

Another Jenner, Kendall Jenner, in 2017 made a deal with Pepsi and their “Live For Now” campaign. The commercial is centered around a social protest. Kendall is shown amongst a diverse group of protestors against the police. Then, Pepsi’s big selling point shows Kendall making peace with the police officers as the crowd roared in excitement. The ad went viral, to say the least. Pepsi’s brand image suffered immensely after the commercial aired.  Public outrage after Pepsi’s commercial surfaced on all social media platforms, as shown in the Tweet below.

Pepsi, like other brands, suffers detrimental effects of marketing. They simply did not follow a cardinal rule: choosing the right influencer. With a net worth of $45 million, Kendall Jenner, coming from a privileged background, is not an accurate representation of having first-hand social injustice experiences. Marketers and or brands need to evaluate the relevance and authenticity of each influencer/campaign. The audience needs to feel as though they can relate to both the person and the product, thus being relevant. Kendall Jenner, a Caucasian, affluent celebrity, was the worst possible representation of Pepsi’s marketing message. In the public’s eye, she is not someone who has suffered, felt, and stood up for racial discrimination, racial injustices, police brutality, etc. 

Why was Sugar Bear Hair a success story while The Live For Now campaign was a disaster? 

Sugar Bear Hair picked a guru of beauty, a CEO of a cosmetics company, Kylie Jenner, to promote an enhancing beauty product.

Here are two post of Kylie Jenner:

These two Instagram posts are similar in appearance, audience reach, and message; however, one is an ad. Kylie’s Instagram ad reached her audience by merely giving a beauty technique and an advertisement simultaneously. Kylie remains transparent with both her image and her Instagram audience.

The following two pictures show the reality of protesting for social injustices versus how Kendall Jenner was displayed in the Pepsi commercial. 

The pictures above are not consistent compared to the images shown above of Kylie Jenner. Here we have two ethnically diverse individuals and different facial expressions. The photo on the left was captured at a protest for Breonna Taylor’s death caused by police brutality. On the right, Kendall Jenner is shown happy, clapping, and excited after making peace with the police officer at the unidentified social protest. Pepsi failed to capture the reality of protestors and further silenced the pain felt struggles and discrimination. All in all, the campaign was unable to understand the audience. Pepsi’s choice of influencer for the commercial, Kendall Jenner, failed to provide transparency and authenticity which led to Pepsi’s negative image.

References

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52905408

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2017/apr/04/kendall-jenner-pepsi-ad-protest-black-lives-matter

https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/alist/kylie-jenner-reportedly-makes-1000000-paid-instagram-ad-a4187281.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/pepsi-ad-kendall-jenner-echoes-black-lives-matter-sparks-anger-n742811

https://www.instagram.com/p/BtMODPMH4SH/?utm_source=ig_embed

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEnc85snjoI/

Have you ever returned home from a retail store and wondered why you bought so much stuff?  I went shopping with full intentions of getting HP printer ink cartridges, and I came home with a whole lot more than intended.  Did I really need to get the cartridges plus 10 bags of Starbucks coffee, a basketball, microwave, and a new pair of Jordans?  Of course, the cartridges are located in an aisle at the back of the store too.  If you’ve made similar decisions when shopping, then you are not alone.  “The majority of items you buy were chosen after nothing more than a fleeting moment of awareness” (Dijksterhuis, Smith, Van Baaren & Wigboldus, 2005). 

The combination of scarcity and having to buy one item out of necessity could stimulate behaviors from the past that are actually deeply rooted habits.  In addition, more stores are engaging in automatic influence tactics that link perception with behavior.  When those factors are combined with social environment, emotions could spread (Berger, 2013).  Integrated marketing efforts used in tandem with personalized marketing techniques may also spur higher sales for brick and mortar plus online retailers. 

Unconscious buying behaviors are fueled by thoughts and attitudes.  It explains why one could have a goal in mind of making a single purchase when entering a retail outlet and physically leaving with more items than originally intended.  “Recent insights on influence tactics and persuasion have emphasized that we often rather ‘mindlessly’ to stimuli that trigger certain automated responses” (Dijksterhuis, Smith, Van Baaren & Wigboldus, 2005).  The purchases made in the previous example demonstrate the ease of shopping on autopilot. 

The next time you are shopping online or at a brick and mortar retailer, remember that unconscious consumer behavior is quite common, and emotions are linked to items catching on (Berger, 2013).  Lapses in awareness could result in more items in your physical or online virtual cart.  Retailers and online sites are aware of this and are attempting to exploit the phenomena.  Remember to not be too tough on yourself the next time you buy more things than intended, because it is all by design.  The physical retail and online environments are engineered to get consumers to spend more than intended.  Unconscious attitudes and behaviors could be contagious, so always try to exercise the power of positivity. 

References

Berger, J. (2013).  Contagious:  Why things catch on.  New York, NY.  Simon & Schuster. 

Dijksterhuis, A., Smith, P., Van Baaren, R. & Wigboldus, D. (2005) The Unconscious Consumer:  Effects of Environment on Consumer Behavior.  Journal of Consumer Psychology, 15(3), 193-202, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.  Retrieved from:  https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Pamela_Smith5/publication/232601627_The_Unconscious_Consumer_Effects_of_Environment_on_Consumer_Behavior/links/5a7a35f10f7e9b41dbd615b6/The-Unconscious-Consumer-Effects-of-Environment-on-Consumer-Behavior.pdf

*All of the images appearing in this blog are stock photos. 

Gary’s wife claimed her house had been overrun by the color green, and it isn’t because he painted the walls a calming shade of apple. Like many others worldwide, Gary had pick-up a new hobby to deal with the COVID stresses of 2020.

These stress triggers are consistent across various continents dealing with the pandemic. For essential workers, this may be tied to working outside of the home and risking infection. Alternatively, those staying home may feel cooped up and realize that they aren’t getting out enough. Lots of people are fearful of catching the virus. And certainly worse, the inability to interact with friends and friends regularly has taken a toll on all of us. So it isn’t a surprise that Gary has turned to gardening to help manage his mental health.

Jung Lee sits in her quaint rooftop flat. She eagerly begins opening her government-issued package. She is one of 2,000 South Korean citizens who’ve received a personal plant kit. These kits were sent to its citizens to help alleviate the stress of self-isolation—a small but meaningful gesture to help its people cope with the repercussions of the pandemic (Kim & Talmazan, 2020).

This trend in home gardening has picked up momentum in 2020. The Chicago Tribute writes that “#Plant has over 34 million posts on Instagram” (Leazenby, 2020. para. 3). In fact, plant prices have skyrocketed in the last year. The increase in demand has pushed for more inventory of rare and exotic specimens (Ocampo, 2020).

To help keep costs down and encourage responsible harvesting many individuals are looking to online communities to share their plant obsessions. In addition, there is an uptick in smaller mom and pop shops jumping on the social media bandwagon to promote their own businesses. Every day plant enthusiasts have morphed into their own plant influencer, sharing what nurseries they have visited, and what plants are in stock at their local big box store, nursery, or specialty grocery store. Others have brought their love of plants and the sharing of care tips to Youtube as a way to share their knowledge. The relatively small, niche audience and local following have worked together to generate good business for local plant businesses and the community during the COVID slow down.

References:

Kim, S., & Talmazan, Y. (2020) South Korea distributes ‘pet plants’ to fight COVID depression. NBC News. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/south-korea-distributes-pet-plants-fight-covid-depression-n1231695

Leazenby, L. (2020, Aug) More than decor: Houseplants can boost your mental health while COVID-19 has you stuck inside. The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from https://losangeles.networkofcare.org/mh/news-article-detail.aspx?id=115736

Ocampo, K. R. (2020, Sept. 1) Plantitos, plantitas sprout profiteers. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved from https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1329557/plantitos-plantitas-sprout-with-profiteers

            The three major cellular phone carriers AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon want your business now more than ever before! The new 5G data availability with four new options for mobile devices, coupled with the release of the new iPhone 12, are all factors in the new pitch war between the competitors. There is now a race to capture you as their new customer to have you leave the other guy. The questions I ask are: Will the offers and specials be enough to have you second guess being poached from your current carrier? Will your current carrier provide a better counteroffer? You are the deciding factor to help build their market-share. You have the power to stimulate possibly the biggest growth they have seen thus far in this challenging year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The networks are different for the first time,” said Cliff Maldonado, principal analyst at Bay Street Research. “5G is the perfect time to justify switching carriers.” (FitzGerald & Higgins, 2020).

            Mr. Maldonado feels that each network presents its own uniqueness to consumers in which they can use their buying power. You most likely already own a mobile device. In addition, you probably own an Apple product as well. If you are not an Apple consumer, the goal of the new marketing strategy for Apple is to entice you to become an Apple user. It took me a while to become an Apple consumer however when my employer used this product as a manager, I had no choice at the time. After using the product for three years, I was then presented with an option to combine my personal device with work. I took the option but to ensure my phone functioned to the standard needed for work demands, I became an Apple consumer as well. There is no way I will return to Android after using this device.

            With the launch of the new ad campaigns to grab your attention, the decision could be tough. Will you make the change? Will Verizon really be able to deliver the speed as promised by the device and 5G service? Investors in the 5G network expansion believe that this will be a great time to gain a return on their investment with the new iPhone 12 introductions. AT&T has offered free iPhone for new and current customers who decide to sign up for unlimited data plans (FitzGerald & Higgins, 2020). iPhone customers are very loyal to the brand, according to consumer research conducted in 2018 (Rozaq & Soni, 2018). In this research article, it was clear that because of consistency of the product consumers would remain loyal to the brand overall. The level of satisfaction with Apple products is high. In a 2015 article Patrick Seitz wrote that there would be a surge of a switch of Samsung users to Apple users (Seitz, 2015).

            If you are not an iPhone consumer, will you decide to make the switch and buy into all the offers for this new iPhone 12? If you are an Apple consumer, will you upgrade to one of the new iPhone 12 offered devices this year? Only you know why you will make the choice, and hopefully it will be what is best for you and not just because it is a new fad to follow.

  Fauzi, A., & Harsono, S. (2018). THE EFFECT OF BRAND IMAGE AND SERVICE

QUALITY ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND LOYALTY OF IPHONE USERS IN SURABAYA. Russian Journal of Agricultural and Socio-Economic Sciences, 79(7), 261–269. https://doi.org/10.18551/rjoas.2018-07.28

FitzGerald, D., & Higgins, T. (2020, October 17). New 5G iPhones Kick Off Poaching Season

for Carriers. The Wallstreet Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-5g-iphones-kick-off-poaching-season-for-carriers-11602943200?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1

  Seitz, P. (2015, June 29). Apple iPhone demand, brand loyalty remain strong. Investor’s

Business Daily.

With COVID-19 precautions still in action, we are spending less time in person with people, and spending more time glued to our phones. In order to stay connected during this time to our loved ones or to keep in the loop with current trends, our digital devices are our number one source for information. With less opportunities to network and convene with those who have common interests, online communities have been developing strong presences across multiple platforms whether it be through Facebook Groups, Discord, or even Instagram. 

Due to the reliability of social media to stay connected, online groups have been growing and engagement has significantly increased so that individuals could share their daily lives or common interests with others on the internet. With the need to be vocal and to share our daily lives, these groups facilitate a space to maintain and foster relationships, all while being physically apart. 

Finding Your New Friends

Groups on a platform have been flourishing as demands for online communities have been increasing, due to the need for online social interaction. These groups permit individuals to continue making new connections from their digital devices. Applications such as Discord, has created a new realm of social interaction as many individuals are enabled to create their own online communities, or join one of their interests. Throughout the pandemic, the usage of Discord has increased significantly as many individuals are searching for spaces to connect with others through voice or chat. Discord provides online communities with a well organized platform to share their ideas or create discussion. The ease of interaction within Discord has prompted towards a new type of connection, a much more personalized bond. Discord has grown to be a platform which hosts discussions for career building, investment, video gaming, and much more. Due to the secluded nature of Discord channels as well, it has added onto a sense of exclusivity of a community, as members of a community must be invited through a custom URL and approved. Discord channels are not quite heavily moderated and are not available for the public to view, with this sense of exclusivity, it makes individuals joining feel as though they have been accepted into a social group. 

A New Type of Advertising….Self-Promotion?

These groups for communications have been providing many with the company they are lacking due to the current circumstances with “social distancing”, but the usage of these online communities provide us with a space that allows us to continue socializing through our screens. The rise of these communities have also prompted a new sense of promotion, this being self promotion. As an individual slowly becomes well known in these online communities, they build trust and credibility. With the trust and credibility build, they are more likely to launch a service or product pertaining to the topic of the community. Due to the online community’s trust, they are more likely to receive attention from their fellow community members who are trying to support them. These online communities are great places to network and foster relationships for those who are self-starters and looking to develop a product or business within that niche. 

Many small businesses have begun booming or raising awareness due to the help of these online communities. Charcuterie, DIY, and small restaurants have all benefited from these online communities where individuals share their products in development with the group, getting the group excited and well connected towards how the business is developing. Since these online communities target niche markets, this provides a space for these early-stage businesses to self promote themselves towards a specific targeted audience. 

References:

https://www.techtimes.com/articles/253305/20201013/why-influencer-marketing-is-the-next-big-thing.htm

https://www.dbltap.com/posts/tracing-the-widespread-adoption-of-discord-01ej78v0rsms

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/facebook-releases-new-insights-on-groups-usage-during-covid-19/587146/

If you know any Armenian or have any Armenian friends I am sure by now you are well aware of what our Armenian brothers and sisters in the region of Artsakh are dealing. On September 26, 2020, Azerbedjian initiated an attack on the long disputed region of Nagorno-Kharabakh, an area right by the Azerbedjian border that is heavily populated with Armenians (Toal, O’Loughlin, Bakke, 2020). This region has been long disputed between the two countries due to the crash of the Soviet Union, where the region was annexed to Azerbedjian, which essentially led to war in 1994 resulting in a ceasefire. (Toal, O’Loughlin, Bakke, 2020) With the ceasefire intact Azerbedjian decided to break their agreement and initiate attacks on the region. As a result the Armenian diaspora has become enraged because of the years of conflict not only with the Azeri people, but also their neighboring country of Turkey. This ongoing dispute has targeted Armenians and the Republic of Armenia since the early 20th century where a Genocide was induced by the Ottoman Empire. Over 100 years later, these acts of terrorism have not ceased and with the emergence of the digital age, it has become more evident as to what the Turkish-Azeri agenda has been all along.

To further relate this to integrated communications I’d like to discuss the power of social media and how quickly and easily news is spread all around the world. In the past, where war has initiated, we would have news articles and eventually television coverage of what is happening around the world. In todays era, we are able to get news immediately. Being of Armenian decent most of my surrounding friends and family have also been Armenian. With the emergence of the war in the region of Nagorno-Karabagh, the Armenian diaspora has become a social media army, joining forces of Armenians around the world. Armenians are able to come together on social media platforms in order to find resolutions and provide aid to our country not only by following each other and talking amongst ourselves, but by using these platforms in order to spread awareness all around the world with what is happening back home in our country.

Social media has become a powerful tool in integrating communications. Whether it be for the purpose of advertising a business or for using any sort of post to spread awareness of a movement, like we saw with the BLM movement, it has enhanced individual knowledge and allows for people to spread news in all parts of the world. Some examples of integrating communications as a response to the war in Armenia include news posts giving us updates about the current situation. There is also an overflow of information about the conflict, a timeline of the conflict, as well as posts recognizing the deeper issue of why the war in 2020 broke out. Additionally, there is information about the sort of protests there will be and where we can make donations. However, with the use of social media to spread good and helpful advice, there is also ongoing hatred and cyberattacks initiated by opposing party’s.

Cyberbots have been unleashed onto social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter to send terrorist messages to Armenian people, glorifying crimes against humanity. Social media has become a part of modern day warfare and it is being used in front of all of our eyes to both help aid Armenia and release hate against the Armenian people. It is important to unite with your social media followers in order to spread awareness for a good cause and declare humanitarian peace amongst all. Social media is a powerful tool and may either lead to more hatred, war and propaganda or it may unite the world into fighting against war crimes on human rights. By doing so, we will be able to stop the continued violence not only in Armenia but all around the world. We as a society are no longer blind to the crimes happening in the world and we must unite in order to stop terrorism and stop terrorist dictators from regaining power and expressing their hatred towards a particular race/culture and religion.

Sources:

Toal, G., O’Loughlin, J., Bakke, K. (2020). The fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh is about local territories and wider rivalries. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/10/02/fighting-nagorno-karabakh-is-about-local-territories-wider-rivalries/

The image below was posted on to Twitter and various other social media platforms in order to spread awareness of what the Armenian people are currently dealing with, hatred.