"Buy the Way…" Insights on Integrated Marketing Communication

Post-election results have produced a wide range of emotions, whether positive or negative, regardless individuals and organizations have made their voice be heard on where they stand. Immediately after it was apparent that Trump had won the 2016 Presidency, my Facebook and Twitter became flooded with their personal opinions and feelings, most negative, hopeless, and distraught. The posts that were the hardest to read where those full of negativity and hate, rather than taking this tough outcome as a time to come together and work as a unit instead of against each other.

With Trump making his views on Muslims apparent by calling for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our countries representatives can figure out what is going on” (Reisinger, 2016). This statement caused a world of chaos and backlash from both sides, including Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. President-elect Trump and his supporters went on to be “criticized during the campaign for espousing rhetoric interpreted as anti-Muslim” (Reisinger, 2016).

In recent weeks, Amazon released an online advertisement for Amazon Prime that included a Priest and Imam sharing tea together as friends, and concluding with sending each other the same gift. They used this online marketing to “deliver promotional marketing messages to consumers” (Wikipedia, 2016). In addition to promoting Amazon Prime, Amazon wanted to communicate that “We are people first” (Goldman, 2016). Yes,we are all human, but must “embrace the things that make us different, but we’re all very much the same” (Goldman, 2016). With this advertisement being released a couple of weeks after the election can make it appear to be a political movement, but Amazon spokeswoman, Julie Law, says there was none, “This advertisement was produced and booked to appear on TV before the election result was known, so this certainly isn’t a reaction to that” (Goldman, 2016). She goes on to say that this was filmed prior to election results.

Right after the release of the advertisement, Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos, made a public statement by tweeting the video and how “proud” he was of his advertising team for creating it.

https://youtu.be/Ouu6LGGIWsc

Will there be more organizations to release similar advertisements? While watching the video, it hit a soft spot and was happy to see a positive outcome from post-election results.

References:

Goldman, D. (2016). Is Amazon going after Trump with its new ad. CNNTech. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2016/11/18/technology/amazon-ad-priest-imam/

Reisinger, D. (2016). Watch the Amazon ad that tries to heal America. Fortune. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2016/11/18/amazon-ad-priest-imam/

Steinberg, B. (2009). The future of tv. Advertising Age. (Nov 30). Retrieved from http://adage.com/article/mediaworks/future-tv/140751/

Wikipedia page on online advertising (click and read the links on specific types of online advertising.) Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_advertising

Though most people in the U.S. celebrate Thursday’s day of thanks with family and friends, come Friday through the following Monday, thankfulness transitions from what they have to what they can purchase.  Thanks (no pun intended) to ever growing technology, the tradition of Black Friday shopping in person at brick-and-mortar stores has extended to include online shopping with a day of its own: Cyber Monday.

Last year Adobe – which collected data on the 2015 Cyber Monday – discovered that $3.07 billion was spent on online purchases alone, breaking the all-too-recent new record set by the 2015 Black Friday amount of $2.74 billion.  Having just “celebrated” Black Friday and having yet to “celebrate” Cyber Monday tomorrow, we shall see what is to come of this years’ totals.

But regardless of the amount spent, this is clearly “the most wonderful time of the year” for companies to shine through marketing.  So how should marketing go about to be able to “dance like sugar plums all in [people’s] heads”?  Well, there a few things a company, wanting to do so, should consider.

In the United States, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving that marks the beginning of Christmas shopping.  Cyber Monday, is the Monday immediately following that Black Friday that promotes similar shopping via online stores.  When it comes to marketing, a company needs to know their target audience well enough to consider whether there should be a focus on marketing for only Black Friday, only for Cyber Monday, or both.  A company should also consider its resources. For a large company tackling the whole weekend from Black Friday to Cyber Monday may not be as challenging as compared to a small business.  It is critical to know the target audience and understand that though marketing efforts may reach new people, the focus should be much more on retaining the current audience.

Additionally, a company needs to consider the variety of technical devices – especially mobile, hand-held devices.  Because of such gadgets, people shopping in person on Black Friday may very well be researching and comparing simultaneously to online deals.  A company would need to consider whether they want in-store deals to be different or the same as online deals and whether those deals will be different or the same on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or both days.

Lastly, a company needs to consider social media – especially when it comes to Cyber Monday.  With so much engagement taking place via social media, this needs to seriously be considered within the marketing strategy as it ties in to these large kick-off holiday shopping days.  The engagement must be consistent and be of the proper “language” according to the social media platform being used.

These considerations are nothing outside of what many would consider to be in likeness to common sense.  However, though they appear to be minor, they can be significant in the success or failure of a company’s marketing for the start of the Christmas shopping season.

References:

Wattles, J. (2015). Cyber Monday hits $3 billion sales record. CNN Money. Retrieved from: http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/30/news/companies/cyber-monday-sales/

IKEA has always been an adventure, at least it is when I go with my daughter. Covered in gravy and excited to see furniture my whole trip seems to turn into one giant impulse shopping spree. During my most recent trip I focused on the other shoppers rather than the plethora of goods. There were families discussing décor ideas and kids playing in the children rooms. Thoughtful decisions were being made and memories created. Other than looking like a big weirdo watching people buy furniture I feel like I learned something. There were people of all colors and creeds all sharing the same interest in products.

Recently IKEA released an ad showing kids taking a Christmas tree out of a house and placing it in the woods with other trees. The ending says “The best gift is being together”.

IKEA Operation Treenapping –

https://youtu.be/HFJ2PSujAeA

IKEA is a household name and known for their gigantic stores with a seemingly never-ending product list of funny names. In their 2017 catalog there is an ad depicting a same-sex couple with a banner in the foreground reading “All homes are created equal”. While this was not the first time IKEA embraced the LBGT community it is what people needed to see at this point in time. IKEA is displaying unity as a celebration of differences. They are placing importance on bringing homes together in more way than one. The newer ads show how IKEA furniture can successfully intersect with life.

All Homes Are Created Equal –

http://www.newnownext.com/ikea-gay-couple-ad/10/2016/

IKEA Dining Room (1994) –

https://youtu.be/T-sIQa5mfIM

IKEA embraces how simply living life and creating memories have replaced the desire to hoard material objects. This could explain why in some parts of the country “Tiny Living” has exploded. The emotional responses that IKEA is aiming for with the short ads is resonating with consumers. They are able to break down barriers by showing how all families are relatively the same.

IKEA The Dream –

https://youtu.be/paBMdyodF3c

Who said chatting was dead? The 90’s brought the rise of instant messaging (IM). AOL, MSN, Yahoo, and Skype were the leaders in IM. As social platforms gained popularity such as Myspace and Facebook the decline in IM usage dropped.  Fast forward to 2016 and IM has made a huge comeback, with IM apps surpassing the amount of active users of social networks (BI Intelligence, 2016).

The most popular IM platforms are WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat.  Even Instagram added chatting features to its platform.  Snapchat has also become extremely popular worldwide for the 18-24 age group (Schafer, 2016).

(Johnson, 2016)

But can chat be the next big thing in advertising?  Some marketers seem to think so and here is why you should too!

• Year of the Bot. – Beered Sheth, CEO of Gupshup predicts a chat bot explosion is about to be unleashed starting with Facebook (Swant, 2016).  Chatbots will increase brand interaction among consumers.  Chatbots can hail a cab for you or pay your bills all through private IMs.

• Custom Customer Service.  Sephora is a first adopter in this arena (Honigman, 2016).  Want to know reviews on the new Urban Decay palette just text Sephora and their chat bots will share reviews with you.  Need an idea for holiday makeup and Sephora’s chatbot will share great holiday looks and links to videos for you to watch and learn.  Brands can leverage their marketing and advertising content in a way that is much more organic and the consumer has total control.

• It is Measurable. As marketers, we have first-hand access understanding consumer behavior.  Using private IM to interact with our consumers allows us to gain insight of an untapped source of consumer data.  Brands can craft communications to be more “immediate, expressive, and intimate” and move away from being content-oriented to person-oriented (Schafer, 2016).  

If used correctly the IM can very well be the best thing to happen to marketers, because after all consumers want personalization, authenticity, and real experiences.

“To me the phone is this seldom used app on my phone” – Gary Gulman, Comedian

Swant, M. (2016). Why brands from barbie to uber are so hot on chatbots. Are automated messaging platforms the new customer service rep. Ad Week. Retrieved from http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/why-brands-barbie-uber-are-so-hot-chatbots-170577

Johnson, L. (2016). 7 big trends that are shaping the future of digital advertising. Ad WEEK. Retrieved http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/7-big-trends-are-shaping-future-digital-advertising-171773

Honigaman, B. (2016). The future is here: messaging apps are about to revolutionize marketing. Retrieved from http://www.brianhonigman.com/future-of-chat-apps/

Schafer, M. W. (2016). What marketers need to know about chat apps. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2016/06/what-marketers-need-to-know-about-chat-apps

Have you noticed that common sense, decency, and politeness have gone the way of rotary phones and dial-up Internet? The presidential elections of 2016 have me feeling some kind of way!

Raise you hand if you took a break from social media after being berated, verbally attacked and finding yourself curled up in the fetal position after arguing over your opinion. The level of hate that our cyber lives have indigested has been overwhelming. We as adults have hopefully unplugged and looked for a more meaningful perspective on current events. Sadly the children of our nation have not been able to do so.

Current news media has labeled Trump a bully, and the real life consequences have filtered down into high schools and playgrounds. This has been labeled the Trump effect. Politicus USA (2016) ran quotes from teachers across the nation explaining the affect this election has had on their students.

“In Virginia, an elementary school teacher says students are “crying in the classroom and having meltdowns at home.”

In Oregon, a K-3 teacher says her black students are “concerned for their safety because of what they see on TV at Trump rallies.”

In North Carolina, a high school teacher says she has “Latino students who carry their birth certificates and Social Security cards to school because they are afraid they will be deported.”

Another nationally discussed incident happened in a Texas high school, where Hispanic students were singled out. The press is putting stories like this at the forefront of their nightly broadcasts.

Children experience varying degrees of insecurity and during primary school years. High school can be even worse. There are victims and perpetrators. What precedence for discipline can be set if kids are hearing hate speech from the highest office in our country? Will they receive discipline if bullying is now rewarded? How de we answer these questions? I have chosen to take an introspective look, sticks and stones are not the only threat, and words will always hurt us.

It is embarrassing, it is shameful and it has opened a can of worms none of us are ready to deal with. Personally I believe this year’s shopping season couldn’t come sooner. We can drown out our fears with consumerism, over consumption, and possibly some holiday cheer. Hopefully the fears and uncertainty that children are experiencing can be cured with a visit from Santa. If only life was that simple.

References

AP Reuters. (2016, November 13). Post-Trump victory bullying, harassment reported in schools. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/post-trump-victory-bullying-harassment-reported-schools/

Jones, S. (2016, October 03). Teachers alarmed that Trump’s behavior is causing increased bullying in US schools. Retrieved from http://www.politicususa.com/2016/10/03/concerned-teachers-speak-alarming-trend-bullying-call-trump-effect.html

Holley, P. (2016, November 17). White Texas teens chant ‘build that wall’ at Hispanics during high school volleyball match. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/11/17/white-texas-teens-chant-build-that-wall-at-hispanics-during-high-school-volleyball-match/

Sunglasses are awesome. I wear them all the time. So I googled this subject and found a video by Casey Neistat.

People wear different styles and brands; for various reasons. Prices vary from very generic about $1.00 at Dollar Tree to Chopard De Rigo Vision Sunglasses that retail for $408,000.00. Do I need a pair of nearly half-million dollar sunglasses?? Probably not, I’d probably loose them. And those who can afford them are probably not too worried if their lost.

The sunglass industry is just as interested in what you wear and believe me, they are closely watching. For me, I zinged my pupils pretty good when I was a young teenager that knew everything by watching my uncle weld on farm equipment. So sunglasses have a myriad of benefits.

According to Forbes, this $140B industry is stacked with competition. “Branding is critical for sunglass companies. With so many companies providing a similar product and value proposition, often what distinguishes one from another is its ability to sell itself.” So what does that mean? Companies that invest in the integrity of their product will invoke sales and promote additional benefits such as eye protection from Ultraviolet Rays and Ultraviolet B light, style. Companies will have larger profits and maintain a stronger position within the industry.

Jack Nicolson was asked one time why he wears sunglasses; his responses was “if I don’t wear sunglasses, I look like another old man, but when I wear sunglasses, I’m Jack Nicolson”

One thing for certain in the fashion and pragmatic industry to maintain it’s consistency as an accessory for all walks if life is none other than sunglasses. Branding eyewear companies are obsessed with quality, high-end looks and  a price range that it is friendly.

References

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ajagrawal/2015/12/18/the-sunglasses-industry-a-lesson-in-the-importance-of-branding/#1438d62c69eb

From Apple YouTube. The Human Family – Shot on iPhone.

In a time where it seems that racial tensions are on the rise, a few brands have decided to show the world where they stand.  Brands such as Apple, with their Human Family commercial, and Nike, partner with Chance the Rapper for Unlimited Together, are hoping to remind America that we are one and not divided during such a divisive campaign. But is it appropriate for a brand to have an opinion on any social issues, and to go as far as to using that message to possibly increase sales? Also, are these campaigns even effective?

With the launch of the iPhone 6 Apple created a very successful campaign called “Shot on an iPhone”, which allowed iPhone users to take photos and upload it to Apple’s app. Apple then used these photos on billboards around the country. The campaign was so successful the relaunched it for the iPhone 6s earlier this year to be used in 85 cities around the world (Lovejoy, 2016). These ads are fun and allow users to engage with the brand, however, they do not take a stand on a particular issue.

Fast forward to the 2016 Olympics, an event, according to the NY times, that reached 31 million views during the London Olympics (Sandomir, 2016), is the perfect place to get lots of eyes on your product or service. The Olympics is a time where we come together as a country with our best athletes, regardless of race, gender, and religion, in order to compete against other countries. During such a contentious and divisive presidential campaign, the Olympics is a time where we can rally together in the pride of our country and everything it stands for, so it only makes sense that during this time brands come up with some of the most touching campaign.

Apple managed to put together a touching commercial that capitalizes on that very moment of pride in our country as we root for our teams. Apple used pictures from the Shot on an iPhone campaign in a collage and set it to the voice of Maya Angelou reading her poem the Human Family.

The commercial still plays today and the message still runs deep during a time of uncertainty, and fear. It’s a message of unity and that we are indeed one family.

As brands begin to take a position on a cause they must keep in mind not to alienate their audience. However, if a brand has built a culture that their customers are attracted to they have done enough research on their target audience to know that their core audience.

What are your thoughts on brand taking a position? Is it beneficial for consumers to know where their brand stands on an issue?

References
Lovejoy, B. (2016). Apple reboots ‘Shot on iPhone 6’ campaign with all-new photos from the iPhone 6s. 9to5Mac. Retrieved 27 November 2016, from https://9to5mac.com/2016/02/01/shot-on-iphone-6s/

Sandomir, R. (2016). As Olympic Viewership Falls, NBC Thinks of the Bigger Picture. Nytimes.com. Retrieved 27 November 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/11/sports/olympics/tv-ratings-for-olympics-on-nbc-down-20-percent-from-london-games.html?_r=0