Blog 3: Evolving From Television to Social Media

            Marketing strategies have evolved immensely over the years.  From the days when advertisements were only seen through published documents or the first ever advertisement shown on television, it can be clearly seen that marketing strategies are changing all the time.  These changes can be credited to many factors such as technological changes and improvements, the changes in interests of consumers, or even a change in how our consumers are raised.  Below you will find a link to the first commercial shown on television.  View the commercial and think to yourself, am I interested enough to learn more?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsjc2uDi1OI

            When this advertisement was first shown it was most likely very popular due to the fact that there had been nothing of this sort created at the time.  However, due to changes in consumer’s interests, this would most likely not gain interest today.  Many consumers today are interested in the TV commercial with the loudest music, or the funniest skit, or the brightest colors, or the most fancy product.  We were raised on commercials like this, thus our interest.  For example, view this link to see a modern day commercial and note the major differences between television commercials in 1941 to today.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctj-RDbTBMU .It makes me wonder how much more we can evolve in the segment of TV advertising.  This brings me to one of my main points in this article.  Are consumers becoming less interested in long television commercials and leaning more towards short advertisements on social media?

            I recently read an article that I thought would be interesting to share with the readers of this blog.  They state in the article, “Such platforms are suited to this age of ADD, he adds, when the best way to reach someone is in those "in-between" moments when they're flipping through content on a mobile device.”  This rings true because of the constant “on the go” mentality people uphold.  No longer do most people sit watching TV on their break.  I, for one, have noticed this tactic through my twitter and Facebook accounts where advertisements are put in random areas in between a number of posts.  It is very difficult to miss these advertisements, which is a plus for companies using this marketing strategy.  They are more likely to check social media on a computer or mobile device.  Thus while checking this social media they will see the same advertisements as those watching TV, just in a quicker form.  I’m sure we can all relate to the annoying commercials that come on the TV and all you can think to do is change the channel but you find another long commercial you don’t want to sit through.   These advertisements on social media are short, sweet, and to the point and all you have to do if you are not interested in them is scroll past it.  The likelihood of a consumer seeing an advertisement via social media can be greater due to the portability of a mobile device and the ability to essentially look at social media anytime you want.  With the ever-changing technological forces in marketing, social media is becoming one of the most pre- dominant ways to get in contact with someone.  Marketing through these services can greatly increase the success of companies, allowing them to reach out to more consumers.  Below is a link to the article:

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/229806

Blog 2: Body Language Linked to Successful Marketing

            A major factor in effective marketing is body language.  How a seller conducts themselves in front of potential buyers plays a large part in whether they win over the crowd in pitching their product or they fail to grasp their attention.  I recently viewed a TED Talk by Amy Cuddy, which actually sparked me to write this blog post as I found her information to be very helpful. 

Cuddy, a researcher and professor at Harvard Business School, speaks on the effect of something as simple as a body position that can greatly increase the confidence an individual has.  She calls these actions “nonverbal actions," which cannot only have an influence on audiences but also can impact us as an individual.  Simple actions such as being more relaxed in a seat or not curling yourself into a ball can lead to higher confidence levels among individuals.  Basically, what she means, is that in order for an individual to show confidence they must open up their body.  This opening up can be subtle or it can be exaggerated.  For example, she mentions going into a bathroom before a job interview and looking in the mirror and raising your hands above your head to give you a sense of pride.  If this method does not work stand with your hands on your hips and look in the mirror.  Since these stances are referenced with power and success they are used to spark a sense of confidence in the body.  Below I have incorporated images of individuals expressing the position of pride and success.

http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/PsyvGC3.qyE1.TPGbaw2dg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTI1MA--/http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/sports/2013-03-08/c268a70e-e084-4f1a-9518-194b738fccc7_97279077.jpg

http://yahsuccessblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/business_success_man_large_fotolia.jpg

Another interesting point Cuddy references are the hormonal balance of testosterone and cortisol (a stress hormone) to further explain her point.  She states that testosterone levels among ‘high power’ individuals are higher than that of low power individuals where cortisol levels are higher.

So you may ask, “What do I do if none of this works?”  Well as Amy Cuddy simply puts it, fake it.  If you feel as though you do not have the confidence or pride in yourself that you need to do something, you need to psych yourself into thinking that you can. Tell yourself that you know what you’re doing, that nobody deserves it more.  Tell yourself that you are the best and the only one for the job.  By doing this you create confidence in yourself and you will ultimately gain the actual confidence you need.  One may wonder, “Wouldn’t this ‘fakeness’ portray me as a bad individual or look bad to my evaluators.”  By faking it, you are creating a false positive in your mind to push yourself to do something.  You are faking confidence because that is what you need to do, to be the person you need to be at that point in time.  This should give you the boost you need to either get through a job interview or a presentation.  You’re not faking that you know the material; you’re merely faking yourself into being able to produce good work.  It is a mere false positive that can in the end; get you to where you want to be.

Overall Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk reveals a key aspect in successful marketing that I think we can all benefit from learning.  Good body language can make or break a deal and in business that can mean a potential high paying customer.  One of the processes in the consumer purchase decision process is evaluative criteria.  This means evaluating different products to purchase.  This could also mean evaluating the seller of the product.  If the seller does not have confidence and has difficulty selling the product well and engaging consumers, the product will most likely not be bought.  The link below is the 21 minute segment of Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk which I hope everyone can benefit from watching.

http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are

Blog 1: Marketing, St. Mikes, and the Real World

Marketing, one could argue, is the sole purpose businesses all over the world are successful.  Without advertisement businesses would not be able to promote their product to society and if the public is not aware of a company’s item it will not be bought which will then lead to a decrease in profit for a company.  To me this impact in which marketing has on businesses is phenomenal because it can be so simple as a piece of paper advertising for lawn care or a massive billboard on the side of the interstate attracting the eye of curious drivers.  To be apart of this major area of business seems fascinating.

Being enrolled at St. Michaels College as a business major it enables the business student to learn the aspects of business in their freshmen year allowing them to choose a concentration in later years.  Going in as a declared business major I was enrolled in an introduction business course to learn about each area of business.  After becoming interested in the marketing portion of business I decided to take the second level marketing course which seems to be both demanding and interesting at the same time.  A main point in marketing is presentation and this is incorporated every day in class.  Each class begins with three students each presenting either a TED talk or an ad of their choice.  By doing this it allows students to work on presentation skills, which are very important after college.  Whether it is at a job interview or a product promotion, presentation skills are a must.  Another project in class is the group project in which we will work in groups of four to successfully create and market a backpack.  In my eyes these hands on projects are what helps students get a feel for working in the real world.  By working in groups it allows each individual to work on collaboration skills and by having to actually market a product is the best training for any student interested in entering the marketing field of business.  The last project in the course has to do with the very blog in which you are reading.  By creating a blog it allows students to get used to social media, connecting with society, and ultimately can lead to a better businessperson.  Business in general, especially marketing is being geared more towards the technological sector these days.  By having the skills to promote via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or blogging it is one more tool a marketer can use to get through to potential customers or followers.  Incorporating these projects into a course can greatly improve the knowledge and savvy of potential marketers in the business world.

One goal I have for this summer is to get a job in the marketing field or maybe create a better marketing system for my current job.  The restaurant currently utilizes small newspaper ads, however I believe with better social media advertisement and maybe even commercials on local TV stations, our profits could increase due to the increase in customers if the marketing works properly.  I feel as though the marketing course mentioned above can help motivate me to help my current job and increase my knowledge of the marketing field and help me as a future businessman.