And that's a wrap folks!

Wow- I can't believe the semester is coming to an end. In these past four months, I have expanded my marketing knowledge and consider myself to be well-versed on the subject. With every marketing class I take, I am always a little surprised at how much more I learn about marketing. It really is a field that is constantly changing, so there's always something new to learn- hence why I love it!

This semester in Campaign Planning & Management has been a huge learning experience for me- and also a big test of how much I have really grasped and learned in previous marketing courses. It seems like junior year is where I learned the bulk of my marketing knowledge, and senior year is where a lot of the application has taken place. Our weekly blog posts, class discussions, group activities, and final campaign project are all examples of ways I have applied my knowledge of marketing theories and concepts. Learning and testing about these concepts is one thing, but the true test of knowledge comes from applying it to a project or activity.

This course has taught me to be a more independent learner. I have always been the kind of student who has a lot of questions to ask, but I have learned to try and "go with the flow" and stick with what I know. The structure of this course was much more laid back than most I have taken, so it took me some time to adjust. Sometimes it's okay to not have a plan or a lot of direction, because it enables you to think freely and creatively.

The final campaign plan project was a huge obstacle for me in this course- one that I wasn't sure I could overcome. Working in a group of three, our task was to create a promotional campaign for a client in the community. Each client was significantly different, creating unique challenges for each group to face. My group chose Gauthier & Sugermeyer CPA, an accounting firm located in Ludlow, MA. With limited information on the firm in an industry that does not thrive from marketing efforts, this project was a huge challenge. Fortunately, because of our group's determination and efforts to understand the ins and outs of this accounting firm, we were able to create a successful campaign. We had to really work backwards and understand the key points of difference about this firm and come up with a unique and clever way to position them in the industry, without being "too flashy" (apparently in the accounting firm, they fear having advertisements that are too flashy). This project had us working well outside of our comfort zones, another reason why it was such a great feeling to have finished it successfully. I consider this project to be another huge accomplishment from this semester.

Overall, I have really enjoyed my experience in Campaign Planning & Management, and I have enjoyed sharing my experience through this blog. Blogging has become extremely relevant in my life since last year. During my junior year, I had to blog weekly in my Social Media Marketing course, which gave me a brief idea about how to blog. Then, this course required me to blog twice a week- which really forced me to think creatively about different concepts and stories in the marketing field. In addition, I was able to put these two blogging experiences to good use at my internship, where I have been given the task of blogging for some of the agency's clients. Blogging is really useful and effective in the marketing industry, and it's also fun! I'm highly considering creating a personal blog so I can stay up to date with how to effectively blog.

It's been another great semester, and I can't believe it's already over! Seven down, ONE to go!

Who are the Founders?

I stumbled across an article on American Marketing Association's website about how MTV decided to rename the Post-Millennial Generation to "the founders". In marketing, it is important to understand different demographic groups, paying particular attention to their generation. My age group is characterized as millennials, and the name has stuck. There are certain marketing tactics that work effectively depending on which generation of consumers you are trying to reach. This new name and understanding of the post-millennial generation may have an influence on marketing strategies in the future.

How did they decide on this name? MTV decided to have different qualitative focus groups to better understand what the post-millennials thought about their name. They noticed a theme within the responses, all relating to the idea that this generation is about "founding". They are considered to be an extremely diverse generation "founding" a whole new lifestyle and way of living. I thought it was funny when the article mentioned that the people in this generation "were born with an iPad in their hand". This is so true- I have younger cousins that were born in the 2000's and they could probably use an iPad better than me. When I was that age, I was concerned with finding outfits for my Barbies and American Girl dolls. This generation is obsessed with technology, because it's all that they know. They did now know a life without it, because they were born into the digital world we live in now. I'm grateful to have been a kid when it was normal to play outside after school, not sit on the couch playing games on an iPad.

The article said that this generation is "building a new society in the wake of disruption". This generation seems like it requires extremely different marketing tactics than other generations. It may be even more difficult to market to this cohort, because it is so diverse. I wonder if there are enough similarities within consumers to create effective marketing messages. The article mentioned that in order to effectively reach this generation, they need to use visual imagery. It also discussed how they live in a world offering extreme customization, more than ever before.The representative from MTV said that "they're going to expect a level of customization from marketers that I don't think we can imagine at this point.

It looks like marketers have a tough road ahead of them when trying to market to "the founders".

The Inside Scoop About Online Shopping

Online shopping is a college student's best friend and enemy. Having a busy class and work schedule leaves little to no time to get to the mall and shop. Unfortunately, this poses a big problem for an avid shopper like myself. So, online shopping is the answer to my problem- it allows me to buy all of my unnecessary purchases from the comfort of my own bed. But, online shopping is my enemy because it allows me to spend so much money with the click of my computer mouse. The worst part is, many of the online sites I shop on, like Amazon, already have all of my credit card information. They definitely do that so you'll purchase more items effortlessly!

I came across an interesting article about mind-blowing statistics regarding online shopping. Online shopping is considered to be a multibillion-dollar revenue stream that plays a huge role in a business' success. Online marketing strategies have to be extremely specific to your target audience, particularly their shopping patterns. Based on what we have learned in class, marketing messages need to be tailored differently to an online audience.

An interesting statistic I read in the article was that "72% of millennials research and shop their options online before going to a store or the mall". I find this statistic to be extremely accurate, because I always search online for options or ideas when I need to make a purchase decision. This can directly relate to the consumer decision journey, because this gives online marketers an opportunity to influence millennials during their pre-purchase stages, specifically their "Search for Information" and "Evaluation of Alternatives".

There was a very surprising statistic in the article that stated that "Adults 50 years and above represent the Web's largest constituency, comprising one-third of the total 195.3 million Internet users in the U.S". I think that it must be a stereotype that only "younger" consumers do shopping online. When you think about it, it makes sense that a lot of online shoppers are 50 years or older because it is all about convenience. When you reach a particular age, you don't want to spend hours at the mall walking around looking to buy things. This reinforces the fact that you need to have a full, accurate understanding of your target market when creating a marketing message. Their demographic information may not be as stereotypical as you would think!

A final interesting statistic from this article is when it stated that satisfaction with online shopping is extremely high at a number of 83%. I found it interesting that consumers are not satisfied with flexibility to choose delivery date and time. I wonder if this will inspire businesses to offer more particular delivery options, but would this increase the price? Maybe this is where the drone delivery concept came from.

But, all of this talk is tempting me to go on Amazon and continue to do my Christmas shopping! Like I said before, online shopping is just TOO convenient sometimes.

  

Content Marketing: A Way to Win Over Customers?

A term I hear often at my internship or during classes is content marketing. Some of my teachers have touched upon it briefly, but I don't think I've fully been able to grasp it. I came across an article on Forbes that explains how companies can use content marketing as an edge to stand out from their competition. In today's extremely cluttered world full of marketing and advertisements, companies are always looking to have a competitive edge.

I thought it was interesting when the article discussed that companies who think that they'll be the best just from having a great product or service are "naive to think that simply being good is enough to win in business". From this article, I'm getting the gist that a company's content marketing can be through blogs, social media posts, pay-per-click advertising, and websites. I'm sure there's more to it, but those are a few ways companies can incorporate content marketing into their IMC plan.

According to the Content Marketing Institute, "content marketing is the marketing and business process for creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action". Storytelling seems like it could play a huge role in content marketing. As we've discussed in class, storytelling is the key to a strong, creative marketing message. 

This article focuses on analyzing the content marketing utilized by your competitors. By doing this, companies can see successes and failures. The article noted that content marketing is easily accessed because it is very public. Your company can avoid making the same mistakes that your competitors make by doing this. The article also recommends that companies subscribe to competitors' newsletters or blog watch. I was surprised by this, because wouldn't this be providing your competitor with another "fan"? Many marketers focus on engagement on social media and how big of a following a company has, and by doing this it seems like you're increasing their numbers, and in their eyes, maybe even their success. 

The article also discussed how you can find out who your competitor's strongest brand influencers are. We have talked about influencers a lot in class, as they are important assets to companies and their brand equity. The article suggested that companies find out who competitors' influencers are, follow them on social media, and let them know when you publish something that may interest them. In a sense- this is a way to steal customers from your competitors through the use of content marketing. 

Overall, reading through this article and analyzing the different concepts mentioned has given me a better understanding of content marketing and how it can be used to have an edge over the competition!

Adele: Marketing Expert?

I came across an interesting article on Ad Age about what brands can learn from the top artists in the music industry. I've never thought of music and marketing to be related, so this was a fun read.

The article discussed how musicians try to "leverage all the connection points they have with fans", and this relates directly to our course material. We always discuss how brands try to have as many touchpoints as possible with consumers through integrated marketing. It also mentioned how musicians try to generate buzz, which is something I'm not surprised about. The music industry is one that people are constantly talking about. But, this makes me wonder how there isn't a lot of waste coverage. How can musicians market solely to their target market? I can imagine that the music industry is difficult in terms of target market segmentation, because there are certain people that like all kinds of music. More importantly, there are a wide range of demographic groups that like artists. For instance, my mom is a huge One Direction fan, but you wouldn't consider her to be in their "typical" target market (granted, she's probably a little too old to be listening to it anyways HA!).

It was no surprise to me that Adele was at the top of the list. Her new single, Hello, has touched us all- I'd have to say it's one of my all time favorite songs of hers. Not only is her music phenomenal, her marketing is too. I never thought about what she did these past few months in terms of marketing, but this article made me think about her strategy. I learned that she threw a free concert in New York a few days before her album was released. This seems like the music industry's version of personal selling. It also mentioned that she collected email addresses of her fans, which is yet another touchpoint and a way of her to utilize direct marketing.

Another marketing strategy used by Adele was her impersonator contest that took place after her album was launched. Again, I saw this online but I never thought about it from a marketing standpoint. This is genius- and as the article stated, it generated a ton of buzz. Like we talk about in class, you need to get people talking about your brand. In this video, Adele pretended to be one of the people impersonating her in a contest. She struck everyone in the audience by surprise when she sang, because they all realized she was the real Adele! I thought this was a clever and funny marketing effort.

Overall, I found the rankings in this list to be very accurate- although I think Justin Bieber should be higher on the list (maybe that's just because I consider myself to be a Belieber). I think that it's really interesting to look at different industries, such as the music industry and see how marketing efforts work for them!

Ho Ho Holiday Marketing

Now that Christmas is just around the corner, marketing and advertising seem to be everywhere! These past few days, my email in box has been practically overflowing with sales promotions and the hottest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. It's a little aggravating to me, and almost stressful. It makes me feel rushed to get my holiday shopping done- and it isn't even December 1st yet. That "rushed" feeling must be some kind of marketing concept, and if it is, it's definitely working on me!

I found an article on the AMA website called "5 Tips for Attention-Grabbing Holiday Marketing Campaigns" that gives good insight on how marketers can successfully reach consumers during this busy holiday season. There is tons of clutter this time of year, so marketers need to find ways to be unique and effective in getting messages across.

The first tip featured in the article is: "'Season's Greetings' matters". It explained that it's okay to use a phrase such as "Merry Christmas" if it is appropriate for your audience. I think this is interesting and I'm not exactly sure that I agree with it. Even if your target audience might celebrate Christmas, they're not the only people seeing the ad. For instance, the Starbucks red cup scandal got people extremely offended. I don't think you can assume your target audience is all celebrating one specific holiday a certain way. I think it's best to stick with the generic "Seasons Greetings" or "Happy Holidays". The last thing your brand wants is negative PR during the holiday season, because it could cost you a lot of business!

Another tip in the article suggests "Rethinking Black Friday and Cyber Monday". Based on my previous comment about the overload of email marketing I received in the past few days, it doesn't look like many companies are following this tip! Outdoor retailer REI gained good PR by encouraging consumers to be outside enjoying themselves after Thanksgiving and not opening stores on Black Friday. I wonder how their overall holiday sales will be affected by not opening stores that day.

Tip #5, "Storytelling still works" relates directly to our course material. The article suggests that companies try to grab consumers' attention by telling a good story. It also put a different spin on the storytelling we have discussed in class, as it suggests to educate consumers about the "good work" your company has been doing or about "giving employees the gift of downtime". This is interesting to me, because it focuses less on the consumer's inner layer, and more on the brand's inner layer. This seems to rely more on the consumer agreeing with what the brand's inner layer believes in, and in this case it could be about philanthropic efforts during the holidays. I wonder how successful a storytelling marketing campaign would be among all of the campaigns that seem to be strictly focused on sales promotions and the best holiday deals. I think it would depend on how hedonic or utilitarian the product is. For instance, jewelry could be a product that can be marketed by using a story to appeal to consumers. However, would a storytelling ad connecting laundry detergent to the holiday season be effective? I wonder.

On that note.. 25 days until Christmas!

Marketing to Millennials

I came across another interesting article at my internship, this time from Marketing Dive. This article is a short, easy read, and it focuses on the marketing tactics necessary to appeal to millennials. I found this article interesting not only because I am interested in marketing, but because I am a millennial myself. I was curious to see if the content of the article was something I agree with.

The article referred to millennials as an "audience segmented by their passion". I think that this is extremely true, and it can directly relate to marketing. Our age group has been bombarded with advertisements since we were little kids, so there is a wide range of clutter. With that said, advertisements need to spark our attention in order for us to get anything from them, or even notice them at all. This relates to our core course concept of emotional involvement, something we keep going back to all semester. Emotional involvement is the key to marketing success in many instances. Because millennials are driven by passion, generating emotional involvement and engagement is a key to successfully marketing to them.

In addition, the article mentions that the millennial generation is extremely diverse, making it more of a challenge to market to. Because of this, marketers have to focus in on individual passions and emotions in order to effectively reach this audience. I think for most market segments this has to be a huge struggle- because not all members of the segment are the same. They may fall under the same demographic or psychographic criteria, but their passions and emotions are most likely extremely diverse. I've discussed this in previous blog posts, but I know for a fact that I am unique among other college students who purchase brands.

Another aspect of the article that relates to our course concepts is toward the end, when it discusses how marketers need to be "educational, entertaining, and visual" when trying to reach millennials. Like our the famous empirical generalization #7 that states that "brand advertising often has a short-term sales impact. This impact decays over time. The most dramatic influence on short-term sales effect is creative copy". The educational, entertaining, and visual marketing tactics need to contain creative copy that will reach millennials. I was surprised that this did not mention emotional as one of the criteria for marketing messages to millennials. Because the article referred to this cohort as full of passion, it is clear that they need emotional messages. For instance, I would definitely describe myself as a passionate person, and I am greatly influenced by advertisements that trigger my emotions.

This article got me thinking a lot about different demographics and generations and how marketing to each one needs to be significantly different. Do companies with a large target market (say, of a range of age groups) come up with multiple marketing messages, depending on the particular age group? Marketing is a lot more work than I thought it was when I first began college, and articles like this make me realize how much thought and planning needs to go into sending a marketing message out to try and reach a target audience!