In this chapter, we will talk about strategies of promotion in various media including magazines, TV and film. Please listen to my presentation and post your comments here!
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Media Analysis 
I want to talk about graphic design and color theory, which are often utilized in promotional strategies. First, let’s understand what graphic design is. Packaging layout is something we encounter in our daily lives. Graphic design, a term coined by William Addision Dwiggins, refers to the process of visual communication and problem-solving in a two-dimensional space. Simply put, it involves creating different things on a flat surface through graphics, text, and colors to solve various problems we encounter in our lives and work. Graphic design is a broad category encompassing many different specialized fields.
Next, logo design refers to designing simple and understandable text or symbols to convey specific information. Commercial logos, such as personal and public symbols, are common forms of logos. To design such simple patterns, one needs to be able to draw and effectively utilize elements of dots, lines, and surfaces to create perfect patterns.
A poster refers to a printed piece of paper that is pasted onto vertical surfaces. It typically contains textual and graphic elements and can be used to convey information or promote products and events. Previously, poster design required basic knowledge of printing techniques, but with the increasing use of electronic media, printed posters have become less common. However, the demand for skills in utilizing text and graphics in poster design has remained unchanged.
Illustration can be understood simply as painting or drawing, but it is specifically used in books and single sheets to serve a supportive role. Sometimes, illustrations have a powerful narrative function that can convey understanding more effectively than words alone.
The most fundamental function of packaging is to store items effectively and protect them from damage during transportation and handling. Therefore, the structural design of packaging is its core element. In addition to structural considerations, packaging design also includes aesthetic aspects aimed at making products more appealing to consumers and encouraging purchases.
Unadorned, full-page text can decrease the efficiency of conveying information to readers and even lead to a sense of aversion. Adjusting content to fit appropriate spaces and complementing it with suitable illustrations can make readers more comfortable and enhance efficiency. This is where layout design comes into play.
Layout design involves studying the construction of each letter, selecting appropriate fonts that represent historical and cultural contexts, adjusting letter spacing and line spacing, considering color contrast between text and background, and applying grid systems. These elements collectively contribute to effective layout design.
When managing a brand, the goal is for people to easily recall your products and services. To achieve this, you need elements that are associated with your business, such as a name and a specific color scheme. Uniforms, stationery, promotional materials, and even consistent styles for stores and transportation vehicles all play a role in presenting a unified visual identity. Through these consistent visual presentations, people begin to link your company name with quality products and services. Beyond external perception, maintaining a unified brand image also fosters employee morale by creating a shared sense of pride in the company. Therefore, thousands of businesses worldwide invest in designing and implementing cohesive corporate identities to enhance operations and foster growth.
Next, I’d like to discuss color theory, which is a topic I’m very interested in, particularly color schemes. There are four major color schemes. The first one is analogous colors, which utilize variations in purity and brightness within the same hue to create pleasing visual effects. Let’s take red as an example: different levels of purity can produce colors that appeal to different tastes, while varying brightness can cater to preferences in home decor. However, differing tones might evoke an unhealthy vibe. For novice designers, fewer colors make it easier to manage the visual composition. Simpler color hierarchies also facilitate achieving overall color balance more effectively.
The second is analogous colors. These are two colors that are adjacent on the color wheel. This kind of color scheme creates a harmonious overall effect, naturally rich with a sense of depth. It’s one of the most commonly used color schemes in design. Analogous colors can be combined with variations in brightness and purity to create layers and display different qualities and visual effects.
The third one is complementary colors. These are two colors that are 120 degrees apart on the color wheel. This kind of color scheme creates a strong contrast and vivid visual impact. It brings rich visual layers and intense visual contrast. However, it can be challenging to control in terms of color matching and may easily lead to discordant, chaotic, or harsh feelings. We can balance their opposition by controlling the color proportions in the composition, incorporating neutrals, and adjusting brightness and purity levels.
The fourth one is complementary colors. These are two colors that are 180 degrees apart on the color wheel. Common combinations include red with green, blue with orange, purple with yellow, and so on. Because they are opposite each other on the color wheel, they have the strongest contrast and color difference. Similarly, we can balance their intensity by adjusting brightness, purity, and other factors.
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I found your information on color theory very interesting as I have never quite fully understood it. My main focus as a graphic designer was photoshop, and in comparison, to my friends that also did graphic design with a background in painting I always struggled with color and how to use it. While I understand some concepts like the complementary colors 180 degree apart on the color wheel. I struggled to get the colors just right as if they were just ever so slightly off. This became more difficult if I needed to make the colors glow or if the colors were a source of light that was cast across a scene. Thank you for simplifying the complexities of color theory, I think I understand it a little more.
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I agree with your comments about promotional strategies very clearly.
I gained a considerable understanding of the importance of graphic design and color theory.
I now understand that graphic design and color theory play an important role in promotional strategies. I also understood that by understanding and applying these principles, we can develop more effective marketing activities.
It was very instructive to keep in mind that promotional strategies are an important part of marketing activities to effectively penetrate the market for a product or service.
When I looked into promotional strategies, I realized that an effective promotional strategy is important to increase brand awareness, promote consumer engagement, and ultimately increase sales, and that strategically planned promotional activities are key to a company’s growth and competitiveness in the marketplace, so now and then I could see that it is likely to become absolutely necessary and I would like to understand it well.
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I really like your analysis of color theory, which gives me a deeper understanding of it. I think it is interesting that you said that the color of packaging is also related to whether it attracts consumers. I think so too, and I have met some Items with bright and exquisite packaging will stimulate my desire to buy more
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Your explanation was very clear and impressive. With the project we are working on now I have learned how difficult it is to communicate with people and get them to buy your product. As you said, we have to take into account the color, the shape, and many other aspects. And I learned how brands work hard to protect their image.
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It’s fascinating to see how a consistent visual identity not only boosts brand awareness but also uplifts employee morale. This underscores the power of branding to impact not just external perceptions but internal culture as well. Regarding color theory, the breakdown of different color scheme methods was crystal clear. Each method brings its own unique vibe and impact, providing designers with a versatile toolkit to align with project goals and evoke specific emotional responses. Color isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s a potent psychological tool. When wielded effectively, colors can convey a brand’s personality, trigger emotions, and influence consumer behavior. For instance, green often symbolizes nature for eco-conscious brands, while black and gold exude luxury and sophistication. In today’s digital landscape, it’s crucial to extend these principles to web design and social media content. Considering how colors appear on screens and ensuring consistency across various devices is paramount in creating a cohesive and engaging online presence.It’s fascinating to see how a consistent visual identity not only boosts brand awareness but also uplifts employee morale. This underscores the power of branding to impact not just external perceptions but internal culture as well. Regarding color theory, the breakdown of different color scheme methods was crystal clear. Each method brings its own unique vibe and impact, providing designers with a versatile toolkit to align with project goals and evoke specific emotional responses. Color isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s a potent psychological tool. When wielded effectively, colors can convey a brand’s personality, trigger emotions, and influence consumer behavior. For instance, green often symbolizes nature for eco-conscious brands, while black and gold exude luxury and sophistication.In today’s digital landscape, it’s crucial to extend these principles to web design and social media content. Considering how colors appear on screens and ensuring consistency across various devices is paramount in creating a cohesive and engaging online presence.
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The class we learned the promotion methods, involving different forms of advertising and PR (public relations). I used to mix the two concepts together, now I truly know the difference.
Public relations (PR) play a crucial role in shaping the public image of an organization’s communication and relationships with its audience, by press releases, social media management, community engagement, content creation, public appearances…
A common but straightforward joke illustrates the difference between Public Relations and Advertising: If “you say you are a good person, that’s advertising. If someone else says you are a good person, that’s public relations.”
So, I understand it simply as: PR is when others say good things about you, and advertising is when you say good things about yourself. For example, in our daily life, imagine a brand is selling their new product Bag A. They use TV spots, online live streams, and outdoor advertisements to communicate with consumers, telling them how exquisite the bag is, the superior quality of the materials, and its practicality, urging them to buy it now—this is advertising.
On the other hand, if a news media reports, ‘The bag everyone buys in 2024 is Bag A, which sold out instantly online, sparking a queue frenzy among all citizens,’ that’s public relations.”
I believe that both public relations and advertising are extremely important, and brands should manage them well. By leveraging public relations to create a positive market impression of the brand, advertising can more easily achieve sales targets and reduce sales friction. At the same time, advertising methods are easily scalable, and with precise targeting and more controllable content, they also assist public relations in achieving campaign objectives.
One concept, one brief transitional period, successful companies have many clever strategies for crisis public relations. These strategies are the ‘schemes’ of crisis PR. The technical means of corporate crisis public relations cannot be measured in a day or two, or by money, I think it is a strategic concept, a planned approach. The specifics don’t matter as much as the ability of the corporate crisis public relations team to help the company effectively handle the crisis.
Personally I think this is both the best and the worst of times for public relations, because I can see the public sentiment is as fragile as a balloon that bursts at the slightest touch.
Everyone knows that Burger King is a famous and major fast-food brand.
However, in 2018, the company faced a serious brand crisis when a video surfaced and spread on social media, which showing an employee stepping on the buns in the kitchen. The video quickly went viral and garnered widespread attention, severely damaging Burger King’s brand image.
In response, Burger King acted as soon as possible. First, the public appearance through official channels, they issued an apology, acknowledged the mistake, and committed to immediate corrections. Then, they implemented a series of measures including enhanced staff training and the establishment of a food safety task force to ensure such incidents would not recur in the future.
Burger King also actively communicated with the public, using social media to show consumers their kitchen improvements and food safety measures. So, these actions successfully restored the company’s reputation, and gradually rebuilt consumer trust in the brand.
So, I believe that most brand crises are inevitable in the business world. However, successful crisis PR cases can help companies recover their reputation during crises and even turn a crisis into an opportunity. The Burger King is a very good example in successful brand crisis public relations.
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I agree with you.I thought the example of Burger King’s response to the brand crisis was very clear in understanding the importance of public relations and crisis management techniques.The case is very good because it is specific to how a company handled a sudden crisis and successfully recovered its brand afterwards.
First, Burger King responded quickly and transparently.By apologizing through official channels, admitting its mistakes, and even showing concrete measures for improvement, the company sought to restore trust with consumers.Such transparency is very important in crisis management, and it is evident that showing a sincere attitude toward consumers can help regain trust.
It should also be noted that the company actively utilized social media to communicate directly with consumers.This approach demonstrates how important public relations is in a crisis.This is a good example of how it is possible to communicate information in real time through social media to increase corporate transparency and credibility.
Subsequently, Burger King has taken concrete steps to improve post-crisis, such as strengthening staff training and implementing food safety measures.This would be a good idea to prevent similar problems from occurring in the future.
When a company faces a crisis like this, it is important to know that the response directly affects the company’s credibility and brand value.Like Burger King, I thought that responding quickly and transparently and ensuring communication with consumers is the next step.
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If we distinguish by control, public relations activities primarily rely on disseminating information through media and other third-party channels, with lower control over specific reports or content. PR efforts aim to enhance brand exposure and reputation through press releases, social media, event planning, and similar methods. Advertising, on the other hand, is an information dissemination form controlled and produced independently by the brand, encompassing TV, online, and print ads. The content and format of advertisements are entirely determined by the advertiser and are typically disseminated through purchasing media ad space.
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Indeed, there are endless examples of brand image deterioration. There is an instant noodle brand called Master Kong in China. The video of its employees stepping on Laotan pickled cabbage beef noodles made me still not want to buy it.
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I agree with your insightful analysis of the differences between advertising and PR and the importance of PR in brand crisis management. It is certainly important to view advertising and PR as integrated, and that consistent messaging can create synergies. The point about the transformation of PR in the digital age is also important, and I believe that social media has a significant impact on communication between companies and consumers.
Furthermore, the importance of cultural sensitivities is also emphasized. As globalization continues to advance, it is important to give appropriate consideration to PR and advertising strategies in different cultures. The integration of influencer marketing and PR, data-driven PR, crisis simulation, and purposive-driven communication are also important perspectives. Companies must utilize these elements strategically and ethically to build genuine trust.
PR and advertising are integral elements of the modern business environment and must continue to evolve as technology evolves and society changes. It is imperative that companies utilize these tools strategically and ethically to build genuine relationships of trust with their stakeholders.
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I agree with your opinion. The importance of prompt response and transparent communication for brand recovery stood out in the case of Burger King. If I were the CEO of Burger King, I would find it quite daunting. However, it’s essential for large corporations to prepare for such risks, emphasizing the significance of deploying appropriate PR strategies. Given the rapid advancement of social media in recent years, such instances can impact other companies as well. It’s crucial for businesses to prepare to navigate challenging situations without compromising trust. Through this text, I reaffirmed the importance of crisis management.
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The rise of social media advertising
The television was the primary form of advertising because it allowed for mass exposure and a creative outlet for product placement. The fact that video could be used to advertise was a great as it allowed for more complex messages and usage of the product to be shown. It also allowed for more unconventional advertising. However, in the late 2000s there was a problem. 18-35 were getting harder to place into niches, and they were not watching as much television and listening to less radio as older generations. This is a problem for advertisers because television and radio were the primary sources of advertising. While they don’t make as much money as older groups, who have had time to build their careers, income and wealth, they do spend their money more willingly typically because this group is making real money for the first time in their lives, they are not burdened with financial responsibilities like raising a family, paying a mortgage and they are more susceptible to manipulative advertising as they are not yet stuck in their ways, and can easily be convinced that certain products can change their lives. This younger cohort is very lucrative if companies can appeal to them.
Luckily new social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, already had young adults organized into their own respective niches. This allowed advertisers to tailor advertisements to specific groups with people they trusted. Another plus was that Influencer marketing was very cheap as the same exposure on television could cost 10 times as much. Google later created AdSense which allowed advertisers to choose when, where and how their advertisements were shown whether that be certain groups, geographical region, time of day, and or time in a video. Influencer marketing was also scalable unlike television as small businesses could target the areas around them for an affordable price to bring awareness. Influencers are opinion leaders and in the early days of social media marketing they were trusted, however this has started to change due to an increase in scams, and the fact that influencers are no longer living humble lives. The market for influencers is also getting oversaturated as it is a very appealing job because it allows a person to work in any field, they have interest in and be paid an above average salary if successful. Another issue is that if a business sponsors someone their brand image is then linked to the person they sponsor, and if that influencer takes another sponsor that turns out to be fraudulent this can also affect the image of the other advertisements that the influencer shows.
Pay differs based on which group advertisements are shown to, for example gaming channels tend to have the worst pay because the market is oversaturated, while finance channels tend to make more money because their products tend to be more lucrative, within the financial social media there are also more scams because people looking on social media for financial advice are more likely to throw their money at something they think will make them rich. YouTube has been unrivaled in the consumption of online media especially with the younger generation, overtaking the television and radio. Things are changing with other social media platforms like TikTok, Twitch, Instagram, and streaming services taking away from their market share.
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Faced with this competition, advertisers need to constantly adjust their strategies and remain flexible in order to remain competitive in a rapidly changing market.Overall, the rise of social media advertising provides advertisers with more opportunities and challenges. Through precise advertising and innovative marketing strategies, they can attract young consumers more effectively, while also needing to deal with issues such as market saturation and trust crisis. For the advertising industry, this is an era full of changes and possibilities. Only by constantly adapting and innovating can we stand out from the competition.
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I do not have so much information like that, so I can learn something fresh from your post. I am not familiar with SNS marketing stuff, but I know the number of marketing style using social media networks have increased. I have heard of that marketing is really useful and good because social media has unique rule system such as algorism. The system gives some advertisements and promotes something matching the users. I actually got some advertisements for selling soccer uniform, and I guess since I often watch and see soccer things on the Instagram and TikTok. That system is kind of scary for me because it is like someone always monitor users including me. But it is also good point for marketing at the same time. I realize that social media makes anything on this world better or more useful once again.
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I found the rise of social media advertising interesting to read. I agree with the opinion that the transition from television advertising to social media advertising was effective in terms of reaching the younger generation. The background to the rise of influencer marketing and its advantages and challenges were explained in detail, which was interesting.
However, I am a little worried about the reliability of influencer marketing. influencers who were trusted in the early days have become problematic in recent years for fraud and dissemination of false information. I feel that when companies partner with influencers, they need to carefully evaluate the reliability and influence of the influencer. I also found the compensation system for social media advertising interesting. I did not know that there was a big difference in compensation between gaming channels and financial channels.
How will social media advertising evolve in the future? Also, how will companies overcome these challenges? I would like to know more about these points.
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I believe if the future of social media advertising will likely be characterized by greater personalization, technological integration, and an emphasis on authenticity and transparency.
Companies that adapt to these trends and address the challenges proactively will be well-positioned to succeed in the evolving digital landscape.
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Importance of Branding & Differentiation
Branding is a strategy to create differentiation of a product or service from others by developing its name, shape design, symbols, and reputation. The jean advertisements shown in class are a great example: Levi’s portrayed a durable image, Guess tried to tap into the country culture, Celvin Klein used the image of sex to get attention, Diesel’s message was diverse, and anyone can wear their clothing. Brand image and brand recognition is important as it drives consumers to believe that each product is different and depending on the person, they will choose whichever brand they believe fits their identity best based on the brands image and cultural importance.
Advertising has changed over the years as different mediums have developed in the past advertisements were typically printed on paper and images were expensive to create and print as such a lot of text was used to sell the product to the consumer. This model of advertising is called a Hard Sell, it uses arguments supported by info and data, and is usually accompanied by a spokesperson. Modern advertisements are more image based, this is because of the television and internet which allowed more abstract ads to be shown. The strategy of selling also changed specifically soft selling which appeals to emotions, feeling and values. These strategies include the puppy dog sell, which is based on the resumption that the consumer will get attached to the product after a trial period or will be too busy or lazy to request a refund or cancel. This advertising strategy works great especially for subscription-based services, companies also try to hide their cancel process or make it extremely difficult and lengthy. Another soft sell strategy is the Freemium sell where you get a limited version of a product or service for free with benefits if you upgrade. Finally, there is the subscription sell which tried to lure you into spending more money where you get more benefits if you upgrade, Amazon and Uber are examples of this. Another name or this style of increasing the price for more services is called a pricing ladder which can easily be seen in Apple’s tech lineup specifically the 13 lineup of iPhones. The Apple iPhone has 4 models the cheapest iPhone the mini, the base model, the pro, and the pro max. Within these models are upgrades to storage which serve as a transition into the idea of upgrading to the next model. Then the same thing happens for just a little more you can get the next model and so on. However, this model can backfire if there are too many products of similar spec. For example, in the last generation of Apple iPad there were too many models and too few differences which made differentiating between them difficult. Apple has also innovated its brand recognition and advertising with the layout of their stores which allow customers to use the product and feel the quality and useful integration of their products. The design of the stores themselves are luxurious yet minimal. The 5th avenue Apple store in New York city is a perfect example of this as its entrance is a glass square and you descend into the store via and elevator or a spiral staircase, underneath the street is the store with natural light and a wide-open area something that is rare in the city.
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Yes, overall changes in branding and advertising strategies reflect evolving market and consumer needs. Modern advertising pays more attention to emotion and experience. Through carefully designed brand image and differentiated product positioning, companies can attract and maintain consumers more effectively. With the development of technology and the diversification of media, future branding strategies will be more personalized and precise, providing consumers with a richer and deeper brand experience. This is not only the key to business success, but also an important direction for the future development of the advertising industry.
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I am very interested in the example of Apple products you mentioned, the product categories of the iPhone series are very detailed, different in size, function and price, so that consumers have more diversified choices, and the pricing strategy is very clever. However, there are also many risks, taking the iphone13 series as an example, iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini are too similar in terms of performance and lens, and the differences are not obvious enough, which will make consumers confused in the choice. The design and layout of Apple’s offline stores you mentioned are also very characteristic, which enhances the brand’s image and also provides consumers with a good shopping experience.
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The mention of Apple store design was interesting. Indeed, Apple’s store design is innovative yet simple. The store on 5th Avenue in New York is particularly impressive. It feels like a piece of art and perfectly aligns with Apple’s cutting-edge technology. This is just my personal opinion, but I believe it suits Apple perfectly, just like the city of New York.
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I have been thinking about the difference between public relations and advertising. A good example of public relations to look into was Apple’s product launch event. At the launch event, many media outlets covered product features such as new camera functions and improved battery life. This was an example of how Apple’s product announcements were not just advertisements, but effective public relations activities. Various other companies seemed to use public relations well.　We also found that brand image and trust in quality are very important for these. A good example of advertising was a campaign through commercials, etc., or the apparel brand UNIQLO’s “#UTPlayYourWorld” hashtag campaign on the social networking site TikTok was a hot topic.
Simply put, the main difference between PR and advertising lies in the entity that carries out the media coverage. Public relations is when a company encourages the media to take an interest in the information it publishes and to report on it, while advertising is when a company purchases space in the media to promote itself. There are many types of advertising, but we believe they are all designed to have the same effect.
Public relations and advertising have risks as well as good points. For example, public relations depends on a third party because it is about getting media coverage.　It is difficult to control them because of how they are sent out to influencers and others. And it is said to take time. We consider this to be very sensitive, as it can damage the brand image if not communicated correctly.
Advertising has the same risks. Commercials are very expensive and are likely to be cost-effective. And too much advertising may make it less effective and less meaningful, or it may make it less reliable.
As you can see, there are risks. However, these can be improved by taking proper strategies and countermeasures.
Therefore, I was able to understand through this class that companies that are able to do so are able to make large profits.
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My understanding of the difference between public relations and advertising is that public relations primarily aims to promote brand awareness and trust by building a positive brand image and managing reputation. It typically involves long-term strategic promotional activities. On the other hand, advertising’s main objective is to directly promote products or services, attracting consumer attention to increase sales and market share. Advertising campaigns are usually short-term tactical promotional activities.
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I think there is a big difference in the purpose of public relations and advertising. Public relations is mainly to improve the credibility of the brand. Just like if a star has some news that damages his personal image, he will ask public relations to clarify and restore credibility, while advertising The purpose is to promote
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Your view is very clear, advertising can be completely controlled by the company, directly tell you the advantages of the product, is a means of active payment of promotion, but the cost is high. Pr often relies on third-party reporting to maintain a positive reputation for a brand, but it also brings uncontrollable factors. Advertising and public relations each have their own unique advantages, enterprises should flexibly use the two strategies according to the specific situation, so as to stand out in the competitive market.
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I agree with your opinion that advertising has both advantages aspects and disadvantages aspects. The way people feel from advertisements may be similar, but in many cases they are different. Therefore, if people understand the message that a company wants to convey in a different way, it will be perceived badly, and the image of that company will be lowered. If people who feel this way further share the message with others, demand for the company will decrease, and sales of products and services may decline. This is why I think that companies must take the utmost care when creating advertisements.
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As a brand scales up, how can its external image be enhanced? At this point, the role of public relations becomes crucial. To succinctly describe this role, the essence of public relations lies in leveraging the media’s influence to communicate the messages a brand or product intends to convey to consumers. Essentially, it involves using a third-party entity to loudly proclaim the virtues of a product to a wide audience. In simple terms, marketing is about promoting oneself, while public relations involves having others promote you. The core objective of public relations is to manage a brand’s value and cultivate positive consumer sentiment toward the brand.
Who are the communication targets for public relations? It depends on the type of PR, which can be divided into two categories: agency and in-house. An agency refers to a PR firm, while in-house PR operates within a specific brand group. These two entities have different communication targets. For a PR agency, the primary targets are its clients and journalists. In contrast, for in-house PR within a brand, the focus is on maintaining relationships beneficial to the brand, which could include consumers, shareholders, journalists, and friendly business partners.
So, is organizing press conferences considered a job for public relations or marketing? Many people think that organizing press conferences is the main task of public relations, but in reality, their role encompasses much more; press conferences are just one tool among many. Public relations and marketing are differentiated by their objectives. Public relations aims to establish a brand image or enhance brand favorability. The effectiveness of public relations efforts is challenging to quantify directly with data. For example, everyone knows Dyson as a high-tech brand of hairdryers that are powerful and impressive, even if they haven’t necessarily purchased the product or are fans of the brand. This awareness and perception of the brand’s quality and reputation constitute brand favorability, which is the core focus of public relations. Marketing, on the other hand, aims for measurable performance outcomes. Despite their different goals, both disciplines use similar tools.
The typical job of a public relations agency involves taking on a project that a client has already decided to pursue. For example, if a new restaurant is opening, the agency will determine how much budget is allocated. With this budget, the agency can suggest whether to host a press conference, a high-end tasting event for members, or a consumer event. They directly handle each project, determining what can be done within the budget to maximize the client’s interests and visibility.
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I think it is more important to be a good public relations person, to maximize the important role of public relations, such as formulating a comprehensive crisis management plan, identifying potential risks, clarifying response measures and responsible persons, and making quick decisions when a crisis occurs. React, issue an official statement, explain the situation and propose solutions.
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From the moment the product is created, the sole mission is to reach the hands of consumers and help consumers solve real-life problems, right?
If a product cannot convince consumers to purchase it, then it will not be able to establish a foothold in the market, in this highly competitive era, many products may not even have time and chance to appear, they can’t survive in the market, or they may make a brief appearance before quickly fading away.
How to find a chance of life in such a fierce market is what every enterprise is looking for. Figuring out how to capture consumers’ attention and make them spend their valuable time on your product is, that’s what we learned in this lesson about the marketing model, specifically the AIDA model.
The use of AIDA model is very important in promotion method, which means that a successful salesman must attract or change the customer’s attention to the product, so that the customer will be interested in the product promoted by the salesman, so that the customer’s desire will be generated, and then promote the purchase behavior and reach a transaction. Three stages, including cognitive stage, affective stage, and behavior stage.
In 1898, Elias St. Elmo Lewis, an eventual inductee into The Advertising Hall of Fame, wrote an anonymous column in The Inland Printer, one of the most influential American magazines of the 19th century, about three advertising principles he had found useful throughout his career. In his column, he notes that a successful AD should always follow a specific formula: “The mission of advertising is to engage the reader so that he will see the AD and start reading it; Then interest him and make him read on; Then convince him that when he reads it, he will believe it. If an AD contains these three elements of success, it is a successful AD.” In other words, copywriting is only good if it attracts attention, generates interest, and creates belief.
Firstly, the attention, the first step in marketing or advertising is to think about how to capture the attention of consumers. Before you start selling to someone, you need to break out of their dominant position or mindset to make sure the consumer is willing to listening and paying attention to you.
In fact, everyone is very busy these days, so your visit often feels like an interruption to the customer’s primary work. To attract the customer’s attention, you must present a question or idea that demonstrates how your product or service can meet their specific needs or particular requirements. When you begin talking with a potential customer, you must answer their first question, which is, “Why should I listen to you?”
For example, you could ask, “Everyone exercises by playing basketball, but are you sure you really know how to play basketball?” or “Children have a fairy tale world in their hearts, but how can they draw it?” I think using these such contrasting rhetorical questions can effectively capture attention.
I found these ways also capture attention in our daily life, Placing advertisements in unexpected situations or locations. For example, Public Restrooms, Advertisements on the back of restroom stall doors or on mirrors. This captive audience ensures that the message is seen. And the Airport Security Bins! I do think Ads placed at the bottom of security bins at airports. Travelers are bound to see these while placing the belongings in the bins.
No Smoking Campaigns we familiar: Ads showing graphic images of diseased lungs, decayed teeth, or people suffering from smoking-related illnesses. When I saw these provocative images, I think they are designed to shock viewers and deter them from smoking by highlighting the severe health consequences.I like the Spotify, which curates a personalized playlist called “Discover Weekly” for each user, based on our listening habits and preferences. This personalized approach helps me discover new music I am likely to enjoy. So, essentially, I think the goal is to make consumers aware that the product, the service exists.
Affective stage including interest and desire. In the AIDA model, the second letter represents “Interest.” This is achieved by showcasing the features of a product or service to potential customers or explaining how the product or service can improve their work and life, thereby arousing their interest. Product demonstrations can spark the interest of customers. Detailed explanations of how your products or services positively impact their lives and work can help maintain this interest.
I believe everyone has a sense of curiosity. Customers have a strong interest in learning about new products and services. However, only having interest is not enough. If I were the customer, the introduction and demonstration must be linked to my needs; otherwise, I would not purchase your product.
I believe that creating interest is usually the most challenging part. This can be difficult if the product or service itself isn’t interesting or engaging.
Therefore, making sure the advertising message is broken down, easy to read, and has interesting subtitles and illustrations is an important part of it. Focus on the content that is most relevant to the target market and only convey the most important information that you want to communicate with consumers and know.
A good example is Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” The AD campaign focused on emphasizing that Wendy’s hamburgers contain more beef than those of its competitors.
Another example is Disney, which generates interest in upcoming tours by announcing the stars and celebrities who will be performing on the tour. Similarly, a new fitness app can demonstrate its features, such as personalized workout plans, diet tracking, and progress monitoring, through app store descriptions and influencer reviews. The app developers explain how users can achieve fitness goals more efficiently through personalized plans that adjust as users progress, making it easier to stay motivated and track progress.
In the AIDA model, the third letter represents “Desire.”
This aspect of your sales pitch reflects the benefits that customers can gain after using your product or adopting your service. While the features of the product can arouse the customer’s interest, it is the desire to purchase that drives them to place an order. If I am the potential customer says, “I’ll think about it,” what the actually mean is, “You haven’t yet sparked a strong enough desire in me to buy your product.”
First, I think its necessary to identify the connection between your product’s features and a potential customer’s desire to purchase. Then, thoroughly convince them that their desire will be satisfied after using your product or adopting your service. For example, if the Disney stars in an upcoming tour communicate to the target audience how amazing the show will be, I believe the audience will be more likely to want to go.
The last one is the Behavior stage, the last letter in the AIDA model stands for “Action.” This is the part of the sales process where you ask the customer to make a clear purchase decision and respond to your offer. In this stage, you will complete the entire sales process. It’s about getting your consumers to take action.
Advertisements should end with a call to action, a statement designed to elicit an immediate response from the consumer. For example, our familiar Netflix uses persuasive language to encourage consumers to try their service for free. Netflix promotes how convenient their product is and emphasizes its value, then urges consumers to sign up for a free trial. So, good advertisements should create a sense of urgency, prompting consumers to act immediately. One common method to achieve this is by offering limited-time promotions, such as free shipping to using the “puppy dog sell” we learned in class.
I believe regardless of whether the marketing model’s medium is mass media or the Internet, sharing is necessary. Currently, the effectiveness of sharing is amplified by the network effect, where each share has the potential to reach a wider audience, creating a ripple effect that can significantly enhance the visibility and impact of a marketing campaign. Additionally, sharing enables user-generated content, which can increase trust in the brand.
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I think products do exist to meet consumer needs and solve real problems, but their mission goes far beyond that. The mission of products includes creating economic value, building brand image, promoting social progress, realizing corporate vision, and guiding market demand. Understanding the multiple missions of a product can help companies think more comprehensively and deeply during the design, production and marketing processes, thereby launching more successful and influential products.
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Your hook really drew me to continue reading your blog, your analysis of the AIDA model is very detailed and comprehensive, and gives many practical examples that in today’s competitive market, the success of a product really does depend on an effective marketing strategy. In addition to the four stages of the AIDA model you mentioned, sharing is indeed important to help expand the coverage of advertising and let more people know about the product.
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Similar to our previous lecture about personal fashion style, in this lecture, we learn about the graphic designs. In fact, a lot of the companies nowadays depend on professional graphic designs to create effective marketing materials like brochures, business cards, flyers, and posters. These are very important because they provide the audience with an idea of what the company is doing. Graphic design involves both designing and printing, which helps build a brand image. The firm can customize items with the company logo, too, to give a direct idea of the vison and mission of the firm. Graphic design also covers mobile apps and social media pages to promote the business. Of course, this is not just about making things look good; good design can help your marketing and advertising efforts. It can inform, educate, or persuade your target audience and turn them into customers.
The learning teach me that graphic design is a field related to the visual communication. To do so, we can use typography, images, and colors to represent ideas or information. It combines photography, illustration, and motion graphics to create attractive designs that grab attention and convert viewers into customers. Graphic design serves many purposes. First and foremost, graphic design is to lay the foundation for brand strategy. The basic purpose of graphic design is to create a strong foundation for brand strategy. It can create a logo that connects the target audience with the company’s brand image. Consumers can easily recognize the logo and associate it with the brand’s goals, helping to plan and execute the brand strategy. This includes printed marketing materials like posters, business cards, social media pages, etc. Secondly, the purpose of a graphic design is to enhance the image of the firm. Graphic design makes advertisements look fashionable, too. It is, in general, highly crucial to make people see their brand, and give them a good impression about their brand and product. In fact, in this competitive market, having a positive image is very beneficial. Thirdly, graphic design should be a way to enhance navigation usability for customers. In fact, custom graphic elements help improve navigation and usability. Graphic design makes it easy for users to browse a website or app, which can greatly affect conversion rates and keep viewers engaged. Users also enjoy the aesthetic pleasure of stylish visual elements and harmonious compositions.
Out of the various graphic designs, I think the most important thing would be its logo. This is because logo can create a good first impression to people. In fact, the design of a logo affects how potential customers view the business. An interesting and unique logo attracts people and makes it more memorable. Hence, companies should have a logo that truly represents their business values, helping to make a positive first impression on consumers. Also, an effective logo can build the visual image of a brand, reflecting the company’s values and goals. The company’s logo is used in all business communications, from stationery to brochures to advertisements and websites. This helps create a strong brand image. Effective graphic design quickly connects the company’s values with the products or services offered. A memorable logo will also help the firm to establish a good image, building trust and credibility with consumers. Whenever the customers see something that resembles the logo, they would be reminded of the brand. Trust encourages buyers to believe in the quality of the products or services offered by the brand.
Overall, this lecture teaches me that a good graphic design helps foster effective communication, enhancing trust and credibility. Referring to the current market, I think we do see a lot of examples of firms that make good graphic design. Apple, for example, has a very good logo of an apple that is bitten. This logo is so simple and easy to understand that even non-Apple users recognize the brand. However, people can remember it very well.
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Yes, I also think that the graphic design of a brand plays a very important role in making it memorable. For example, Louis Vuitton’s logo LV not only simplifies the name, but also allows people from all over the world to remember it easily and improves the audience’s awareness of it. Extensiveness
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I completely agree Logo may the most important thing in the various graphic designs, so creating a strong first impression cannot be overstated. I believe It’s essential for companies to have a logo that truly represents their values and helps make a positive impression on consumers. Like the McDonald’s, we all know the golden arches of McDonald’s are synonymous with fast food around the globe. This logo is simple yet effective, and its consistent use in all marketing materials helps maintain a strong brand presence. I feel it evokes us a sense of familiarity and reliability.
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I can understand where you are coming from with the recognizability of the MacDonalds logo, however, I would like to raise a few points. The first being that logos have evolved significantly over time, a logo that was successful in the past may no longer work in today’s culture. Take for example the Instagram logo, when it came out, it fit the trend of the time which centered around a cluttered colorful design that aimed to grab the attention of the viewer. Over time it has since evolved, like many others, to be more simplistic. Yet that doesn’t mean a simplistic logo is the end all be all, rather, one’s logo should seek to fit the styles and trends of society rather than just aiming to be simplistic. I really do like your point about how the MacDonalds logo, specifically the well-known golden arches, are now associated with comfort and reliability for so many. Through being so ever-present in the mind of the consumer and its association with food, MacDonalds has managed to turn one’s individual comfort in food to finding comfort in MacDonalds itself.
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Learning about advertising always gets me excited. The more I learn, the more I feel that promotion strategies using modern media have reached the stage of total art.
One thing I have noticed is that whether the target audience is the public or a specific group of people, a fundamental part of the methods used is psychology. The colors, shapes, sounds, place, time, people, text, place settings, camera angles, and camera movements used in advertisements are all strategically designed to engage the audience’s mind and encourage them to purchase the product.
For example, in the case of alcohol advertisements, it is interesting to note that it seems to be a commonly accepted theory that the image of drinking alcohol is cool, working on younger audiences. Perhaps alcohol is the quickest way for young people to feel mature. In alcohol advertisements, senior adults are not used, and it is usually relatively young models and actors who appear in the advertisements. Senior adults do drink alcohol, but I think this has to do with the sense of maturity that each age group creates. When senior adults are used, the advertisements portray a sense of calmness, dignity, wisdom, and experience. Young people, on the other hand, bring an overall impression of lightness, such as energy, wildness, ignorance, youthfulness, and joy. If one were to ask which sells alcohol more effectively, it would be the latter.
For this reason, alcohol advertisements often feature relatively good-looking young men and women happily drinking alcohol. Such ads were introduced in class. Why do they use attractive, men and women? What people consider beautiful is up to each individual, but people who are generally considered attractive men and women have a good balance of facial parts, and therefore humans, who are unconditionally attracted to beautiful things, will have positive feelings toward advertisements featuring such people. For this reason, alcohol advertisements often feature relatively good-looking young men and women happily drinking alcohol. Such ads were introduced in class. Why do they use attractive, men and women? What people consider beautiful is up to each individual, but people who are generally considered attractive men and women have a good balance of facial parts, and therefore humans, who are unconditionally attracted to beautiful things, will have positive feelings toward advertisements featuring such people. The sight of attractive people happily drinking alcohol induces a feeling in the young viewers that if they purchase their products, they will become relatively more attractive as well. In the lecture, this was introduced as Alter-Ego & Identification. Humans are creatures that like to search for meaning. Belief in God and the search for meaning in life are examples of this nature. We subconsciously search for meaning in our actions. Thus, the Alter-Ego & Identification works.
I like to look at the ads for each brand in the magazines, and today I was reading Vanity Fair in the library. Unlike advertisements in the form of videos, the technique is tremendous because they have to convey a message with a single photo to motivate the viewer to buy the product. The poses of the models, the placement of the items, the ratio of the photos, and the differences in contrast are all composed in such a way that they affect the viewer’s senses. The high contrast is the entry point to the photo, and by the time you have circled the photo through the posing and text placement, your eye has already been drawn to the product they are trying to sell. If you have the opportunity to look at a brand poster, please try to observe it with this as a guide.
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A well-designed brand poster can easily catch the audience’s attention. When I saw the poster of “The Movie La La Land” with the male and female protagonists dancing under the moonlight, I was deeply attracted, and the movie was indeed popular.
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I like your example of alcohol advertisements using young, attractive people to appeal to younger audiences It makes perfect sense that these ads create an image of drinking as something cool and desirable, tapping into the younger audience’s desire to feel mature. Also ,the distinction you made between the use of younger and older models and the different vibes they convey is fascinating. So,I’ve noticed the same thing in perfume advertisements. For instance, brands like Dior and Chanel often use high-profile celebrities like Charlize Theron or Johnny Depp in their ads. Because these celebrities bring a sense of glamour, sophistication, and desirability that makes the product more attractive.
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I strongly agree with your analysis of alcohol advertising. It’s interesting to know that alcohol ads often use moman who have beautiful and mature aesthetics, even though cuteness is often emphasized as a beauty standard in Japan. I searched photos of Japanese alcohol ads on Google and ehat struck me through my eyes was that many of the models and celebrities in the ads had hairstyles with no bangs and showing their foreheads. In Japan, many women have bands, again to show cuteness and youthfulness. However, a haircut with no bangs creates a more adult-like appearance.
By using such models with such hairstyles, companies are strategically aiming to convey the message that alcohol creates a sense of maturity and sexiness. These visual cues make viewers compare themselves with the models without realizing it. This fosters the viewr’s desire to follow their looks and lifestyle. Then, the viewrs start to believe that if they consume the alcohol, they themselves can also gain this level of maturity and sophistication, have the same lifestyle as portrayed in the advertisements and get closer to their ideals.
This can also explain that the psychological concepts of Alter-Ego and Identification are being utilized. This is because individuals project their ideal selves into the models on the ads and believe that having similar behaviors, such as drinking the same alcohol will bring them closer to their aspirations. I thik the reason why people tend to think in this way is Japanese people frequently value societal perception and personal image.
As I considered all of this, I began to realize that companies do not just want to sell alcohol drinks as a product, but as an entire lifestyle. By portraying alcohol as an essential part of a mature lifestyle, companies are appealing more strongly to the emotions of their viewers. These marketing efforts not only promote the product, but strategically make it more impactful by promising to turn into one’s ideal self.
After reading your text, I also wanted to be able to view advertising more as an art form and think critically about the message the author is trying to convey and what is intended. I realized that advertisements are not simply advertisements for products, but rather a kind of work of art that complexly involves visual and psychological elements. Therefore, when looking at ads, I believe it is important to read and interpret the intentions and messages behind them.
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I was inspired after watching this lesson on promotions and advertising. This class systematically introduces various promotion methods, advertising strategies and brand building methods, opening a window for us to understand the world of marketing. At the beginning, the teacher defined several important concepts for us. Promotion is defined as a series of activities designed to influence the public to purchase a product or service. Public relations (PR) is a way of providing free, company-prepared information to the media or directly to consumers, while advertising is the purchase of media space or time to promote products or services. These three concepts clearly illustrate the different methods and approaches of promotion. Promotion plays a very important role in modern business. Through different promotional methods, companies can establish a brand image in the market, attract consumers’ attention, and ultimately achieve sales targets. Especially in a highly competitive market environment, the success or failure of promotional activities directly affects the survival and development of an enterprise. The teacher introduced in detail several major promotion methods, including advertising, public relations and marketing. Advertising is a paid promotion method in which companies purchase media space or time to deliver product or service information to target audiences. Public relations is a non-paid method in which companies indirectly promote products or services by providing valuable information and winning media coverage. In terms of advertising, the teacher introduced two strategies: “hard sell” and “soft sell”. A hard sell focuses on convincing consumers using specific facts and figures, while a soft sell engages consumers more through emotional appeals. This distinction leads us to realize that different products and target markets require different advertising strategies.
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This lesson also reviews the history of advertising in the United States. From the “penny newspapers” of the 19th century to the broadcast networks of the 20th century to modern television and the Internet, advertising media continues to evolve as technology advances. This historical perspective allows us to better understand the role and impact of advertising at different stages. I think “Apple Ads” shows how advertising creativity changes with the changing times. From the Apple advertisement in 1976 to the advertisement in 2003, the content and form have changed significantly. This change not only reflects the advancement of technology, but also changes in consumer psychology and social culture.So there is product placement. As an emerging form of advertising, product placement is widely used in modern movies and television. By cleverly integrating products or brands into the plot, companies can achieve promotional purposes without interrupting the audience’s experience. The teacher explained in detail the different types and strengths of product placement, which made us understand that this implicit form of advertising is actually very complex and strategic. And brand building is another focus of the class. A brand is not just a name or logo, but an emotional bond between a company and consumers. The teacher introduced various ways to establish and maintain brand image through naming, visual identity, promotion, product design, pricing and experience. The combination of these approaches enables brands to differentiate themselves in the market and attract and retain loyal consumers.
The teacher also explained some psychological strategies in advertising, such as “dog sales method”, “freemium sales method” and “subscription sales method”. These strategies subtly increase product appeal and sales by satisfying consumers’ psychological needs. For example, the “dog pitch” uses consumers’ dependence on the product during the trial period to drive sales, while the “freemium pitch” entices consumers to purchase a premium version of the service by offering a basic free service. These psychological strategies not only reveal the psychological motivations behind consumer behavior, but also demonstrate the diversity and flexibility of advertising creativity. Through these strategies, companies can more accurately locate target markets and develop more effective advertising plans, thereby increasing brand awareness and market share.
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The teacher also led us to explore the concepts of delivery and transfer in advertising. Delivery refers to making the audience have positive associations with the product by co-branding it with other desirable images. For example, the association of Chanel No. 5 perfume with French actress Catherine Deneuve has led people to associate perfume with French elegance, sophistication and femininity. This delivery technique is not limited to perfume advertising, but is widely used in advertising for a variety of products. By constantly repeating this connection, advertisers hope that viewers will eventually connect these positive associations with the product itself, forming deep brand recognition and emotional resonance. Just like sports brands such as Nike and Adidas in life, they often co-brand with other trendy products. For me, I want to buy them, which stimulates my desire to buy. Of course, these alone are not enough. In this class, the teacher mentioned the importance of color in advertising. Different colors can evoke different emotional responses and thus influence consumers’ purchasing decisions. For example, red is often associated with passion and urgency, while blue conveys trust and reliability. The application of this color psychology makes advertisements more visually attractive and contagious. By cleverly selecting and matching colors, advertising designers can enhance the visual impact of advertisements, strengthen brand image and product features, and thus be more effective. convey advertising information effectively.
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The teacher emphasized brand loyalty. A brand is not only a symbol of a product, but also a long-term relationship between a company and consumers. By providing consistent product quality, excellent customer service and a unique brand experience, companies can cultivate consumer brand loyalty, thereby increasing market competitiveness and profitability. Brand loyalty not only helps companies retain existing customers, but also attracts new consumers through word-of-mouth. This virtuous cycle enables the brand to remain invincible in the fierce market competition.
As the internet and social media have grown, so have advertising strategies. The AIDEES and AISAS models mentioned in the lecture demonstrated the uniqueness of Internet advertising. These models emphasize that in an online environment, advertising must not only attract attention, but also stimulate consumers’ interest and desire to share, thereby forming a broader communication effect. In the era of social media, consumers are not only the recipients of advertisements, but also the communicators of advertisements. Through social media platforms, consumers can easily share their shopping experiences and brand reviews to influence the purchasing decisions of others. This interactivity and dissemination make social media advertising occupy an increasingly important position in modern marketing. Therefore, the importance of integrated marketing communications (IMC) is reflected. IMC emphasizes on coordinating and integrating various communication tools and channels to form a consistent communication message to achieve the best communication effect. This method not only helps to enhance the consistency and recognition of the brand, but also makes use of it more effectively. resources to maximize advertising ROI. In actual operation, IMC requires companies to fully consider the characteristics and advantages of various communication channels when formulating advertising strategies, and flexibly use advertising, public relations, promotions, direct sales and other means to form an all-round, multi-level communication offensive. Through this systematic and comprehensive communication strategy, companies can better reach their target audiences and enhance brand influence and market competitiveness.
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In the last part, the teacher emphasized the importance of advertising ethics and social responsibility. With the increasing awareness of consumer rights and changes in the social environment, brands must follow certain ethics and social responsibilities when advertising. This is not only to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, but also to establish a good image of the brand and win the trust and support of society. For example, we must avoid false advertising and misleading propaganda, respect consumers’ right to know and choose, and at the same time actively participate in public welfare undertakings and fulfill social responsibilities. This approach not only helps improve social image and brand credibility, but also promotes the sustainable development of enterprises and wins wider social support and recognition. False publicity may cause consumers to no longer trust our brand.
This class not only gave me a deeper understanding of promotion and advertising, but also inspired me to think about marketing strategies. Through the teacher’s explanation, I learned about the diversity and complexity of promotions, and how to influence consumers’ purchasing decisions through clever strategies and means. Advertising is not only a sales tool, but also a combination of art and science. Through continuous innovation of creativity and technology, it builds a communication bridge between enterprises and consumers. The theoretical knowledge in this class provided a reference for the brand I designed in the following group activities. I deeply realized the importance of advertising and promotion in modern business. Whether it is product launch or brand building, advertising and promotion play an indispensable role. Only by fully understanding and mastering these strategies can we stand out from the competition and achieve longer-term development.
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Focusing on the differences in media promotion between today and the past, the modern magazine industry has developed a multifaceted promotion strategy that utilizes not only print media but also online platforms, in line with the progress of digitalization. Online versions of magazines and articles on websites have become the mainstream, with an emphasis on content strategies that meet the digital needs of readers. Focusing on the use of color learned in class, the format of advertisements and the use of color tend to be different compared to traditional print media. Advertisements on digital platforms can take advantage of video and interactivity, and accordingly, the use of color is becoming more diverse and flashy. On the other hand, static advertisements are the norm in print media, and the use of color tends to be more subdued. Before the rise of digital platforms, print advertising was primarily print, with simple designs using static images and illustrations. The use of color was also relatively modest and tended to emphasize the conveyance of information. I really agreed with what the professor said in class, that as technology evolves, experience diminishes. In particular, focusing on music, we now have subscription apps such as Spotify and Apple Music that allow us to listen to whatever music we want, whenever we want. We can even watch live videos of artists on YouTube, so even if we can’t go to a concert, we can always watch the video of the concert. These are great technological advancements and it is wonderful that people all over the world can listen to their favorite music anytime they want. However, they are also reducing the opportunities for people to actually hear the music in person. But it is a wonderful experience to actually hear the music played by an artist in person. Our children, even more than us, may prefer to listen to music on Spotify rather than go to a concert. But if they really love music, they will go to hear the real thing, and I think that experience should not be diminished. However, from a music perspective, recent advancements have certainly made music promotion more efficient, and Spotify and youtube have certainly helped musicians and the music industry grow by promoting to specific audiences in a very efficient way. It is also easier to share with friends, which makes it easier to control trends.
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I quite agree with the opinion you share, with the development of The Times, the progress of technology has brought a lot of convenience and innovation, we can appreciate the dynamic advertisement and no longer limited to the paper advertisement. But it also makes us think about how we can enjoy these conveniences while preserving those irreplaceable experiences. Digital platforms have made the way we enjoy music more convenient, but listening to music live is a wonderful experience that cannot be replaced.
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Now streaming services can effectively promote music based on listener preferences.
And the ease of sharing on social media helps music trends spread quickly. In addition, artists can push geographical boundaries to deliver their music to a global audience.
However, I agree with you that the convenience of digital music may reduce the number of times people attend live events. The quality and emotional richness of a live performance cannot be replaced by a digital experience. After I joined a concert, I feel everyone should try it.
The younger generation of the future may prefer digital convenience, but I think they should be encouraged to experience live music, which is a unique and irreplaceable experience.
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Advertisements are all around us, even more so in the digital age than ever. It seems like every second or third post on social media is an ad – which doesn’t even take into account the amount of sponsored content or ‘hidden’ advertisements(of dubious legality). This new age of advertising has worn thin on many, with adblockers and other means of avoiding advertisements becoming more and more popular for the average consumer – myself included. Advertisements can be invasive, irritating or irrelevant to a potential customer, and can turn them away from a product if the advertisement is too irritating. I know I personally have avoided plenty of products after irritating ad campaigns, I’m sure you can think of a few ads you personally hate too. But that is still effective, in a sense, as the advertisement now sticks in your brain. And while it may not have appealed to you, the advertisement being an earworm, loud, annoying, etc. may actually entice people to try out the product – to each their own, right?
One of the most significant benefits of digital advertising is its role in connecting businesses with consumers on a global scale. Platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads allow businesses of all sizes to reach targeted audiences based on demographics, interests, and behavior. This targeted approach not only helps businesses increase brand awareness but also drives sales and fosters customer loyalty. Moreover, digital advertising has democratized entrepreneurship by lowering the barrier to entry for small businesses and startups. With a minimal budget, entrepreneurs can leverage social media advertising to compete with larger corporations, leveling the playing field in the marketplace. Monetization and Revenue Streams For digital content creators such as bloggers, YouTubers, and app developers, advertising serves as a crucial revenue stream. Platforms like YouTube and TikTok enable content creators to monetize their videos through ads, allowing them to earn income and reinvest in their content. Similarly, websites and mobile apps can monetize their traffic by displaying display ads or sponsored content, which subsidizes the cost of providing free services to users.
This monetization model has supported the growth of the digital economy, encouraging innovation and the development of new technologies and services. Without advertising revenue, many of the digital platforms and content that users enjoy today would not be sustainable. Concerns and Challenges Despite its benefits, digital advertising also raises significant concerns, particularly regarding user privacy and data protection. Advertisers collect vast amounts of user data to personalize ads, which has sparked debates about the ethical implications of data mining and user tracking. Instances of data breaches and misuse of personal information have eroded trust among consumers, leading to calls for stricter regulations and greater transparency in digital advertising practices. Moreover, the pervasive nature of online ads has led to concerns about their impact on user experience. Intrusive ads, such as pop-ups and autoplay videos, can disrupt browsing sessions and diminish the quality of user interaction with digital content. Ad fatigue, where users become desensitized or annoyed by repetitive ads, is another common issue that advertisers must navigate to maintain effective campaigns. The Rise of Ad Blockers and Ad-Free Models In response to these challenges, many users have turned to ad blockers to regain control over their online experiences. Ad blockers prevent ads from being displayed on websites and apps, thereby enhancing privacy and improving loading times.
However, the widespread adoption of ad blockers poses a dilemma for publishers and content creators who rely on advertising revenue to sustain their operations. To counteract ad blockers and cater to users’ preferences, some platforms have embraced ad-free subscription models. Streaming services like Netflix and Spotify offer ad-free experiences in exchange for a monthly subscription fee, appealing to users who value uninterrupted content consumption. This shift towards subscription-based revenue models underscores the evolving dynamics between advertisers, platforms, and consumers in the digital landscape. Innovations and Future Trends Looking ahead, advancements in technology such as artificial intelligence and machine learning are poised to reshape the landscape of digital advertising. AI-powered algorithms can analyze vast datasets to predict consumer behavior and optimize ad targeting in real-time, improving the relevance and effectiveness of ads. Additionally, immersive technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) offer new avenues for interactive and engaging advertising experiences. Furthermore, ethical considerations around digital advertising are likely to drive regulatory changes aimed at safeguarding user privacy and promoting responsible advertising practices. Initiatives such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) reflect growing concerns about data privacy and could influence global standards for digital advertising in the years to come. Conclusion In conclusion, the impact of advertising on digital spaces is both profound and complex, shaping the way businesses connect with consumers and monetize digital content. While digital advertising fuels economic growth and innovation, it also raises concerns about privacy, user experience, and ethical practices. As technology continues to evolve, stakeholders must navigate these challenges to ensure that digital advertising remains a sustainable and beneficial force in the digital ecosystem. By striking a balance between innovation, regulation, and user-centricity, stakeholders can harness the full potential of digital advertising while addressing its inherent challenges.
Ultimately, the future of advertising in digital spaces will be defined by its ability to adapt to changing consumer expectations and regulatory landscapes, fostering a more transparent, engaging, and responsible digital environment for all users, lest more and more online users unplug from advertisements entirely.
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I totally agree with you. In today’s world, advertising is present in almost every aspect of our daily lives. We are constantly exposed to advertising on TV, social media, websites, and billboards. This overwhelming advertising presence shapes our perceptions, desires, and even our decisions.
One of the most alarming trends in contemporary advertising is the rise of PR content designed to blend seamlessly into regular content. This kind of ads making it difficult for consumers to distinguish between real information and promotional content. In this way, we must develop a keen ability to understand the true intentions behind the content we encounter by reading between the lines.
This need is very similar to the need to improve our media literacy in order to avoid being fooled by fake news. In the same way that news sources need to be critically evaluated to distinguish fact from misinformation, advertisements also need to be carefully examined to avoid being misled by its appeal. Media literacy involves understanding and evaluating the sources of information, the motivations behind it, and the techniques used to impact the audience. Similarly, advertising literacy includes recognizing the persuasion strategies being utilized in advertisements and being able to questioning the purpose behind the messages.
Moreover, the development of advanced algorithms and AIs allows advertisers to deliver highly personalized content that is aligned with our interests and online activities. As products and serives related to our interests come up more frequently, we become increasingly attracted to them. Therefore, we need to remain conscious of how our data is being used to influence our choices.
Furthermore, the line between content and advertising is increasingly becoming blurred. Influencers and content creators on medias such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are partnering with brands and sponsored posts are not always clearly disclosed. Especially when the viewer is a big fan of the contenct creater, it makes more difficult to realize how the content is being used to promote a particular brand. This is because the trust and credibility that influencers have built with their audiences is being taken advantage of. To effectively navigate this situation, we must develop a critical eye and learn to recognize sponsored content, even if it is deliverd by a favorite influencer.
In conclusion, because of the widespread advertising in our world, it is necessary to increase our awareness of content and take a critical approach towards it. Once we are able to avoid being influenced by superficiality, we will be able to make more informed choices and can control our own perceptions and decisions. Similar to the way we work to increase our media literacy to avoid fake news, we should also increase our advertising literacy to navigate the complex world of modern advertising.
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I very much understand your trouble, many video software advertisements are too frequent, take YouTube for example, if there is no top-up member, watching a long video in the middle of the advertisement will really make people very upset. Advertising seems to permeate every corner of our lives, and the ad-blockers and ad-free subscription models you mentioned do make for a better experience. I personally use an AD blocker because sometimes the ads are just too much and annoying, and it’s frustrating to have an otherwise enjoyable experience interrupted constantly.
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I can relate to you about how frustrating advertisements are. Whenever I am trying to watch a video on YouTube an ad pops up and I always feel caught off guard. Usually, there are advertisements right before the video starts and in the middle of the video. When I am watching a serious video and a random ad pops up it is disappointing but funny at the same time. This ruins the mood and the experience of the video. I downloaded ad blockers but recently it has not been working because YouTube and other platforms have recognized people are skipping ads for free. Â
In terms of advertisements using AI and algorithms to gain product engagement from consumers, I think it is so interesting but makes businesses competitive. This is because every company relies almost entirely on AI to reach its target audience. Consumers can know multiple brands for makeup for example. Depending on who the brand is collaborating with and their PR packaging, one brand can become more popular than the other. Â
When my mom and I compared with each other’s advertisement suggestions on instagram, my mom had a suggested ad that had to do with do with removing wrinkles. While my ad suggestions were coloured contact lenses that featured a popular K-pop idols.
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Before taking this class, I thought PR came from the first two letters of the word “Promotion”. Knowing that PR stands for Public Relations, which means “the way of thinking and acting to create desirable relationships between the organization and the people ( individuals and groups) around it”, made me realize that PR is fundamentally about creating trust and fostering a positive image of company, product or services, etc. through genuine interactions and communications. By having a deeper understanding of PR, I noticed that PR is not just about promoting a product or service but about building strong and lasting relationships with the public. To create such relationships, I think the most important thing is to have trust, mutual respect, openness, and transparency.
Since PR can also be described as communication. I think that we can apply the principles of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos created by Aristotle. Good PR should contain persuasive and credible communication that touches the hearts and minds of the audience. Let me explain how each element contributes to good PR.
Ethos:
Ethos focues on creating the credibility of organization or speaker. Good PR demonstrates the company’s integrity, professionalism, positive track record and even commitment to ethical practices. In this age when product sustainability is becoming more and more important, companies that are actively involved in environmental conservation are highly valued. In Japan, in particular, many companies are showing off their efforts to achieve the SDGs (17 global goals). In this way, companies are increasing the level of trust from their customers. For example, Nissin, famous for its Cup Noodles, provides disaster relief and hunger support. The ion group sells many fair trade products in its supermarkets. Patagonia uses recycled materials and donates a portion of profits to environmental causes.By consistently communicating their dedication to ethical business practices in this way, they are building trust with their stakeholders and establishing themselves as leaders in ethical and sustainable business practices.
Pathos:
Pathos is about appealing to the emotions of the audience. Good PR uses storytelling, powerful imagery, and empathetic language to evoke strong, heart-moving emotions, such as trust, hope, and empathy. Good PR uses storytelling, powerful imagery, and empathetic language to evoke strong, heart-moving emotions of trust, hope, and empathy. For example, when society was anxious during the COVID-19 pandemic, an ad featuring Doraemon (who can go to the future) saying “Don’t worry, the future is fine” went viral and touched many people. Also, the Calorie Mate ad targeted students who have been studying hard and are about to take their final exam, making an emotional appeal to them. In this way, the use of pathos creates a thoughtful brand image.
Logos:
Logos is the use of logic and facts to persuade an audience. Good PR depends on clear, accurate, and relevant information to establish a strong and credible argument. This includes providing data, statistics, expert opinions, and logical explanations to support the message of the organization.For example, Sapporo Beer uses actual numbers in its advertisements, such as zero percent sugar. Moreover, when Nissan’s electric car was released, it appealed to the audience’s logical aspect by providing vast amounts of data about its performance, safety, and environmental impact in public.
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I like how you make connection to the principles of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos to PR, which demonstrates a thoughtful application of classical rhetoric to modern practices!
Trust is indeed the foundation of any strong relationship, and in the context of PR, it’s about consistently demonstrating integrity.
The examples you provided, like Nissin’s disaster relief efforts and Patagonia’s commitment to sustainability, illustrate how the companies can build trust through their actions. I also think it’s important to note that in today’s world, consumers are more informed and conscientious. When they demand transparency and are quick to support brands that align with their values. And this shift has made it even more essential for companies to uphold high ethical standards.
I think your blog well make them together the importance of trust, emotional connection, and logical reasoning in PR. they’ve given me a deeper understanding for the strategic elements of PR and how they can be applied to create longer, positive relationships with the public.
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Advertising is a kind of marketing behavior, first of all, it is an information dissemination activity, passing information to consumers. The purpose is to make consumers have a good impression and interest in the brand or product, and then produce the purchase behavior. Whether the advertisement is done well or not mainly depends on whether the information conveyed is clear, and whether consumers can clearly receive the information they want to convey. Early advertising often used long narratives and combined with celebrities to effectively attract customers.
In the advertisement, I learned a word called Transference. Display the product side-by-side with other unrelated but desirable images. Let consumers transfer their love and trust to the product, thereby increasing the impulse and desire to buy. Chanel, as a well-known brand, takes advantage of the influence of the famous actress Catherine Deneuve to display “Chanel No 5” perfume alongside the image of Deneuve. The image of Deneuve brought to the public is gentle and intellectual. The advertisement hopes to link Deneuve with “Chanel No 5”, hoping that the audience will think that “Chanel No 5” also has such characteristics, so that people will transfer their good impression of Deneuve to the product.
In the advertisement, you will also see some people who fit the product type very well, they are not celebrities, but ordinary people, so that the audience can identify with the situation and the type of people in the advertisement. This Identification will make the audience see their own shadow from the advertisement and increase the desire to buy. In addition to the two examples given by the professor in the lecture, I also found an example, which is an advertisement of nike. This advertisement shows people of different backgrounds, different ages, different professions, they are wearing Nike’s different types of shoes and sportswear for daily activities and sports, the crowd in the advertisement are ordinary people, triggering the audience’s sense of identity. Make them feel that they are a member of the advertisement, and hope that they can also exercise like them, thus enhancing the goodwill of the brand and the desire to buy. (source:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVljFVClyws)
Because many products are very similar, such as clothing, skin care products, cosmetics, etc., they often reflect the uniqueness and innovation of the product through the conception and design of the advertisement. The advertisement of GUESS is a woman wearing denim clothes, which is very suitable for rural life and farms, conveying a free and unconstrained life state, reflecting the durability and practicality of denim clothes. DIESEL’s ads, on the other hand, show the brand’s trend and sense of fashion, with the main target of attracting young avant-garde people. The differentiation of different advertisements helps different products stand out in the fierce market competition and attract the attention and interest of their respective target consumer groups.
I also learned about two types of advertising, Hard Sell and Soft Sell. A Hard Sell is an attempt to get the buyer to act immediately. In contrast, Soft selling is a step-by-step approach. When using Soft Sell, they take the time to understand their customers’ needs, concerns, and values, paying attention to the finer details. While Hard Sell primarily emphasizes quick sales, this approach tends to make buyers feel stressed and uneasy. Therefore, simple and easy to understand products are more suitable for Hard Sell, and products with higher complexity are more suitable for Soft Sell. Hard Sell and Soft Sell are closely related to psychology, because I have been studying the professional course of psychology in the first two semesters, and I can choose the appropriate advertising types by understanding the psychology of customers, so as to achieve the best marketing effect.
For product placement, it often appears in variety shows, TV dramas, movies, and even games. Viewers and players can’t help but notice the products advertised. In the professor’s lecture, I learned about two types of AD placements, Donated and Compensated. For me, my favorite American TV series is Friends, and Friends is also the first American TV series that I came into contact with. With Pottery Barn and Ford cars planted in the show, Ross Geller and Rachel Green directly mention the Pottery Barn brand and discuss their furniture purchases. In another scene, Rachel interacts with a Ford car, a demonstration of a Ford car. Advertising placement should be carried out naturally and smoothly, not simply to display products, it also needs to interact and combine with the story and characters, so as to form a good effect and enhance the brand exposure. (source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DmanwdeIq4)
A successful brand needs to meet many conditions that help the brand stand out from the market, win the love of consumers. A lot of well-known brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Adidas… As far as the Audi logo is concerned, this simple design makes the Audi logo highly recognizable in other brands. According to the professor’s request, we formed a team to create our dishwashing liquid brand, which is also our next important task.
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I love how you emphasized the importance of using ordinary people in advertisements. It’s so true that seeing someone like ourselves in an ad can make a product feel more relatable and attainable. The Nike ad you mentioned is a good example of this. When I see those diverse individuals, it feels like Nike is saying, “This is for everyone, including you.” It creates a sense of belonging and makes me want to be part of that inclusive community.
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That’s a very informative and helpful information you put about marketing! Advertising and marketing both requires a lot of time, money, and planning. A lot of advertisements can go wrong and sometimes it’s just not what they thought it will be. However, there is a lot of successful advertisements and sometimes the old advertisements are still popular today. Also there are controversial advertisements that are made. For instance, the Pepsi commercial featuring Kendall Jenner sparked controversy and the company had to take it down the next day.
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I totally agree with your analysis of advertising. Your references to advertising goals, the importance of messaging, and the characteristics of early advertising are all accurate.
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In this class, we learned that various media such as magazines, television and movies plays an important role in brand promotion. Magazine ads can attracts readers’ attention and increase brand awareness by advertising products or services. Television ads can shows products to millions of viewers through a combination of visuals and sounds to arouse their interest and desire to buy. Brand placement in movies is also a common promotion strategy, which increases brand exposure and recognition by showing the brand’s logo or products in the movie.
Unlike in the past, with the widespread use of social media, the way of advertising has also changed to a great extent. For example, social media platforms can accurately pushes advertisements to the most likely groups to be interested based on user interests, behaviors, geographic locations and other information through big data analysis and algorithm technology, greatly improving the efficiency and conversion rate of advertising.
Social media has also given rise to a whole new form of advertising – influencer marketing. This involves collaboration between social media influencers and brands. Influencers usually have a large following and a high degree of credibility within a particular field. Brands use their social influence to promote their brand by sponsoring these influencers to publish content that includes their products or services, a strategy that tends to reach a broader and highly targeted audience, and because it is recommended by trusted people, the advertising message is more acceptable.
At the same time, the instant messaging characteristics of social media platforms allows brands to quickly receive user feedback and adjust marketing strategies in real time. At the same time, through functions such as comments, likes, and private messages, brands and consumers establishes a direct communication bridge, enhancing user stickiness and brand loyalty.
With the explosive growth of video content, especially the rise of short video platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels, short video ads has become an important means for brands to attracts young audiences. These short and creative video ads are not only easy to produce and share, but can also quickly conveys brand information in a short period of time, stimulates user interest and participation, and are very suitable for dissemination in a fast-paced social media environment.
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Combining the right social media personality with the right brand results in high-quality advertisements that resonate and engage effectively.
I believe the advantage of influencer marketing lies in the high customer loyalty it generates. Because most customers of influencer-driven e-commerce are fans of the influencer, and the likelihood of these fans converting into customers is significantly higher compared to strangers.
Additionally, fan loyalty is higher, leading to a repeat purchase rate that far higher that of other shops.
Moreover, product targeting is highly effective because the customers of influencer e-commerce are fans.so, these shops can quickly capture fans’ needs through their feedback.
For example, the makeup brand we are all familiar with. Currently, among the best beauty brands on the Tik Tok platform, elf is the frontrunner， Cosmetics brand elf was one of the first leader beauty brands to adopt the Tik Tok marketing strategy. In the first Tik Tok marketing campaign that elf did, they used a song called “Eyes Lips Face”, which is believed to be the first original song produced specifically for a Tik Tok campaign.
Through active collaboration with Tik Tok influencers, e.l.f. turned the #eyeslipsface hashtag into a trending tag on TikTok, achieving tremendous success.
There are currently more than 3.8 billion views of Tik Tok videos with the hashtag. While elf actively does overseas influencer marketing to advertise their products on Tik Tok,
But I think the most unique element of elf’s Tik Tok marketing strategy is that they regularly hosting of Tik Tok LIVE sessions
The number of users utilizing TikTok’s live streaming feature has doubled in the past year, and e.l.f. started their TikTok live streaming strategy more than a year ago. Their live content includes beauty tutorials, giveaways, Q&A sessions, and new product launches. I like and enjoy to watch it，sometimes I even forgot the time.
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I also think influencer marketing is very innovative and new. I find myself almost buying things that my favorite influencers recommend. However, lately, there seems to be an oversaturation of influencer marketing, and many people are feeling overwhelmed by it. My friend mentioned feeling uncomfortable when their favorite influencers engage in marketing, as it makes them feel like they are being treated as a source of profit rather than as genuine fans.
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I agree, your friend’s discomfort is valid and shared by many, sometimes I have the same feeling. The oversaturation you mentioned is a growing concern. When influencers frequently promote products, it may blur the line between genuine recommendations and paid endorsements, causing some fans to feel like they are being exploited for profit.
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When discussing the topic of promotion, the number one brand that personally comes to mind is Apple. Apple’s break into the computer market in the 1980’s and their subsequent dominance and in some instances pioneering/invention of multiple niche tech markets such as paid digital music streaming are masterclasses in the use of marketing and thoughtful, intentional advertising to frame a cohesive image around a brand and its product. One of the primary pillars of Apple that Steve Jobs worked relentlessly to employ is consistency, Jobs believed that Apple and all its products should operate at a similar high level of quality with not only electronics but also presentation. This means that Jobs and his team personally tested multiple iterations of packaging for the iPhone to ensure that the user experience of the simple act of unboxing their device was as optimal and satisfying as possible. This means they actually compared the different ways a box would open, to determine their ideal packaging. On top of this, there are numerous explicit decisions that were as well scrutinized and well thought out such as font, letter spacing, and of course color.
This hardwired belief in the necessity for a seamless, consistent, and sleek user experience was paramount in establishing Apple as the most influential tech company of the early 2000’s. They built this user experience around a platform of developing consistent ideas and designs on every level, foregoing lazy oversights in favor of a top to bottom approach where Apple had a hand in the decisions at every level. This put their products over the top with customers, making them the most accessible to operate by the average person.
Where Apple further excelled was in marketing and advertising. Campaign’s such as those that followed the release of the iPod and iTunes are legendary for revolutionizing the global consumption of music and the industry in general. For the first time, the millions, perhaps billions, lost in digital piracy from sites such as Napster, a monetized digital alternative was introduced and Jobs & company made sure to position their service as the hip, modern, and in touch option for youth and adults alike.
This was done with wildly artistic, considerably well colored and designed, creative ads that set the iPod and iTunes system apart from competitors. Apple’s ad campaigns were decorated with character, ingenuity, flavor, they were absolutely novel. Simple colors, bold, succinct messages.
I’m finishing the Steve Jobs autobiography currently, so that’s why I just went on a rant about Apple’s marketing expertise lol.
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Again in the topic of promotion strategies, what comes to mind quickly are the big tobacco advertisements of years past. When scientific news of the harmful effects of Tobacco use first hit the public, the large tobacco companies that profited off of the general publics addiction were in disarray. They were concerned about the status of their great business model when people realized these products were killing them.
Then comes in Edward Bernays, the nephew of Sigmun Freud, who was hired by Tobacco companies to create a convincing advertising campaign that could revitalize the cigarette/tobacco industry. Bernays is today known as, “The Father of Public Relations”, PR being a term he coined and described as a ‘public, family-friendly phrase word propaganda’. Using this schema for influencing the public, in the 1920s, tobacco companies staged marches for Women’s rights were paid models were hired to spearhead for the movement, touting their cigarettes as ‘torches for freedom’. Prior to these times, Cigarettes were a masculine market, by framing their product as an empowering piece of female equality and rebellion against societal stereotypes, big tobacco was able to revitalize their sales.
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In this class, I learned how advertisement is an important factor for people in marketing. The advertisement is the main factor in marketing. It makes the sender and receiver communicate and it makes profit. It promotes the motivation of purchasing something that they advertised to make their desire and needs for the receiver. It is important for the sender to have the strategy on how the item will be sold to make their awareness.
The advertisement is important for the sender to make the item popular and needs. Even if the sender makes the good item, there is no need because people do not know about it. In order to make the item popular and more needed, they need to share what this item is and how it is good for buyers. By using advertising methods that let people know about their product and reach the target audience to get a high response rate. It is one of the important roles for a product or service to advertise their product to raise awareness of the products.
After people know their items, they need to explain about the product. What is the target of the product, what price is the product, why do people need to buy it and so on.
There is another function of advertisement to have the message of something that the sender wants to tell people. Some advertisements say that the sender wants to know what happened now and how they need to solve the problem. It seems like the sender makes the message advertisement when a natural disaster happens to tell people what happened and collect the money to save the people.
There are many types of advertisements and the sender needs to know how they should make the advertisement to make the message better. It is necessary for sende rto decide which target do they focus to make the advertisement. If they do not set the target, people are not interested in the sender’s advertisements.
In my opinion, the most effective advertisements are social media and TV. Social media has the power to tell people about seder items easily and effectively, like while people watch Youtube, TikTok or something, they have the advertisements between one video and next video. TV advertisements also have the power to tell people to know better.
Advertisement is the one of the important factors for sender to tell people in marketing.
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I agree. Advertising is crucial in marketing. It increases awareness, creates desire, and communicates the value of the product. Targeting the right audience through social media and TV ads can be very effective. Advertising is crucial to the success of a product.
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We often come across advertisements on social media. Personally, I frequently use Instagram and often see advertisements related to clothing and beauty. What surprised me is the appearance of location-specific advertisements based on where I live. For example, if you lived in Shibuya, you might see “Exclusive for Shibuya residents! Get XX for free now!” What further amazed me is that these advertisements are mostly tailored to my interests. For example, I enjoy Y2K fashion and often see related advertisements on Instagram, which I can understand. However, what sometimes frightens me is when advertisements show up for things I haven’t searched for outside of Instagram. It feels like all apps are interconnected, and what scares me the most is seeing advertisements for things I’m interested in but haven’t searched for online, only discussed verbally. It almost feels like my smartphone is listening to my conversations. It’s quite remarkable how precise social media ad targeting has become.
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However, this technology is incredibly useful for determining the target audience for advertisements. To achieve a high response rate, it is crucial to cater to the specific needs of each target. For example, advertising Y2K fashion to older individuals may not yield favorable results. Targeting the right audience is essential for successful advertising and can significantly impact sales. Nowadays, as younger generations tend to watch social media more than television, running ads targeting young people on social media platforms would be more effective.
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I’ve had a similar experience with advertisements online. To me, it begins to feel like a massive invasion of privacy when it comes to how targeted ads are across all of the apps and websites that we use.
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I could learn the difference and deeply details for each promotion stuff in this class, and it is really interesting. Personally, I have been interested in promotion stuff especially TV commercial. I think the TV commercials have very widely styles. I am not sure how to explain it, but Some 15 or 30 second TV commercials can be properly perceived as advertising, while others attract viewers as visual art. I could catch the role of the TV commercials is to attract audience, so important thing is how much audience can be attracted. Of course, there are many commercials that introduce or explain the product or campaign they are promoting in a short video, and i think that is good advertising, but for a video that runs between the main TV programs, I think it is important how much impact production company can make with that short video because the length of the video is little bit too short to get the audience convinced and also make them to buy or actions. So I believe that in TV commercials there is a hashtag role for what is perceived visually and what is perceived audibly. The product features of the product, performers, background music, catchphrases, and so on, are left in the videos so that audience can look them up later on the Internet or elsewhere to remember the product or campaign. i enjoy watching TV commercials from that perspective, and personally I find Apple product commercials very interesting to watch. Based on my analysis I mentioned earlier, I think Apple commercials have both characteristics. The images are beautifully shot in various workspaces around the world, and the background music is not too flashy, with a comfortable AI like narration, and to match the background music, the video shows the product in use, explaining its features and benefits. A good commercial can not be created unless the producer and the company are well coordinated, and the performers in the commercial should follow the concept of the commercial. I find TV commercials attractive in this respect as well, because sometimes performers and music that are in vogue at a moment in time are used in a crude manner.
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Recently I’ve seen a lot of streaming services and music platforms with puppy dog sales. For instance, when our family switched phone companies and got new phones, Apple offered us a 1-3 month trial on Apple TV. Furthermore, we were also offered a 3-month trial on Apple Music. Even with popular editing video apps such as Final Cut Pro offered 3 month free trial. Everybody loves free stuff since we are able to explore the platforms without paying any price. The puppy dog sell must be working well since a lot of the digital apps are offering these options. They are encouraging the users to use these free trials. This technique can be used to attract consumers as the app is selfless to its customers. It is also a good way to determine if this app is advantageous to the consumer without paying the full price.Â
Connecting to the puppy sale, I would like to discuss about subscription sale. This type of sale is used for music and streaming platforms such as Spotify and Netflix. Many people have these streams since more than one person can use the media and the price is affordable. Many customers including myself and my family have been using these platforms for years because when we look at the price for 1 month which is roughly less than 1000 yen for Netflix it feels cheap. However, in the long run we are spending quite a lot of money on these streams. Sometimes I don’t know if it is worth it to keep these streams such as Netflix because I do not watch it everyday.
Another popular technique I have found is “sharing.” In this context, I am discussing influencers and brand partnerships. Every time I go on social media, I see various of influencers sponsoring a brand. I was not aware of some of these brands until influencers or people on social platforms started to talk about it in their videos. This is a smart and excellent idea because most people own social media and this can increase business sales.
Brand Loyalty is what makes the business continue. Loyal customers are the people who are keeping the business continue. I thought it was the different types of customers buying the products that are helping to continue the business. Apple is a good example for this. Apple users are loyal to Apple because it is convenient to connect the laptop to the phone. Airdropping or sharing data is accessible. Some people own all their devices such as headphones, watch, phone, laptop, and ipad from Apple. It is not only aesthetically pleasing but also show their loyalty to the brand.
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I always wanted to know about PR and advertising (public relations) before this class. I was really happy and excited to learn about how a brand promote their products. In the fast-paced world of marketing, businesses rely on a blend of promotion, public relations (PR), and advertising strategies to cut through the noise, engage audiences, and drive meaningful outcomes. Each of these components plays a crucial role in shaping brand perception, influencing consumer behavior, and ultimately, driving sales.
I found that it is quite interesting that people use “puppy dog sell”. The “puppy dog sell” is a sales technique named after the idea that once you take a puppy home and become attached to it, you’re unlikely to return it. This method capitalizes on creating an emotional attachment to a product or service by allowing potential customers to experience it firsthand before making a commitment to purchase. If I have a chance to try “puppy dog sell” , I think I will end up buying the product. It is very unique and effective way for promotion.
I was also interested in color theory. Before this class, I did not know that color plays such a significant role in advertising. I learned that color can convey meaning to viewer and evoke their emotions. The fact is that different colors have different effects and cause different reactions from the audience. From the video that professor showed us, I was surprised that red can actually raises heart rate, so I did some research and it says that the reason why red is noticeable is because thousands of years ago, red was mostly only know as the color of blood, which means people often associated red with danger, injury, and death. Our ancestors saw this color, they told them to pay attention because something dangerous was nearby. Until today, this instinct has stuck with us. I guess that is why red is often used for traffic signs. I also learned that dark color background allows texture of products to pop. Watch commercial is a good example, black and brown are excellent colors for convey a sense of luxury and elegance. The blue color makes people to think of a beach or a pool. Orange and yellow colors mean energy, enthusiasm, optimism and happiness. I saw that blue represents beach and orange represents sun, so these two colors can be perfect combination of a summer sale on the internet. Furthermore, the color green symbolizes life. It can bring feeling of relaxation, health, hope and freshness.
There is a website analyzes how to sell soap through art, which is quite intersecting. It says that in 1887. An entrepreneur called Lever bought a big amount of paintings from art exhibition in London. He owned a company which made Sunny soap. It was a popular household brand. He copied the images for his Ads, putting his brand name and slogan. Soap wrappers contain vouchers that can be collected and exchanged for prints. It is still an incentive idea for promotion for today.
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In this chapter, we learned about marketing and promotion. I am actually planning to get into PR in the future. Therefore, l was very interested in this topic and l have some ideas. I would like to share in this essay.
Our professor mentioned two concepts which are Tranceforance and Differentiation. Speaking of Tranceforance, it is to transfer the meaning of an object into an attractive image and to bring attraction to the object and give it a deeper meaning. For instance, there are various creative ads for perfume. The perfume is originally meaningless, but customers tend to be more specific about its spokesperson and give it a corresponding meaning. For example, if the spokesperson is a sexy woman, people will habitually feel that this bottle of perfume will bring unlimited temptation to them. Therefore, choosing the image of the spokesperson is a very important part of the sales promotion method. I have experienced this myself. When I like this brand very much, if the spokesperson of this brand becomes a celebrity that I don’t like very much, I will lose my desire to buy this brand.
On the other hand, Differentiation gives people more of a visual impact, which can better highlight the brand’s style and concept. In class, there was an advertisement that left a deep impression on me. It’s an advertisement for CK. CK is known as a famous underwear brand, and the very sexually charged photo integrates well with the brand image. The bold poses and attractive expressions of the models in the pictures bring a powerful visual impact and make people deeply attracted. However, I found that CK’s advertisements in Asian countries are not as bold. It makes me feel that even the clothes are sexier than the spokesperson, and it doesn’t bring out the concept of the brand.
Also, I was very into the Puppy Sell. I had never heard this word before, but I know this kind of promotion method. My younger brother had signed up for an online class. This online class organization sends some small toys that can be used for learning every month. If my brother wants to keep them, they will charge money. They make good use of children’s curiosity and love of toys. Especially for children, it is impossible for them to give up a toy, so my mother has to pay for these toys every time. However, then it became a big expense and my mother stopped this option.
I want to share an interesting marketing technique that I discovered in my life. A person wearing rather strange clothes greeted me on the street. I thought his outfit was very interesting and bold, so I started chatting with him, and thenhe asked me if l wanted to take a photo with him. However, after taking the photo, he asked me for 500 yen. I was very surprised, I didn’t know why he did this. As a result, he pulled out a paper. And I noticed that he was the kind of roadside acrobat. If you took a photo with him, you would be charged money. Although I don’t like this kind of marketing method, it is indeed useful. Today’s era is developing very fast, and if you want to stand out among so many brands, you really need some unique ideas. Also, I’ve seen news that a woman says wearing a bodysuit from Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS saved her life when she was shot 4 times. Although I am not sure about the authenticity of this story, anyone who hears it will find it amazing, so I also bought this product. In fact, I am not interested in this product, but I am paying for this brand’s novel concept.
I also gained a better understanding of the impact of advertising on us through this assignment. There is a complete system behind all the advertisements we see. It’s difficult to make a good advertisement if you don’t know how to market or understand the current market. I hope I can take advantage of what I learned this time and make better use of it in the future.
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Your insights are interesting. In particular, your explanation of the concepts of transition and differentiation captures the essence of modern marketing strategy.
Your use of perfume as an example to illustrate transition was accurate. Indeed, even if a product has no inherent meaning, the right spokesperson or advertising campaign can imbue it with new meaning and value. This is an extremely important element in building a brand image.
Your astute observations on Calvin Klein’s advertising are noteworthy. Your emphasis on how advertising strategies differ across cultures highlights an important issue in global marketing. Balancing a brand’s core message while adapting to the cultural sensitivities of each market is always a delicate balance for international brands.
The example of Puppy Cell illustrates the fascinating use of consumer psychology in marketing tactics. However, such tactics can raise ethical concerns, especially when targeting children. Marketers have a high ethical responsibility, especially when targeting vulnerable populations.
Unique marketing tactics such as the roadside campaign and the SKIMS example illustrate the creative and sometimes unexpected evolution of modern marketing. These examples reveal that brands are employing increasingly innovative and sometimes controversial strategies to capture consumers’ attention. The world of marketing and promotion is constantly evolving as it searches for new ways to capture consumers’ attention. However, I believe that effective marketing is about more than just getting attention. It is about truly understanding the value of the brand and aligning it with the needs of the consumer. Furthermore, as digital technology advances, marketing strategies are becoming more sophisticated and personalized. While this presents an opportunity to provide more relevant information to consumers, it also creates new challenges, such as privacy concerns.
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Advertisements are the core thing to sell goods and marketing. And most advertisements do not have words or explanations because people tend to be attracted to or get attention by simple and strong impressions thing. That is why a lot of advertisements use only products and models. There are a lot of interesting ads, and looking at many ads we can recognize each of them as different, there are no same ads everything is different. It is extremely important for advertising need to explain and promote the products without words as well as need to understand the brand image. A good example of a tier company’s ad, in ad picture there is Octopus and there are tier Edge of Octopus Arms. The reason for using Octopus for this ads because the main function of the tier is grip and Octopus has Octopus suckers, so what this ad tells through that picture is this tier’s grip is strong as octopus. The other example of beauty products, what do you imagine about beauty goods? Elegant, gorgeous, and lovely. If the ad tries to express elegance, the ad would be a simple color such as black. If the ad wants to express gorgeous, the ad would be based on gold, what about lovely, the color would be pink or light pink. In addition, the important part of the ad is not only the image color but also the need to appoint models who match the brand image. The brand wants to show gorgeousness but the ad uses cute models there occurs a mismatch, and the ad needs consistency.
However, I think there is an exception. I’m going to introduce the idol, the member of BLACKPINK Jennie. She is one of the most famous and popular people in the world as well as she is well known as the most influential K-pop idol in the fashion industry. Jennie has partnerships with a lot of brands and her ambassador is Calvin Klein. Her influence is incredible since Jennie has become ambassador, Calvin Klein gained 68 million dollars. Recently the number of people have increased who buy clothes because of what Jennie was wearing. When she wears a dress and boots during the car commercial after the CM releases the dress and boots she wears in CM immediately sell out. In addition, there is an interesting story about Jennie when Jenni released a collaboration music video with another artist and the clothes she was wearing during this music video for moment sold immediately in every store. Moreover, Jennie turned 21 million foodies into hot products. So now most people do not purchase products based on brand or cost, people decide to whether buy or not based on who wears or uses them.
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I learned from the presentation about the design of PR and advertising logos by each brand as the source of promotion. Many companies and corporations have different marketing and promotion divisions, and they need to be able to do business with the differences between the organization and the consumer, then I studied the promotional strategies of each company.
For example, my favorite fashion brand, Prada has always focused on change as the most important thing that separates them from other brands in the fashion industry. I don’t understand what “change” simply means. It is an evolutionary process based on the consumer’s understanding of the branding, and it is something that changes in a flexible manner while keeping in mind the demands of society and the changing times in the marketplace, as well as the endpoints of the trends of the times.
In my opinion, this is what makes the PR method so interesting. What is interesting to me is that Prada has created a unique brand by creating a simple and powerful image for consumers by using a chic black color for its apparel and an upside-down triangle for the logo, two things that have remained unchanged since the brand’s founding. This is one of the companies that is exactly what the professor was describing in your presentation when theacher talked about logo design that are designing simple, clear text and symbols that are easy to understand for the consumer. Also, if a logo is too complex, only the core consumer will buy it. For example, a design that uses gradients in different parts of the logo to make the colors more complex should be avoided. I was interested in the history of the Starbucks logo. In 1971, the logo was originally two or three shades of color with the iconic Starbucks mermaid in the middle of the logo, but it was so carefully drawn that by far place. I was difficult to see and not the most universal design. It was a local coffee shop that was not the most universal. However, Starbucks went public around 1990, it changed its image to one that is easily recognizable in both color and design from today’s Starbucks.
What makes Prada so special in the AIDA model is that the company’s ownership is basically divided between shareholders, the stock exchange, and Prada Holdings, with Prada Holdings owning 60-70% of the company. But Prada holdings owns 80% of the company, with the remaining 20% being shares listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (www.pradagroup.com). The Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) provides the AIDA model role for worldwide, not only in Hong Kong but also from the major Asian markets.
Therefore, Prada and other companies listed on the stock exchange will be known to people all over the world through social media, internet, and other PR activities, even if they do not do anything. In other words, a direct promotional strategy can make consumers willing to buy from them in the future.
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I think that Products are made up of many different elements, and the impression we get from them is what makes us, as consumers, buy something we particularly like. These elements can vary from color, shape, logo, catch copy, and so on.
Firstly, color alone can change one’s impression of a product. From the slides the professor showed in class, I got the impression that warm colors are used more by food companies, especially hot food companies. Because warm colors are more appetizing, I would expect that many companies prefer warm colors over cold colors. Silver, on the other hand, is used by many car companies. Silver gives the impression of neutrality or calmness. I suspect that silver is used because cars must be handled with care and are expensive vehicles.
Secondly, regarding the shape, we compared water bottles in class. Although they are the same product, water, the shapes of the bottles were totally different depending on the company. The impression given by the shape of these bottles is totally different. VOSS” bottles have a stylish shape, while ”Contrex” bottles have a curved, expanded part. From this I got the impression that it has a large capacity and is easy to use for a large group of people such as a family.
Thirdly, the logo is also the first impression of the company, so much so that it can be recognized just by looking at it for a moment. Take Walt Disney, for example: the letter D is normally unreadable unless it is the Disney logo, but anyone who sees the Disney logo knows it is Walt Disney. This is partly because the company has existed for so many years, but also because the logo has such a strong impact and is so different from other companies that it makes a strong impression on consumers.
Finally, the catchphrase should convey the company’s concept in short words and how much it makes consumers want to buy the product. For example, the catchphrase for the Japanese snack ”Kappa Ebisen” is ”Can’t stop, can’t stop, Kappa Ebisen”. This is both rhythmical and a phrase that anyone can remember. In fact, once people ate that snack, they kept eating it one after the other. Therefore, I believe that catchphrases make people want to buy the product, and furthermore, if the product matches the catchphrase, it strengthens the credibility of the product.
That is why based on a variety of factors, we make decisions about which product is best for us and purchase it. Therefore, I think that the difference between making a product popular and making it appealing to consumers before they buy it is how attractive it is to each company.
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Something that has always stuck with me when it comes to advertising, promotion, branding, etc. is the idea that so much of the art and media that we consume is influenced by the desire to create marketable brands. I am concerned that the profit-seeking nature of our society has homogenized our media in an attempt to create clean and mass-marketable brands. I find that this is especially prevalent in music and film. Just from my own personal experience, I can’t help but feel a degree of detachment from any non-independent I partake in, because the companies and brands behind the media use marketing tactics to influence people in ways that are contradictory to the product’s quality. In order to create the best possible brand association, a large portion of well-funded music tends to aim for easily accessible, vague stylings that create something that is catchy and relatable at the cost of uniqueness, character, and quality. It’s almost like these songs develop taglines and mottos in the same way that a fast-food restaurant might. This obviously isn’t always the case though, there’s plenty of extremely popular musicians who are very creative and interesting. I think we’re at a point where art is designed and manufactured in a way that is similar to any other commodified product. While this may not seem explicitly related to this week’s topic, I feel that a lot of what I am referring to is motivated by the same desire to appeal to and stay in the minds of the general public.
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I fully agree with you about how the profit-driven nature of our society affects art and media. Indeed, many mainstream forms of music and film often prioritize marketability over artistic originality and depth. A focus on creating mass-market brands can sometimes lead to homogenization of content, sacrificing uniqueness and quality for broad appeal and an appealing, easy-to-digest format.
Separate from non-independent media due to the pervasive influence of marketing strategies. It’s clear that these strategies are designed to shape consumer perceptions and preferences, sometimes at the expense of creative risk-taking and innovation. While there are a few exceptions for very creative and popular artists, the general trend toward the commodification of art can limit the diversity and authenticity of our cultural landscape.
Overall, your observations highlight an important issue in contemporary media and art, where the balance between artistic integrity and commercial viability is often a delicate one.
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This topic is quite interesting as it crosses over into marketing and I am currently a communications major and a business minor. I’ve learned a lot about marketing from a business perspective and this class has also allowed me to look into the communication part of it.
In class, we talked a lot about product features such as packaging and logos. It was a little surprising to me that different colored logos can mean different things to a consumer. I forgot the exact example, but I think I remember that light blue is associated with reliability and trust. I find this to be a really interesting concept and I wonder how much companies really take this into account when creating their logos. It also makes me curious about the way that business employees and maybe employees that focus on design work together.
This also reaches into the topic of public relations. Public relations is also a part of communication and I think it’s a great example to analyze as well. PR may be the most important sector that properly uses communication studies to perform well. Communication studies provide the foundational knowledge and skills that are essential for successful PR practice. PR professionals have to be the most efficient and persuasive individuals using communication to have successful campaigns. Effective PR campaigns are based on strategic communication planning. They have to identify the target audience and craft their message in a way to influence those target consumers. Communication studies provide the tools and frameworks for each of these steps.
When creating a brand, companies have to be able to create a product that people want to buy, and that starts with the image of the product including the packaging. Companies need to develop an attractive product, with an attractive logo, and with attractive advertising. Even the way that companies portray themselves through their employees and company ideals are important for the consumer. All of this comprises the “image” of the company and is one of the most important things for the company. A company NEEDS a strong public image to spur on consumers and create a community around their brand.
A company needs to also have good crisis PR in the case that an adverse event or situation happens. Reputation is one of an organization’s most valuable assets. During a crisis, an organization’s reputation is at significant risk. Effective crisis PR helps to protect and even enhance an organization’s reputation by demonstrating that the organization is competent. This all falls under efficient and effective communication and one of the most important results of studying communication.
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Today’s media landscape is shaped by multiple strategies across magazines, TV, and film. Every medium has its own opportunities and challenges, so public relations and branding must be integrated into society.
Niche marketing is possible through magazine demographic targeting. A magazine’s graphics and persuasive techniques catch the reader’s attention. Making sponsored content credible and relevant means tying it into editorial contexts. Magazine PR requires cultivating relationships with editors and journalists. By appearing in respected magazines, brands can build trust and enhance their image.
By using television as a medium for mass communication, visuals and audio play a major role. When it comes to commercials, a compelling narrative and high production value are what grab your attention. Brands can leverage viewer affinity for characters and stories by placing products in TV narratives. In order to enhance brand visibility and engagement, brands can sponsor TV shows and events. A TV promotion that uses consistent messaging and visuals will strengthen the relationship between the brand and the consumer. Celebrity endorsements and talk shows can be an effective means of boosting brand messages.
The fact that films offer immersive storytelling makes them an excellent promotional tool for businesses. With Blockbuster movies, brands are embedded in cultural context thereby increasing their visibility and remembrance among consumers. It has been proven that co-branding between film studios extends the brand’s reach and relevance. There is no doubt that cinema advertisements maximize the retention and exposure of messages. If you want to boost a brand’s prestige or status, you’ll need to attend a bunch of red carpet events, press junkets, and film festivals too. The loyalty of a brand comes from the emotional connection created between the brand and it’s customers. To make sure it stays strong, you’ll need to take care of it carefully. With the help of marketing campaigns for nowadays, it’s designed in a multitude of ways to help reach and engage target audiences. By using PR tactics and branding strategies, you can successfully navigate media promotion. Brands get more visibility and influence when they’re marketed in magazines, on TV, or in movies. With these mediums, brands can cultivate long-term relationships with their consumers.
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