IMC Hawks Blog

Category: Advertising

  • The phenomena of advertisement on YouTube

    I don’t know about you all but I love YouTube! I subscribe to a couple of different channels mostly related to beauty, fashion and traveling; but also, channels such as BuzzFeed and VEVO. I have the attention span of a five year old, so watching 10-20 minute long videos is perfect for me to keep my full attention and not get bored or drift off into distractions such as my phone.

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    YouTube has grown tremendously in the past couple of years, and from what experts are saying it will continue to do so. Did you know that over ONE BILLION unique users visit the site each month? How crazy is that!? Additionally, YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, only trailing behind Google! Seeing these statistics, it becomes clear that YouTube not only has a massive audience, but an extremely diverse one as well.

    In our modern world, digital marketing is more important than ever and advertisers are realizing that they need to be utilizing numerous different outlets. YouTube has become a fresh new marketing tool which can help advertisers and companies reach their specified target audiences. The success behind YouTube is the interaction and engagement is provides. Users often share, like, and comment content; creating an extremely close knit community among users.

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    There are many ways to advertise on YouTube, product placement being one. One new trend among YouTube users is video blogging, also known as vlogging. Video Bloggers often rack up millions of views, and have quite the influence to their fan base. A study from Variety asserts that “teenagers’ emotional attachment to YouTube stars is as much as seven times greater than that toward a traditional celebrity”. For this very reason, advertisers are choosing to showcase themselves before, during and in videos which generates a large-scale audience. Sometimes it can be a placement ad that plays before the video (we have all seen the “Skip ad in 5”), but can also come in form of sponsored mentions, gift merchandising, or even partnership reviews.

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    YouTube has been around for a long time but it is rapidly becoming more and more influential. With 300 hours of video uploaded per minute, the site gives advertisers a wide variety of advertising opportunities which reaches people all over the world in a constant and visually appealing manner.

    Do you watch YouTube? And if so, what are some of your favorite channels?

    – Olivia Nilsson

  • Valentine’s Day Candy Sales

    Image result for valentine's day candyLet’s take a look at what made Valentine’s Day great in the world of sales. We know from the previous blog post that there are a variety of things that people bought for their loved ones on Valentine’s Day this year, but let’s take a look at the classic: candy!Image result for valentine's day candy sales statistics

    Candy is the most commonly purchased gift every year on Valentine’s Day, just barely beating out greeting cards this past year. It is estimated that in 2015, $1.7 billion was spent on candy and that number just keeps increasing each year. About 36 million worth of heart shaped chocolate boxes were purchased within that amount. In the same article, it also estimates that the amount of chocolate that the amount of spending equates to is about 58 million pounds! In 2015 as well the total amount to be spent on Valentine’s Day was $18.9 billion dollars, but that’s because of other big spenders like nice jewelry or expensive flowers.

    While were here, we might as well talk about the other type of sales. Candy sales! All across department stores and discount stores you can start finding candy already up to 50 or 70 percent off. Go out there and get yourself some candy!

    Image result for valentine's day candy sales memeImage result for valentine's day candy sale

    –Andrew Moody ’17

  • Valentine’s Day, Come and Gone

    When I think of Valentine’s Day, the first things that immediately come to mind are candy, flowers, and stuffed animals, but people get much more creative with their gifts on this special holiday, especially now in 2017.

    According to Readers Digest, these are some of the best gifts to buy your special someone on Valentine’s Day:

    1. Candles
    2. Puzzles
    3. Earrings
    4. Mittens or Gloves
    5. Bamboo hearts
    6. Couple’s Pillows
    7. Desserts
    8. Personalized Wallet Inserts
    9. Phone Cases
    10. Personalized Notes

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    Even though these may be among some of the more creative gifts, heart-shaped candies and chocolates still saturate my hungry mind when I think of Valentine’s Day. Since Valentine’s Day disappears as quickly as it comes, the candy stores slash their prices overnight, and with Easter right around the corner, stores are eager to clear their shelves of Valentine’s candy and restock with Easter goodies.

    Not only can you get great deals on the Valentine’s Day candy, but you can also stock up and use your leftover candy for Easter and other holidays. Personally, the candy is the best part of any holiday, so I always take advantage of the sales.

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    -Jennifer Howard

     

  • It’s a SAD Day

     

    blog1 Now that Valentine’s Day is over, we can get down to the real celebration of the season: Single Awareness Day, or SAD. A dedication to all the single people out there, sick of the holidays and searching for a break from the commercialism that is Valentine’s Day.

    With no evident background explaining why Valentine’s Day is the cheesy, romantic holiday we all know and endure, the media has flourished coming up with its own meaning and traditions. The day itself cannot be pinned down to a single event, all we know for sure is that it is a mix of Roman and Christian traditions. The Catholic Church recognizes three different St. Valentines, each carrying their own legend. It is a holiday with a mysterious history, yet it is deemed the day of love.

    Single Awareness Day has its own history, believed to be started by a college student at Mississippi State University. It became prominent on social media year after year on Valentine’s Day, but was recently changed to February 15th in order to give it its own celebration. Single Awareness Day is now officially a national holiday!blog2

    According to the website, singleawareness.com, suggested activities for this celebratory day include sending yourself flowers, partying with other singles, and exchanging gifts with single friends. And don’t forget to wear green, the complementary opposite of red, or black if you want to symbolize your absence of celebration.

     

    For all the single people out there, you made it through another over-sentimental Valentine’s Day. Now is the time to assemble with your single friends, and buy the discounted chocolate. Being single is not a curse, but a celebration of independence and empowerment. That is what Single Awareness Day represents.

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    -Eva Mewborn

  • “He got me yellow roses…?”

    Today is the one day of the year where LOVE IS IN THE AIR, and it’s totally socially acceptable:

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    love disney heart flowers valentine

    But before half of you start thinking already, “it’s just a Tuesday, the institution is a sham, love is dumb, I don’t care about Valentine’s Day”, this isn’t about the history of Valentine’s Day.

    It isn’t about what you should get your significant other,

    and it isn’t bashing the holiday either…

    It’s honestly about flowers.

    According to CNN, it is estimated that on Valentine’s Day, nearly 224 million roses are grown for the sole purpose of being cut into long stem bouquets for your honey-bunny. That’s not even including other popular Valentine’s Day gifting flowers like carnations, lilies, and tulips. Those poor angiosperms.

    flower

    But back to the roses, the cliché of them all.

    Our culture deems roses as the unofficial-official flower of February 14th. If any of you have talked to a florist or self-proclaimed flower expert, you know that there appears to be a cultural agreement that a color code system exists for what kind of roses you should get depending on the person or purpose they are for. I have put in some research, and this is the general internet consensus for which color roses mean what:

    Red roses: Love and romance, the perfect way to say “I love you” 

    White roses: New beginnings or purity

    Yellow roses: Friendship

    Pink roses: Admiration and appreciation, the red roses distant cousin

    Orange roses: Enthusiasm and passion

    If you’re reading this hoping to figure out what rose you should give your significant other because you waited until last minute, congratulations, I just did half the work for you. If you’re like me however, and wonder why flowers have meanings to begin with, keep reading.

    Flowers have been used to communicate human emotion and meaning for ages. There are stories dating back to ancient China, Egypt, Greece, and Rome that show flowers to be an integral part of social culture, such as gifting. Our society today identifies gift giving as a way to communicate and express something from gift giver to receiver. Even at less festive occasions like funerals, flowers are given as a way to communicate to the grieving family that you are sorry for their loss.

    Hate it or love it, but I personally think that the fact that we as a culture communicate with each other through flowers, like colored roses, is fascinating. Sure it might all be a sham, it might just be a way to boost rose sales.. but it is also important to think about the implications rose giving says about our culture. We communicate in more ways than verbally speaking, even if it is just giving a flower.

    Caro Martini halloween pink creepy flowers

    love girl kiss amor i love you

     

    So here is a toast to all of you, may the loves of your life get you red roses as an expression of their eternal love for you, and not yellow as a way to say “we need to be just friends”.

    crying emotional break up breaking up ugly crying

    –Kayla Millie

  • Foxy Roxy

    Life near the beach means seeing surf shops by the dozen.  And what do you think lies inside these surf shops? Brands like Roxy, of course.

    In 1990, Quicksilver began a venture to create Roxy, a swimwear brand that encompassed the female surfer, the first of its kind in a sport dominated by men. The brand grew and was well received by the surf-ette, and Roxy even created the first women’s board short.

    sports summer surf surfing skating

    So what can we learn from Roxy’s brand identity?

    1. Their products are for women.

    2. They target these products to women.

    The logo, two Quicksilver logos reflected against each other to create a go to feminine symbol, a heart, encompasses the brand’s feminine spirit.

     

    Image result for roxy quicksilver logo

    “Daring, confident, naturally beautiful, fun, alive: Roxy“

    Roxy took a plunge into a market dominated by menswear, and came out drenched in success. But Roxy faces a definite challenge-

    How do you advertise an all women’s surf-wear brand, especially swimsuits, without receiving backlash for objectifying women’s bodies?

    The answer? I don’t think Roxy has been able to do it yet.

    Critics were quick to comment on this ad for the Roxy Pro Biarritz competition from 2013 featuring surf pro Stephanie Gilmore.

     

    This is the teaser video that doesn’t reveal Gilmore’s face, but the focus on her body was enough to send consumers into a critique frenzy

    Advertisements seek to sell the product to the consumer, and noise, like a consumer not paying attention, can affect the ads effectiveness. The problem is that women’s bodies, even men’s, are often objectified as a tactic to break the noise that can distract consumers. Sex appeal holds attention, it gets consumers talking.

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    What are some alternatives when advertising a ‘women’s’ brand? Vera Bradley tried last year in 2016 with their #itsgoodtobeagirl  campaign that was supposed to celebrate the everyday woman, and sell the luggage and handbag company’s products of course.

    Image result for #itsgoodtobeagirl

    verabradley
    @KatMurti

    Consumers were OUTRAGED, calling the campaign sexist and offensive not only to women, but men as well (ouch). The campaign eventually released less abrasive content, and called on a more girl-power type approach by quoting inspiring women.

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    The hashtag #itsgoodtobeagirl is still trendy on Twitter today #PRsave.

     

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    @islasianxjacki

    Gender objectification in advertising is obviously a hot topic to critique, but as everyone knows, sex sells. And when you’re trying to sell a product, you need to sell.

    There has GOT to be a way in advertising that can celebrate and use the human body without objectifying it.

    Since the Roxy Pro Biarritz scandal, Roxy has laid pretty low in terms of video advertisements.

    The question is this, if you were Roxy, how would you continue to advertise your all women’s apparel and surf wear? Keep in mind surfing isn’t done in hoodies and sweatpants; it is done in swimwear, boardshorts, and wetsuits.  So…would you use sex appeal, or pull a Vera Bradley and try something risky and innovative (even if it could possibly fail at first)?

     

    –Kayla Millie

     

  • The Evolution of an Icon: Lady Gaga’s Brand Image

    This year’s Super Bowl showdown between the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots is just days away. More than 100 million people tune in to the football game annually, but many of these people only care about the iconic halftime show performance. Over the last few decades, some of the world’s biggest stars have hit the stage, drawing in viewers from all walks of life. This year’s Super Bowl halftime performer is the one and only Lady Gaga.

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    When Lady Gaga came onto the pop music scene in 2008 with her hit single “Just Dance”, the world did know that a pop culture icon was being born. Over the next few years, she would go on to release single after single that topped the charts. Her fame grew exponentially and she gained a loyal fan following that would praise her every move. Lady Gaga began to refer to herself as “Mother Monster.” Gaga sent a message to the world that she embraces the weird in people rather than criticizing them, and encourages her fans to not be afraid of being a little different.

    Aside from her music, one of the most iconic aspects of her brand image would have to be her out-of-this-world fashion choices. Fashion critics and fans alike would anxiously await for Gaga to arrive at red carpet because there was no telling what she would wear next. Lady Gaga’s raw meat dress from the 2010 VMA’s was arguably (but really there is no argument) one of the most memorable fashion statements ever made. 2010 MTV Video Music Awards - Show

    While Gaga’s fashion choices seem to be a little less extreme in recent years, her advocacy for LGBT rights, women’s rights, and against sexual violence have certainly not slowed down. Lady Gaga has used her voice and massive following to fight for the rights of so many people. She has cemented her brand image as someone who advocates tirelessly for equality.
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    With that being said, there is no doubt that Lady Gaga’s half time performance this Sunday will be anything short of iconic. What will she do with this massive platform? I think it is safe to say that a statement will be made. Do you think Lady Gaga will send a social message? Bring back the (now very very aged) meat dress? Or will she just captivate the world with her amazing vocals?

    Leave a comment down below telling us your 2017 Super Bowl half time performance predictions.

    -Jaime Mangold