IMC Hawks Blog

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  • Tumblr: The New Frontier of Advertising?

    When you hear the words ‘social networking’ images of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest will most likely flash through your mind.

    But have you ever heard of tumblr? If you haven’t, it’s because tumblr thrives on an almost underground vibe, where users can post original content or reblog posts they relate to.  If you have then you are most likely a tumblr user, who prides themselves on the individualized, and therefore authentic, blogging experience. As a precursor to Pinterest, tumblr pioneered the use #’s and reblogging as a way to drive traffic to blogs.

    While Twitter and tumblr are very similar -in the sense that you can follow other users and use #’s – tumblr attracts a different kind of blogger. These bloggers are generally highly creative, or artistic and do not hesitate to post their own artwork or current thoughts about the world around them. There is almost a prestige to tumblr that is not present on other social media platforms, which is generated by the genuine self-reflexivity of its users.

    With this said, you may think that the presence of advertisements are minimal on tumblr, due to it’s user generated content. In fact, most tumblr users falsely believed the same thing not too long ago. While advertisements aren’t quite as visible as they are on other platforms (i.e. Facebook and Twitter), they are still very present and becoming a more popular way to reach new audiences. Companies are allowed to make as many tumblr accounts as they wish. This leads to the repeated reblogging of their product’s photos, consequently inundating user’s dashboards to promote their brand.

    Users have begun to feel cheated or taken advantage of by the advertisements that target them on tumblr. The belief that this platform was an untapped and authentic society diminishes daily with the growing presence of advertisements. The question is now: will users accept the fact that advertisements are present on every media platform or will they find a way to keep tumblr the way it has always been, advertisement free?

    – Ally Walton, Lauren Habig, Erin Kiffmeyer, Hannah Eure, Gene Lee

  • “Saaaay Instagram!”

    Instagram is a mobile social media network. Pictures are the only content users can upload. There are no clickable links. Nor are there special types of profiles for businesses or celebrities. By doing this, Instagram has in a sense leveled the playing field. Brands, as of now, cannot pay to have their content promoted or purchase any sort of advertisements on Instagram.

    So why would a brand be interested in this? There doesn’t seem to be an advantage from a business perspective. How could a brand get the word out about their Instagram without being able to promote within the network? This is where the share ability on Instagram comes into play. Instagram users have the ability to share their Instagram posts on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Flickr, and Foursqaure. Additionally, brands can use relevant hashtags on their pictures to draw Instagram users who may be interested in what they are Instagramming to their business account.

    Now that it is clear how a brand could draw traffic to their Instagram, it is interesting to look at the content brands post on Instagram and how these posts contribute to their brand identity. The content of the posts will vary on the type of brand and each brand’s individual needs. For example, Taylor Swift utilizes Instagram as a way to communicate her thanks to her fans and visually share parts of her life with them. Many celebrities use Instagram in this manner. It is effective in helping fans see celebrities as relatable people, and makes them seem less out of touch with the everyday reality.

    Larger brands can also use Instagram in a variety of ways. Two of the largest brand accounts on Instagram offer an interesting comparison. Starbucks uses pictures taken of their products by customers that hashtag pictures with “#starbucks.” MTV takes pictures of celebrity visitors, backstage/onstage at awards shows, newly released videos or singles… anything that is happening at MTV is pretty much free game. Is one better than the other? The answer lies in brand identity. Starbucks strives to make a heartfelt connection with their customer base, while MTV relies on sparking their customers interest with the celebrity factor. For Starbucks, trying to make a heartfelt connection works. While they are an international chain, as a brand Starbucks wants to keep that feeling of the neighborhood coffee shop alive yet still provide consistent products globally. By highlighting the existing Starbucks customer base, the brand still appears personal.  MTV takes another route by using Instagram to revive their brand identity of music television. The majority of their Instagram is focused on new songs, videos, and musician sightings. This is a major change from their actual televised programming which ranges from scripted shows such as, Awkward. to reality shows such as the infamous Jersey Shore. By using their Instagram to focus on their musical brand identity, MTV is returning to their roots. Instagram is a way to appease the viewers who prefer the old MTV without all of the television shows.

    Whether it be your average individual using a filter to feel artsy or avid Starbucks drinkers expressing their love for a drink, this social networking site is creating a sense of community through a few simple taps on your smartphone. Brands can use this sense of community to make their customers feel more in touch with their products. Try scrolling down Starbucks’ Instagram feed without having your mouth water! Now where’s my Pumpkin Spice Latte?!

    – Alexandra Huss, Caroline Merrill, Alyssa Morrello, Lauren Van Trigt, Dann Williams

  • HubSpot: The Transformation From Outbound Marketing to Inbound Marketing

    Among the large variety of social media in today’s society, HubSpot, although not very well-known, has been a major pioneer within its field and has generated great success. HubSpot was created by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in June of 2006 and has been rapidly growing ever since. It is new strategic marketing software that is actively helping over 7,500 companies within 46 countries by generating personal research including blogging, social media, email marketing, etc. Hubspot’s marketing techniques have been used for online companies such as Twitter, LinkdIn, among many others.

    Brian Halligan, one of the co-founders of HubSpot, stated the following in one of his blog posts on the site: “Rather than doing outbound marketing to the masses of people who are trying to block you out, I advocate doing “inbound marketing” where you help yourself “get found” by people already learning about and shopping in your industry. In order to do this, you need to set your website up like a “hub” for your industry that attracts visitors naturally through search engines, the blogosphere, and social media. I believe most marketers today spend 90% of their efforts on outbound marketing and 10% on inbound marketing, and I advocate that those ratios flip.” This is the driving force behind the company today.

    With the competition that is present in today’s business world, it is crucial to have a tactical plan to further market one’s brand. HubSpot achieves this by taking the best inbound marketing techniques and combining them into one spot, which is exactly what HubSpot accomplishes. This innovative tool is not free, but there is a free trial run that one can sign up for prior to buying a full subscription. In a country where the use of social media has increased a whopping 356% in six years, it is no secret that social media is now a competitive market. A company generally needs to be utilizing social media better than their competitors to be successful. HubSpot helps with this because it compares a company to their competitors on a social level and teaches a company how to develop and grow faster than its competitors. It also educates companies on how to create exciting, new content for the public and how to use cross-channel campaigns. These services that HubSpot offers allow businesses to stand out in today’s very crowded business market.

    The proof that HubSpot is effective is in the statistics. Studies show that on average, after three months of use, HubSpot users experience 32% more leads per month and 24.6 times more leads after twelve months of use. In 2011, HubSpot grossed over thirty million dollars in revenue. Internationally, HubSpot is growing at a rate of 200% a year and even has scheduled to open a new headquarters in Dublin in 2013. The opening of this new headquarters is expected to provide 150 jobs for the citizens of Ireland and already employs 300 people in the United States.

    Since the creation of HubSpot in 2006, the company has been quickly evolving. Not only are more companies using it, but the company has provided many jobs in a time where new jobs are a worldwide necessity. With the increase of social media influence in society today, companies such as HubSpot are essential in aiding a company convey its message to a large pool of consumers.

    –Sasha De Vecchi, Lindsay Gallagher, Jay Reilly, Cary Welborn

  • I Am.. Authentic?

    What makes an advertisement authentic?  Is it the product, or the ways in which marketers try to make the product seem appealing to you, the consumer?  In today’s society, companies are constantly trying to discover the next great idea that can sell a product.  Whether it is a new logo on the product or a new commercial you see on TV, they are all aiming towards the trend of being considered “authentic.”

     

    Let’s take this Dr. Pepper commercial for example.  An uplifting ad telling you to embrace your “inner you” by breaking out of your everyday routine and go with the crowd of people that are all doing the same.  What is this commercial really trying to say, that the product is authentic, or the consumer is authentic?  Do people who want to express themselves drink Dr. Pepper?  This is authentic right?  You are going against the norm by showing off your “inner you” and storming the streets in joy.  But in actuality this ad is the furthest thing from authentic.  The entire commercial is just a clever new way that a corporation spent millions of dollars on to get you to buy their product.  They want to appear authentic to consumers because that notion of scarcity and realism is what is driving the consumer market today.

    This is a common misconception among today’s society; the secure feeling of knowing the product you are buying is authentic.  Companies are trying to persuade you into buying their product because of how exclusive and different it is from all the rest; when in actuality, most of them are comparable to one another and the methods they take to explain that to you are exactly the same.

    Dr. Pepper is not the only product employing this notion of authenticity.  It seems that this effort must be working because these products are still thriving.  Are the products you buy and consume daily producing authentic advertisements?  Are these advertisements the reason you choose their brand, their product?  And are these products authentic or are you, the consumer authentic?

    – Jessie Butner, Meaghan Beam, Zach Abramo, Jack Lane

  • Does Humor Sell?

    During the 2010 NFL Super Bowl, Old Spice started a new marketing campaign, releasing the above commercial online and on television. It quickly became the “number one all-time most viewed” branded channel on Youtube. How did they achieve that success? By targeting women, who dominate the body wash market, and men with humor, it created for the first time a topic of conversation for couples around the nation. The marketing team also showed the commercials in certain movies where there was a “high amount of couples” were projected to go. So because of the topic of conversation that was generating millions of hits on YouTube, women began to buy Old Spice for their husbands and boyfriends so that they could “smell like the man your man can smell like.”

    But how did this campaign have continued success? Old Spice continued to use the “man your man can smell like” guy and let him interact with fans all over the internet who would ask him random questions that he would answer in his fashion. In one day alone Old Spice generated more hits on Youtube than Obama’s presidential victory speech, on day two he had 8 of 11 top videos on Youtube, and by the end had over 40 million people view his videos.

    The success of this campaign is astounding considering that ; the brands twitter following increased 2700%, Facebook fan interaction went up 800%, and traffic to the Old Spice website increased 300%. This made the bottom line of the company increased 107% 10 months after the release of the first Old Spice commercial.

    Shortly afterwards many companies have tried to have the same success, copying the Old Spice guy commercials to a certain degree but still enjoying some success. By making some of the funniest and memorable commercials of all-time Old Spice increased their brand awareness while making people laugh and had one of the most amazing marketing campaigns for a business ever. So does humor sell? This guy thinks so.

    – Ally Walton, Lauren Habig, Erin Kiffmeyer, Hannah Eure, Gene Lee

  • “Google Chrom-otional”

    The number one purpose of television commercials is to make the consumers believe they need a product. Many companies rely on humor or a catchy jingle to gain interest in their product. Another tactic that can be a tad more difficult to accomplish involves making that emotional connection with the viewers. Evoking an emotional response through the use of commercials has proven especially hard to do these days. It is difficult for companies to make an emotional impact on their viewers with such little air time. Additionally, companies face the difficulty of connecting the commercial’s story-line to the lives of a diverse group of viewers. Despite these challenges, Google Chrome has released a series of commercials that have actually been able to tug at the heartstrings of many viewers.

    These new advertisements not only display all the features that Google Chrome has to offer, but they are also able to leave a lasting impression on those who watch them. This emotional connection Google is able to make with the audience sets their advertising apart from competitors. They do this by using the short time of the commercial slot wisely. Instead of trying to get a jingle stuck in your head, they create what could be described as incredibly short films. By telling the audience a story, Google does more than show the audience a product. The audience feels a connection with the characters in the commercial. This type of connection is what Google is counting on. Their slogan “the web is what you make of it” gives the consumer the creative freedom to express themselves in any way, shape, or form. It challenges us to showcase our thoughts and to put ourselves out there in a way that has not been possible before. This is Google’s way of saying, “look what has been done, what will you do?”

    Google has also conquered an even harder challenge with this advertising campaign. Making superstars relatable is a challenge many people face working in the entertainment industry. Google managed it in just around one minute. One might think using Lady Gaga as a spokesperson would make a product seem out of touch with this world. However, Google focused in on how she draws support from her fans and showers them with love. All the while she is encouraging them to be who they are. It is hard not to be a Lady Gaga fan after watching the video. This is what makes Google Chrome’s campaign so successful. Not only does their product look good and have celebrity endorsement, the celebrity also looks good and the fans feel included in the production of the commercial as well. Everyone wins.

    Google Chrome has also recently made a commercial depicting the interaction between a father and daughter. The daughter, Jess, is struggling to find her place away at college and her father is her main support system as her mother has passed away. The commercial demonstrates the benefits of using Google Chrome to communicate and presents the ability to support loved ones even though they may be miles away. This commercial touches not only the hearts of homesick college students but also the parents suffering from empty nest syndrome. Suddenly, Google Chrome is a light in the confusing darkness and it can satisfy all of a family’s communication needs. Again, everyone wins.

    Google Chrome has taken a risk by using an emotional appeal in their recent commercials, straying away from the many humorous or just downright strange commercials aired today. The integration of Google Chrome as an instrument to change human behavior is a major move on Google’s part. The notion that we can use Google Chrome to improve the way we live our lives is bold, but after all… the web is what you make of it.

    – Alexandra Huss, Caroline Merrill, Alyssa Morrello, Lauren Van Trigt, Dann Williams

  • The Lack of New Advertising Ideas Leads to Controversy

    In the world of advertising, it is becoming increasingly difficult to come up with creative ideas. One market that has witnessed this first hand is the automobile industry.  Car companies are constantly trying to create flashy commercials to catch the eye of the consumer.  Newer companies have felt even more pressure to stand out in order to be successful and survive.

    The company Fiat first released the Fiat 500 in the USA in March 2011. Their most recent commercial gained success, but it also came with controversy. Since Fiat is an Italian company and Italy is where their business originated, they decided that an immigration theme for advertising would deem most successful in gaining support. The commercial, titled “Immigrants,” depicts a bunch of self-driving cars driving around in Italy until they eventually all drive into the ocean. They resurface in New York and the commercial announces, “The next wave of Italians has come to America, and they’ve come to party. The Italian-Designed Fiat 500.”

    Although many thought that the commercial was a stab at the immigration issue disrupting American political waters, Oliver Francois (head of the Fiat brand and chief marketing officer at the Chrysler group) commented “I’m aware that this is a country where you can expect controversy, but we’re just trying to connect the product in the USA to its Italian heritage. Putting the 500 in its context is what we need to do.” He also stated that there is no reference to the vehicles as immigrants, nor to the abnormal way they arrive on the American soil.  Francois obviously disregarded the fact that the commercial was bluntly titled “Immigrants.”

    This particular Fiat commercial is not the only one that has made headlines for controversial reasons.  There are many other examples of ways that advertisers have tried to take a new, innovative approach but failed miserably.  Another example includes that Lung Cancer Alliance’s attempt to fit in with modern day society.  Their billboards consisted of slogans such as “Hipsters deserve to die” and “Cat lovers deserve to die,” insinuating these people should die as opposed to lung cancer victims.  While it is dually noted that someone at these advertising agencies should have exercised more common sense, these examples show just how difficult it is for agencies to find new ways to advertise.  In an age where we are more advanced than ever, there are limited ways left to make advertisements new and exciting, which is what gets people listening and eventually buying.

    –Sasha De Vecchi, Lindsay Gallagher, Jay Reilly, Cary Welborn