Tag: Google

What was that word again?

November 20, 2013

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth…” and the rest I can’t remember. I know I’m not alone in the painstaking task of memorizing the Gettysburg Address, but are current junior high students the first generation to not participate in this tedious tradition? Dating back to 5th century BCE Sophists, memorization has been considered a great asset for rhetoricians. Sophists are known for their emphasis on teaching effective dialectics. One aspect of their teachings included encouraging their students to memorize long discourses to persuade their audiences. Sophists, who were masters of persuasion, considered memorization an art form of delivery.

Now we have the ability to look up any information at the touch of a screen. If we don’t remember something right away, we don’t have to struggle for that tidbit to rise to the top of our brains-we can just ‘Google’ it. Some scholars suggest memorization is simply not a part of the modern student’s duty. Has this asset now become irrelevant?

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Image: Shaw Nielsen

The Shallows, written by Nicholas Carr, analyzes the impact technology has on our brains and our thinking processes. We may not be able to measure if there have been long-term consequences of being glued to technology but some short-term alarms have been noted. Carr and other researchers have noticed technology’s impact on our attention spans. We are unable to sit to stay concentrated on one thing for a substantial amount of time with flipping to different webpages, checking our phone and flipping through TV channels…and all at the same time. The debate is whether we are learning more simultaneously or losing something we once valued: our memory. Carr comes to the conclusion that, although technology makes us smarter in certain areas, it makes us less intelligent in others. Is one impact of the rise of technology on mankind the loss the art of memorization? Or is this simply technology opening our minds for other tasks? The Sophists are surely turning over in their graves.

-Rachel Edwards

Persuasion Through Customization: Moto X

November 18, 2013

“If you wish to persuade me, you must think my thoughts, feel my feelings, and speak my words. -Cicero

Spoken nearly 2000 years ago, this statement still rings true today. Philosophizing rhetoric and the art of persuasion, Cicero understood the importance of connecting with an audience at the mental and emotional level.

The above quote points out three of his main claims. To persuade an audience one must “think their thoughts”.  People are more likely to be persuaded when the rhetorician communicates in a way that embraces the individual’s own point of view. Focusing solely on changing point of view results in discomfort and suspicion. Rhetoricians must also “feel their feelings”. To do so, one must ask themselves what the deep-seated feelings are that drive the listeners. Asking this question and reflecting on the answers is an essential part in the pathway to connecting. Finally, according to Cicero, to persuade an audience, one must “speak their words”.  People need to understand what you have to say in order to care about it.  If they don’t care, they won’t do the ultimate goal – act.

In the age of advertising, these classical concepts are still prevalent as we transcend into the postmodern era. In postmodernity the “self” becomes the ultimate selling point. Marketers strive to persuade their audience that their product does more than whatever its mechanical purpose – the pitching point becomes that their product is an extension of oneself. As a result, individualization and customization are reigning themes. Furthermore, because individuals are immersing themselves as an object, consumers become an actual participant in customization. Products are increasingly less of a finished object, allowing consumers to provide direct input – ultimately and simultaneously becoming a producer as well.

Therefore, it is no coincidence products today are increasingly individualized. An example of this is the new Motorola Moto X phone. Check out it’s commercial, Customize below.

After watching this how do you feel? This is a pretty cool phone, right? You can make it however you want! Notice how this commercial mentions nothing about tech specs, mobile web speed, or how the phone will be used in your every day life. Its persuasion strategy focuses on “you” – “your ride”, “your pet”, “your body” and now “your phone” – the idea that you can be in charge of customizing your phone, just as you do everything else, as an expression of your self. You are the producer. No longer are the only options either black and white. Your options are whatever you think brands yourself best.

This commercial is the essence of Cicero’s idea of persuasion combined with post-modernism ideals. By knowing what its postmodern consumers think and feel about individualization, Motorola has created a product that speaks to every thing you as a consumer expects and wants – customization. Not only do you become a buyer of the Moto X, but a producer of it. Their persuasion hook is that you can directly produce their product as a means of your own expression.

Has this commercial persuaded you? What other brands and products use customization and self-expression as a persuasion tool?

–Savannah Valade, Caroline Robinson

Google Takes Over Mobile Advertising with Admob

April 15, 2013

The online advertising market is growing but not only when it comes to computers. Facebook is no longer the only company with mobile ad news.  Google recently launched a new system for advertising within mobile cell phones and smart phones, “AdMob: solutions for mobile advertising and the monetization of the most recognized and reliable name in the field of mobile advertising, also known as Google”.

This new system presents solutions for advertisers who want to promote their brand and acquire new customers by advertising on mobile phones, solutions for agencies that want to expand their advertising campaigns to mobile platforms, and solutions for application developers who want to add Admob as a platform for distribution and monetization. The AdMob-AdWords integration also makes it easier for small and medium sized businesses to spend on Google mobile ads.

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Admob uses an advanced algorithm of ad selection that allows businesses to contextualize and optimize advertising revenues (similar to Google AdSense). Inserting ads is very easy and can be done without a WordPress plugin, which is usually used to create a mobile version of the site. All a business has to do is simply enter the code in the website page that is generated with Admob to automatically fill in the “banner” advertising within the site.

“This is about enabling scale for industry,” said a rep for the company. “Anybody that’s buying performance media through AdWords can now very easily add mobile display to campaigns. We have a lot of customers that buy search and desktop display through one interface. Now they’re adding mobile display to that.”

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As Google grows stronger in the field of mobile advertising, they are claiming their spot in this fast growing sector. In fact, connecting ad platforms has been a focal point for Google this year, as they are enhancing their mobile ad targeting capabilities.

Admob is a tool that should not be underestimated. In fact, the company’s mobile display ads appear in more than 300,000 apps on phones, establishing themselves as the world biggest mobile advertising company. I think this is a smart move for Google as it seems that everyone in this world now uses smartphones on a daily basis. Companies can easily target consumers at any time of the day because our phones are always with us. Furthermore, brands can stay at top-of-mind awareness because consumers can see their advertisements whenever they use an app. By offering this advanced mobile advertising technology, Google is maintaining their spot as a major technological powerhouse, and helping clients meet their advertising needs.

–Sasha De Vecchi & Julia Tompkins

Are You Getting Scroogled?

February 22, 2013

Beginning March 1st, Google will be implementing a new privacy policy which will affect all of its products/services offered in order to gain a better perspective of their consumers and give them a more personalized experience. With the new privacy policy, Google will be able to gain more access to personal information by pulling material from all Google-operated services/products, such as E-mail, and using that information to create personalized advertisements to the user. This idea is similar to the one discussed in our earlier blog post titled “Not to Burst Your Bubble….”. With a better understanding of their users, Google will better be able to sell advertising, which in fact, is a main source of revenue for the company. Also, advertisers will be willing to spend more money with Google, if Google is bringing them more customers.

This privacy policy change has certainly upset a number of people, but it might be safe to say none like Microsoft, a competitor of Google’s. Within recent weeks, Microsoft has released a number of advertisements via print and YouTube blatantly attacking Google and its new privacy policy. With the headline, “Have you Been Scroogled?”, and the advertisements tearing the privacy policy to shreds, it’s hard for one to not compare these advertising campaigns to those of the presidential elections.  It is unclear what the purpose of the advertisement is until the very last couple of seconds in which the Microsoft Outlook logo is revealed. There is even a website dedicated to the campaign. Upon visiting, the user is given the option to sign a petition against Google and the option to try Microsoft Outlook. The irony behind this whole situation is prevalent in several ways. First, Microsoft is placing these anti-Google advertisements on YouTube. Second, when searching for “Microsoft anti-Google ads” through the Google search engine, the websites provided where splattered with banner/marginal ads for Microsoft. When performing this same search through Bing (a search engine owned by Microsoft), the websites provided had shown ads sponsored by Google. This pattern resembles the concept of a “strange loop” within the Coordinated Management of Meaning theory. According to Littlejohn (1999, in Theories of Human Communication), these occur when “the rules of interpretation change from one point in the loop to another, causing a paradox, or strange loop, in which each contexts disconfirms the other”.

http://www.scroogled.com/

As of now, a little less than 10,000 people have signed the petition, which is only a small fraction of the G-mail users, and the YouTube advertisement have received far more “dislikes” than “likes”. Maybe this strategy isn’t as successful as Microsoft had hoped it would be. With Google being the most popular search engine, it is going to take more than that to persuade its users to up and switch to Microsoft. What does this say about Microsoft as a company? Will this be the new advertising technique of the future? Will we no longer see companies like Coke and Pepsi beating around the bush but rather taking deliberate stabs at one another? Only time will tell, but it will be interesting to see where the rest of Microsoft’s campaigning takes us.

Callie Fenlon

Not to Burst Your Bubble….

January 31, 2013

Take a minute and check your Facebook. It’s okay.. we can wait!

Okay, now take a look at the ads on your news feed. Does anything look familiar? Maybe you were on a website earlier this week and now the brand is popping up everywhere? Or perhaps you recently bought tickets to a concert and now you are being bombarded with “Music You Might Like”… weird, right?

This type of personalized advertising is being used to zero in on potential customers. It isn’t just on Facebook either. Facebook, YouTube, Amazon, the list continues! With the advancement of technology and the increased popularity of social media sites, your purchase history on Amazon can be lined up with your recent Google search inquires. This personalized advertising helps filter down the type of ads shown to you. The advertisements you are most likely to respond to are splashed across your regular web browsing, increasing the advertisers chance in persuading you on your next purchase.thefilterbubble

However as Eli Pasiser points out in The Filter Bubble, this doesn’t just stop with advertising. It’s no secret that Facebook started filtering news feeds a while ago, but did you know Google filters results directly to you as well? Three people could search the same exact phrase and return different results. Pasiser argues that these personalized news feeds and search results limit the power of the internet. The filter bubble makes it harder for internet content to go viral, which limits the unity the internet can create behind a movement. It can also limit the information readily available at our fingertips because we are only seeing things our history indicates we would like to see, rather than something outside of our bubble.

The flip side is: we live in a generation of information overload. Is limiting our search results, customizing our advertising, and funneling down our news feeds that terrible? People used to have to do crazy things like go to the library and look information up in books and magazines… what?! Should we count our technological blessings or demand our free browsing back?

– Michael Nunes, Daniel Schaefer, Alexandra Huss, Zach Abramo, Callie Fenlon, Dann Williams, Lauren Habig

“Google Chrom-otional”

September 26, 2012

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

Remember When… Social Media Was Not Overrun With Ads?

September 12, 2012

Do you know how to transfer your buddy list? What is your Myspace song today? Why did you lower me in your Top 8? Where did you get your buddy icon? Remember when these were your biggest worries on social networking? Nowadays, a social networker must be fully aware of everything they post, every picture they are in, and even everything they click on.                            Image

When social media first began, it is doubtful that anyone could have predicted where it is today. Employers search Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn before hiring new staff. School systems are implementing cyber bullying policies across the nation. Even our parents are sending us friend requests. It is hard to come by someone who doesn’t have a Facebook or Twitter. Due to the popularity of social media, it is no surprise advertisers want to tap into this huge online market.

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What began with AOL Instant Messenger, evolved into the Myspace fad, and now Facebook, Twitter, FourSquare, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Instagram have joined the scene. After Myspace died out, there was much debate about how long Facebook would last. With the help of advertisers, it seemed like it could potentially last forever. Unfortunately, with the rise of other social networking sites, Facebook has seen a less than desirable decline in popularity. Now Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, is having to persuade advertisers to continue investing. In an interview covered by ABC News, he “[promised] better results as Facebook’s mobile app is made friendlier to advertisers.”

What does this mean for users?  More advertising headed your way! If you’ve seen Facebook’s login page lately, you might notice that it has officially been sold. It is hard not to notice as it takes up more than three-fourths of the screen. When Myspace sold their front page, it was the first sign they were not cutting it anymore. Does this mean Facebook’s “in” time is ending soon too? Not if Zuckerberg can help it.

You might notice the sidebar ads following more closely to your internet searches. As Facebook tries to evolve to keep up with the market, Zuckerberg stated that he would like to make Facebook a search engine that could compete with Google. It is no coincidence that the items you were looking for on Amazon a couple of days ago are popping up in the ads you see on Facebook.  Long gone are the innocent days of simply “lol”ing with your buddies on AIM.  It seems now more than ever before the public will become a constant target for advertisers.

Will this increase in advertising on Facebook lead to a shift in which social network is the most popular? Will Instagram and Twitter combined be able to wipe out Facebook? Would it even matter because Facebook owns Instagram? Or will the dark horse network, Google +, take the internet by storm?

G2G. Mom needs the comp. TTYL 🙂 ❤

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