The Canadian Oil Sand - Essay Example

Marketing campaign Introduction The Canadian oil sand is an oil mining project that retrieves oil from sand. This project has been both criticized and applauded for its success (Mehra, 2009). As far as legitimacy is concerned, several campaigns have been advanced to convince the general public on the benefits of the same project. In this paper, the campaigns that try to convince the public are discussed. It also explores the range of techniques of advertisement that the advertisements explore. In the end, it reviews the effectiveness of the technique used in an advertisement or marketing the idea that is being propagated. Two marketing campaigns have been identified from this project. The adverts or campaigns that have been selected are Canada’s energy – water and Canada’s energy – kids. Discussion The Canadian oil sands have been discussed in many studies. The most prominent of those studies discuss the environmental benefits and costs of the project. In other studies, the cost of production vis-à-vis the cost of the oil is highlighted. Of all this studies, the most prominent thing that stands out is the negative effects of the project to the environment of the province of Alberta. This implies that the acceptability of the project to the people is relative. As a means to generate acceptability, there has been an extensive need to advertise the project. Advertising the project is vital because it will make it acceptable to the population that is constantly disgruntled due to environmental factors and global issues (Mehra, 2009). Canada’s energy – water advertisement has been advanced in this campaign. In this advertisement, the Canadian oil sands explain the fact that all the water that is used in the processing of the energy is being recycled and reused over and over. The main product that is being advertised is the fossil fuels that are being produced by the Canadian oil sand companies. In fact, it gives the fact that over 80 percent of the water that is being used by the companies is being recycled. It also illustrates the fact that only a very small percentage is being wasted due to the salinity of the water from the underground process. The targeted audience for this campaign ad is the population who are interested in querying the effectiveness of the mining of oil from the sand. This group informs the general public on the dangers of the mining process (Mehra, 2009). In this attempt, the group creates a level of resentment between the public and the products of the Canadian oil sands companies. Each and every advert is aimed at communicating the importance of a good or service to the target group. In this case, the advert is mainly focused on making the target market gets the feeling that the production of crude oil from sand is the new way to go since the effects of the processes on the environment are limited. The conservation of the water that is used in this process makes it ideal because the water is a very essential commodity to human. The ad exploits this fact by demonstrating to the general public that the recycling of water makes the energy produced by this process legit and eco-friendly. The use of campaign advertisements is the most common element of the campaign, especially where the effects of mining to the environment is concerned. The focus of this advert is the sustainability of the environment. In this case the use of water in the mining is the focus of the advert. In this ad, the achievement of customer satisfaction is the main aim of the company. This implies that the companies try to achieve legitimacy by appealing to the population. There is a need to identify customer segments and the particular needs that the segment wants (Mehra, 2009). Identifying the customers segment will provide the advertiser with the opportunity to model the advert in a specific way that it meets the demands of the target market. In Deschamps (1995) the satisfaction of the customer has been described as not the overall truth about the actual customer experience. It could be as a result of some factors that the consumer cannot let off. In this case, the targeted audience of the advert does not have to be satisfied by the outcome the mining process. In fact, they have to be convinced that the mining is sustainable to the environment and that the most important commodity (water) that is needed for human survival is well utilized in the process. Danesi (2008) describes advertising as a fetishistic culture. In the description of business culture, the basic objects of consumption are regarded with the same priority that religious icons are. As a basic rule, it would be difficult to take these icons for granted. And it is from this school of thought that the advertisements are modeled. The other aspect of this advert is that it borrows one of the most popular ideologies that have been popularized by environmentalist of the century. The concept of sustainability to the environment has been endeared by many, and the consequences are been made very clear. To recycle or to reuse a commodity makes it ideal to the majority of the population. This idea is echoed by (Danesi, 2008) in the use of pop as part of the adverts in 1960s. During this time, the most influential form of music was pop. Many brands included the culture of pop in their adverts. This advert would not be very effective to the targeted group since the presentation of the major issue which is sustainability in operation is not well founded. The advert plainly talks about the issue of recycling water but fails to give the target group the specific way in which this water is used. This would help the targeted audience to determine the efficiency of the recycling process. Canada’s energy – kids is another advert that supports the mining of crude oil from sand. It suggests that the mining could create thousands of jobs for the kids in the next few years. From the onset, it is easy to identify the target group of audience in the advert. Identifying the target group is easy since the advert specifically asks if one has kids. Parents or anyone who plans to have kids are clearly targeted in this case. The advert seeks to inform the parents that the mining of oil from the sand is a very integral part of their future. For their children to get jobs and have a meaningful existence, it is imperative that they support the mining. The role played by the companies doing the mining is revered here as very crucial to the posterity of the entire Canadian community. In the wake of joblessness and a very competitive job market, it would be a fallacy for the parents not to support the mining of oil in the state. To understand the message that is implied in this advert, it is important to look at it in two ways. As explained in (Danesi, 2008), an advert can be interpreted in two ways; the surface meaning and the concealed meaning. The surface meaning of this advert gives us the facial impression that jobs have to be created both for the present generation and the future. However, the concealed meaning could be that if the mining does not exist from now up to the future, there are several jobs that will be lost. There are fewer jobs in the future and with a present population growth rate, there is bound to be a crisis of jobs in the foreseeable future. This trend is worrying and therefore must be averted at all cost. The technique that is used in this advertisement is similar to the earlier one. The issue that is propagated by this advert is quiet crucial to the society. The level of reverence that is accorded to the issue of posterity is very significant (Bignell, 2002). It, therefore, implies that in a scenario where the mining did not exist, the children of the present generation would have little or no jobs in the long run. This advert would work on the segment that it targets. This is because the issues presented in the advert are realistic issues that can be achieved in the long run. Conclusion The adverts selected above are carefully crafted to satisfy the needs of the target market. In identifying the target group or audience, an advertisement is carefully planned to meet the need of the targeted group to achieve the desired success. The desired success can be achieved through research on the targeted group to identify specifically what appeals to the majority of the members that fall in the targeted segment (Mehra, 2009). The meaning of an advertisement is crucial. For effective advertisement, it is required that the target group gets the meaning of the advert so as to make informed choices. In fact, the issue that is presented in an ad should be simple and understandable to the targeted audience. A targeted audience has to identify and understand the purpose of advert in order for the advert to be effective (Bignell, 2002). Failure to understand the concealed meaning or the facial meaning implies a lack of communication. An advert should also be presented in a fashion that is understandable to the targeted group. This is explained in the type of culture that is trending at the moment of the advert. An advert that is out of touch with the present culture is not likely to get the attention of the intended group. The issues that are presented in the advert should also take a similar direction as the presentation of the advert (Bignell, 2002). Understanding the business environment is vital for any business venture. The business culture includes the internal and external environment of the business. In so doing, the business can exploit its strengths so as to develop an advert that will market it through the strengths. It also helps the organization in minimizing its weaknesses to benefit from the advertisement or marketing. References Deschamps, J. P., & Nayak, P. R. (1995). Product juggernauts: How companies mobilize to generate a stream of market winners. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Danesi, M. (2008). Why it sells: Decoding the meanings of brand names, logos, ads, and other marketing and advertising ploys. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. Mehra, A. (2009). Advertising management: Media approach for market research. New Delhi, India: Global India Publications. Bignell, J. (2002). Media semiotics: An introduction. Manchester [u.a.: Manchester Univ. Press. Canada’s energy – water advertisement available at : http://www.capp.ca/canadaIndustry/oilSands/Innovation/media/Pages/Canada%27sEnergy-Water.aspx Canada’s energy – kids advertisement available at : http://www.capp.ca/canadaIndustry/oilSands/Innovation/media/Pages/Canada%27sEnergyKids.aspx Read More

 

Read More