Serving Customers in Global Markets - Essay Example

Serving s in Global Markets Introduction The communication media selected for this paper are TV and website adverts. TV is the biggest and most important marketing and advertising medium in the world. In terms of revenue and sheer global reach, no other marketing medium beats TV. Online advertising may flex its muscles as much as possible but the fact is that television is still the leader in advertising channels (Sullivan & Bennett, 2012:32). Well-created TV adverts like this one have the power to influence viewers in a way no other communication channels can. For instance, brilliant commercials have the power to elicit all types of feelings from viewers. Laughter, fear, sadness, desire, and inspiration are just some of the many emotions TV induces in viewers. TV reaches millions of people worldwide, is affordable, and combines audio and visual power to create the ultimate advertising machine. Below is a screenshot of a TV advert: Website advertising uses the power of the internet to convey the intended messages to consumers. With increased internet penetration and the expansion of the “internet generation,’ website advertising is giving TV a run for its money (Aalberts & Nill, 2012:97). In fact, website advertising is currently the second-most powerful advertising media in the world, in terms of revenue and reach. Just like TV, when used correctly, website advertising can trigger different emotions in consumers and capture their attention (Barry, 2012:37). These facts make these two media the best options for discussion in this paper. Below is an image of a website advert: Understanding consumers’ psychology provides marketers and manufacturers with knowledge of consumer preferences and spending habits. The cliché saying, ‘customer is king” rings true in this case (Proulx & Shepatin, 2012:58). Understanding consumers’ psychology supports selling products or services that are almost guaranteed to be successful. Studies have shown that marketing expenses, marketing risks and failure of products or services are reduced when consumer psychology is understood. The message the advertiser wishes to communicate in the TV advert is that the new song is exclusive, it is affordable, and it comes with other incentives that the viewer will not get elsewhere. In the website advert, Dolan Jewellers wants the consumer to know that they have a moving sale, there are special offers, and time is running out for those who have not bought anything yet. Discussion Emotional and Psychological Ideas Research has shown that emotional and psychological messages resonate more with customers than feature and function advertising. In general, adverts that have an emotional or psychological content are more effective compared to ones that are blunt and bland. Advertisers have long comprehended the power of psychological and emotional messages, and have exploited it to prick consumers’ mental and emotional consciences (Fulgoni & Morn, 2009:134). In the TV advert, the advertiser uses the concept of bonus to resonate with the psychological needs of consumers. It is well known that consumers like offers, especially ones that involve bonuses. The marketer lets viewers know that buying one copy of the song guarantees them a 20-minute DVD and 2 free audio tracks. Consumers love free things, and the advertiser knows this (Cristiano, 2012:21). In the website advert the lines “moving sale,’ “everything must go” and “special offers every week” send a psychological message to the viewers that acting slowly will result in missing out on cheap jewellery. Psychologically, consumers do not like missing out on things that are available only to spend more on them later. The advertiser knows this and uses it to good effect. Mentioning Flaws Studies have shown that customers tend to doubt marketing messages. One way marketers enhance credibility is to highlight their products’ flaws (Rubinson, 2009:220). This lets consumers know that the product has its own challenges but this makes it better instead of worse. Honesty breeds trust; trust allows marketers to sell. Both the TV and website advert do not use this strategy. Repositioning Competition Consumers have limited slots for goods and services, so it is important for marketers to ensure that their products occupy not just a slot, but the best slot (Wiedemann, 2009:45). Marketers also work to ensure that their products and services occupy a vital position in consumers’ minds. This strategy is not employed in both adverts. Promoting Exclusivity Self-esteem sits close to the apex of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs pyramid. Consumers want to feel valued and important; they want to feel like they are members of a select group (Rosenkrans, 2009:23). This is why the slogan “we are not for everyone” is common in adverts. Consumers will buy certain products and use specific services just to feel special and important (Berman, 2012:43). In the TV advert the marketer says that the song is an exclusive version that is available only at Best Buy. Consumers will want to but the song so as to feel like they belong to a minority who own the song. In the website advert this strategy is not used. Fear, Doubt and Uncertainty Often expressed as FUD, these three elements are commonly used by marketers to make customers stop, think, and alter their behavior. FUD is very powerful. In fact, it is so powerful that it can “kill” all competition (Zeng, Huang, & Dou, 2009:12). FUD trigger feelings of insecurity in consumers, pushing them to go out and spend just to feel satisfied and secure. In the website advert, the lines “moving sale,’ “everything must go” and “special offers every week” are likely to instil fear and doubt in consumers because they know that moving sales end very fast and one is likely to miss out on great deals due to time-wasting. These lines also make consumers doubt if there is a better offer elsewhere and if what they currently have is better than the product on offer. In the TV advert this strategy is not employed. A behavioural approach is used in both adverts to trigger reactions in consumers. Consumer behavioural factors like attitude, perception, problem recognition, social class, purchasing power and income, lifestyle, personality, self-concept and self-esteem, and perception are sought out by the marketers and used to trigger a reaction in viewers (Barry, 2012:39). For instance, in the TV advert the concept of exclusivity will resonate with consumers who have high self-esteem and self-worth. It will also resonate with consumers of a high social standing, as well as those with good lifestyles, good incomes and decent purchasing power. This is because they are the ones most likely to seek exclusive offers. The advert also states that the product is only offered at Best Buy, meaning it is targeting consumers from all social classes. Best Buy is used by millions of people from all walks of life, so the advertisers are merely casting their net wide. Since the product is exclusive, it is likely to be purchased by extroverts who will want to boast to others about their exclusive song. In the website advert the marketer is targeting lower to lower middle class consumers who do no shop out of impulse lest they spend more than they earn. This class of people is more likely to buy jewellery based on moving sales and special offers than middle class and upper class people. Consumers with high purchasing power and expensive lifestyles buy jewellery all the time, they do not have to wait for offers to spend money on jewellery. In addition, the advert targets consumers who are well-informed, have regular access to internet, and are likely to come across it online. Conclusion The TV advert is very effective in its application of the consumer behavior theory. The advert incorporates many elements of the theory such as attitudes, perception, social class, purchasing power, and lifestyle. This is not to say that the website advert is not effective, but that the TV advert is more direct, comprehensive, and purposeful. The TV advert also uses a variety of approaches to the consumer behavior theory by diversifying its application. Looking at the advert, it is clear that it is a very clever marketing, psychological, and emotional tool. It pricks the conscience of the viewers and makes them want to go out and buy the product. The TV advert can be made more effective by using sharp images and deep colors; it looks dull and bland to the average consumer. Studies have shown that deep colors and sharp images that create contrast are very effective in capturing consumers’ attention. Once their attention is captured the message is easily delivered and is likely to hit home. In the website advert moving images should be used because it also looks dull and bland. For instance, the lines “Doland Jewellers” and “moving sale” should be made into gifs so that the consumer can easily notice them and proceed to read the message. References Aalberts, R.J. & Nill, A. (2012) ‘Online Advertising and Marketing: Personal Jurisdiction and Its Potential Implications,’ Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 94-114. Barry, P. (2012) The advertising concept book: think now, design later: a complete guide to creative ideas, strategies and campaigns (2nd ed.), Thames & Hudson, London. Berman, M. (2012) The copywriters toolkit: the complete guide to strategic advertising copy. Chichester, Wiley-Blackwell, West Sussex. Cristiano, G. (2012) The storyboard artist: a guide to freelancing in film, TV, and advertising, Michael Wiese Productions, Studio City, CA. Fulgoni, G.M. & Morn, M.P. (2009) ‘Whither the Click? How Online Advertising Works,’ Journal of Advertising Research, vol. 49, no. 2, pp. 134. Proulx, M. & Shepatin, S. (2012) Social TV how marketers can reach and engage audiences by connecting television to the web, social media, and mobile, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, N.J. Rosenkrans, G. (2009) ‘The Creativeness and Effectiveness of Online Interactive Rich Media Advertising,’ Journal of Interactive Advertising, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 18-31. Rubinson, J. (2009) ‘Empirical Evidence of TV Advertising Effectiveness,’ Journal of Advertising Research, vol. 49, no. 2, pp. 220. Sullivan, L. & Bennett, S. (2012) Hey, Whipple, squeeze this! the classic guide to creating great advertising,’ (4th ed.), Wiley, Hoboken, N.J. Wiedemann, J. (2009) Advertising now: TV commercials, Taschen, KoÌn. Zeng, F., Huang, L. & Dou, W. (2009) ‘Social Factors in User Perceptions and Responses to Advertising in Online Social Networking Communities,’ Journal of Interactive Advertising, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 1-13. Read More