Marketing Strategies and the Cultural Influence of Coca Cola and Maybelline - Essay Example

Marketing Strategies and the Cultural Influence of Coca Cola and Maybelline This paper aims to foster academicunderstanding on the marketing strategies of Coca Cola and Maybelline. It aspires to delve the cultural influences of both companies and its implication to consumer groups that they cater to. Using several scholarly articles from the Internet, the researcher was able to synthesize the salient points of subculture and social class analysis and how to use it in advertising strategy. Keywords: advertising, marketing, Coca-Cola, Maybelline SECTION 1: CULTURAL AND VALUE ANALYSIS Find two different advertisements for your chosen product/service in two magazines that are targeted to different audiences. Analyze the contents in terms of the written and pictorial aspects of each advertisement. Figure 1 shows an advertisement by a cosmetic company, Maybelline. The advertisement uses bold colors and displays its top selling products such as lipstick, mascara and eye shadow which are clearly directed for women. The advertisement used simple font to carry their message across “expresses yourself… crazy sale up to 50% off”. On the right, a woman with red lips and blonde 50’s hairstyle standing confidently dominates the spread. The advertisement suggests the value of individualism through self-expression. Individualism in the context of consumer behavior means reinforcement of the consumer’s identity that with products that are being sold. It implies that individualism and self-expression is equivalent to applying make-up and beautifying oneself. It hints that whoever avails the Maybelline crazy sale will achieve the same beauty and confidence that the model exudes. Figure 2 shows a friendly looking polar bear holding a bottle of coke. Without any drama, the ad uses simple, thick font in white color that says “ummm… ahhhh… delicious”. On the lower right is where the famous coca cola logo is placed. The advertisement is clear and concise. The message implies that even in the remotest part of the world, one can enjoys coke. The polar bear as an iconic symbol should not be taken literally. It conveys that coke is a universal drink that can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere. However, the underlying message of figure 2 is that coke presents itself as the brand that fills hunger, satiates cravings and quenches thirst. It disregards the truth the people need real, nutritious food and water to provide nourishment for the body. Because of this, the value of material comfort is obvious with figure 2. Material comfort means the comfortable life. Material comfort denotes that the satisfaction of a person lies on the quantity of things he/she owns. It also means the love for the superficial. Through the “ummm…. aaaah… delicious….” slogan, the ad makes it seems that it is acceptable not to eat real food since consumers are able to drink coke. SECTION 2: SUBCULTURE AND SOCIAL CLASS ANALYSIS How would you apply multi-cultural marketing of your product/service successfully to target consumers in several racial-ethnic subcultures? Identify two other subcultures and discuss various tactics you would apply to reach specific groups in your target market. Multi-cultural marketing is Multicultural marketing or ethnic marketing is the advertising strategy of gaining wider market with a specific ethnicity or race beyond the dominant culture in a given country (“Ethnic Marketing”, 2008). By saying so, I will make my cosmetic advertising strategy more culturally diverse by using icons, symbols and models such as having Asian, Latina or African American. I will also use different color palettes that will reflect their culture and ethnicity. The colors red, green and yellow seems apt for the African-American race while gold and red for the Asian race. To make my coca cola advertisement relatable to Asian people, I will use Panda bear as my advertisement icon instead of the Polar Bear. Panda bears thrive in the Asian region than anywhere in the world thus making my advertisement more relevant to Asian people. The same thing goes to Camel for the people of the Middle East and Koalas for the people from the Australasian region. Subculture is a group of people within a larger group of people. They can be identified by having the same manner of clothing, lifestyle, musical preferences and share the same beliefs (Hebdige, 1979). If I will do advertising campaigns for coca cola specifically for the hip hop subculture, I will use the crowd sourced advertisement approach. Mozkowitz explains that crowd sourced advertisement uses the consumers own ability to advertise. It can be through word of mouth, home videos, tweets and selfies. It is highly engaging towards its consumers as well as it is cost-effective. However, the feasibility of crowd sourcing is still indefinite (2006). The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transexual (LGBT) subculture are composed of people who share the similar perspective, preferences and background in line with their gender and sexual individuality (Cante, 2009). A cosmetic advertising campaign targeted for the LGBT subculture should be empowering as it should be buzz worthy. The street advertising approach will showcase the individuality and uniqueness of the LGBT subculture. What is the significance of social class to you as a marketer? The consumer’s shopping behaviors and habits are largely influenced by the social class they belong with. Social class is the belongingness of an individual or a group of people accordingly to their economic status or financial capacity which reflects their lifestyle and prestige (or the lack thereof) in a given society (“Social Classes, 2013). It is imperative to determine which social class your marketing strategy is aimed at. As a marketer whose main job is to sell products in the market, my target audience is those who will need and can afford the products. An advertising campaign directed towards a particular class should carry their language and display their poster child. For example, an advertisement campaign for high end perfume like Yves Saint Laurent should show luxury such as gold and diamonds while the perfect poster child for this would be top model Coco Rocha. It is irrelevant to use nurses or teachers as a poster child for this kind of advertisement. SECTION 3: ANALYSIS OF REFERENCE GROUPS AND FAMILY Who are the groups of people or reference group for your target market and product or service? Consider choosing a superstar or celebrity to promote your chosen product or service. Who will that be? Discuss the reference group factors that you would raise when negotiating the contract with the superstar or celebrity before hiring him or her. Hip Hop is a subculture composed from many different arts (graffiti, rap) and musical forms (jazz, reggae, and blues). It stemmed from the young African Americans and young Latinos during the 1970’s in New York City. DJ Kool Herc (2005). Their colorful graffiti’s and catchy beats will create a new buzz about coke. It is made by their own members, it’s their language, its their music, and it is them. I think it is also imperative to make the advertisement show how coke affects their lifestyle and make the campaign a showcase of their colorful and unique culture. I will also get an icon of the campaign that can transcend their image from the Hip Hop subculture to the African-Americans and the Latinos such as Michelle Rodriguez (Fast and the Furious). Michelle Rodriguez is best known for her role as Letty in the Fast and the Furious franchise. An adrenaline junkie armed with a dark sex appeal thanks to her Latina roots, Michelle Rodriguez is a perfect poster child for a coca cola advertising campaign aimed towards the hip hop subculture. Michelle has yet to endorse coke and my strategy to get her on my advertising campaign is talk to the universal pictures and then the Fast and the Furious franchise to get her approval. It will benefit the movie which will be launched on 2014 as well as her visibility. I will keep her “tough chick” brand but will it will have coke as source of adrenaline, fast cars and hip hop kind of peg. Using the street advertising strategy for the LGBT subculture, I will organize pride marches to attract big crowds. Our battle cry would be “beauty inside and out”. We will celebrate the beauty of empowerment, individuality and freedom of expression. As a lesbian successful in her chosen field, I choose Rosie O’Donell to be the poster child of this marketing strategy. The street will become a cost effective and qualitative tool to get the message across the public and to promote brand visibility with Rosie O’Donell leading the pack. Pride marchers will wear Maybelline products and Maybelline will produce streamers supporting the cause for the beauty of empowerment and celebrating individuality. Booths will be set up in the street to give make overs to commoners and to give away pamphlets and other marketing materials. Before having Rosie O’Donell in the team, I will convince first the LGBT group GLAAD to join the advertising campaign. After that, I will set series of talks with Rosie O’Donell and TV show trooping with GLAAD to convince her. SECTION 4: ANALYSIS OF CONSUMER INFLUENCES AND THE DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION Why is an opinion leader a more credible source of product information than an advertisement for the same product? Are there any circumstances where information from advertisements is likely to be more influential than word of mouth? Understanding the role of social influence involves the comprehension of external factors and how it affects the sentiments, opinions and habit of a person such as decision making. Opinion leaders are deemed as more effective endorser than factual information. For example, people are more apt to buy toothpaste endorsed by Brad Pitt than a world-renowned dentist. This is because Opinion Leadership is someone who interprets the meaning of messages, someone who is already actively involved or seen in the media. This is the reason why celebrities are more inclined to endorse products in the market. Opinion leadership stems from the theory of the Multi Step Model. This theory explains that the general audience form their opinions and preferences through the opinion leaders, whom the mass media has consequently influenced towards the bigger and wider populace (Baran, 2011). Information from an advertisement tends to be more influential than factual information especially when it is endorsed by a powerful opinion leader. However, the effectiveness of the opinion leader is relevant to the product or thought that is being advertised. Following the Multi Step theory, Kobe Bryant is a more effective opinion leader when it comes to fitness and health than Paris Hilton but if you get a random doctor as an opinion leader to promote health and fitness, your advertising campaign will mostly likely flop. On the other hand, Paris Hilton is a better opinion leader than Kobe Bryant when it comes to luxury living and lifestyle. SECTION 5: VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES Using your chosen product or service visit a virtual site where loyal customers help one another to evaluate the quality of choices in the marketplace. How are these new communities shaking up the ways businesses are operating? Provide recommendations for your product promotional campaign. Ebay is a 13 year old, consumer-to-consumer American website conducts online auction and shopping. People can buy and sell brand new, second hand or Do-It-Yourself (DIY) items in eBay. Payment options can be made through credit cards, online payment system such as PayPal and other payment preferences of the consumer. Over the years, eBay has expanded from America, to Europe and Asia. Resellers, Suppliers and crafty people flock to eBay to sell their goods. Buyers also choose to shop in eBay due to its convenience and special price offers. The prices in eBay are relatively low compared to mall prices. However, online seller and shoppers take extra precaution when it comes to payments. There are bogus sellers and buyers who aim to fool consumers and get their money. In eBay, consumers are able to write and post product review. Cosmetics are the probably the easiest to review because unlike food and perfume, make up is visually appealing. In cosmetics, most product reviewers take photos of swatches, before and after photos as well as makeup tutorials videos and instructions. Fellow consumers can also leave comments whether they agree or disagree with the product review. For a Maybelline advertising campaign in eBay, social media strategy is important. I will maximize my social media accounts such as twitter and Facebook and draw them up to my eBay account. If possible, I will hire at least five make up bloggers to provide product reviews and make up tutorial in my eBay account. On the other hand, coke may be seemingly hard to sell in eBay since it is sold everywhere. However, if you sell coke in eBay with special deals and discount then it might click. I will find a supplier from abroad that can supply me with coke flavors such as raspberry coke and coke with lime. Just like in Madeline, I will maximize my product’s social media presence and draw my audience to my eBay account. Instead of tutorials, I will make it more interactive by posting info graphics, memes and conduct raffle draws and give special offers to potential buyers. REFERENCES Cante, Richard C. (March 2009). Gay Men and the Forms of Contemporary US Culture. London: Ashgate Publishing.  Chang, Jeff; DJ Kool Herc (2005). Cant Stop Wont Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. Retrieved December 6, 2013 from http://books.google.com.ph/books/about/Can_t_Stop_Won_t_Stop Dahl, D. (n.d.), Social Influence and Consumer Behavior. Retrieved from http://www.ejcr.org/curations-5.html Ethnic Marketing in the United States. (n.d.) Retrieved December 6, 2013 from Memoir Online Website, http://www.memoireonline.com/10/08/1595/ethnic-marketing-in-the-united-states.html Hebdige, Dick (1979). Subculture: The Meaning of Style. Retrieved December 6, 2013 from www.stevenlaurie.com’ Moskowitz, Robert (May 10, 2006). "Are Consumer-Generated Ads Here to Stay?”. iMediaConnection. Retrieved December 6, 2013 Read More