Reflecting Back

In these last 11 weeks, I have learned so much about advertising that I didn't know before. I was closed minded, so I'm so glad I took this course and now I understand the many factors that are involved in creating a create ad or campaign. Out of all the things we talked about regarding propaganda, gender, stereotypes, nostalgia, etc., the section about stereotypes and gender blew my mind the most. I always thought stereotypes were distasteful and rude, however I now understand it effectively reaches a larger audience by grouping people. Although that may seem bad, it works because more people are able to relate to the generalization.

I found it interesting how in ads, if we switch the genders it could either be super funny or distasteful. Females are often used to sexualize objects and products, but when a male is used, it is funny or extremely attention grabbing. There is less arguments for that, while ads with females in those sexual contexts are frowned upon and deemed inappropriate.

With new technologies, I am excited with where advertising is going. I have always found the ads painted on the sides of the BART tunnel very innovative and it works because people like me would be bored staring out the window while commuting. I love seeing graphics jump out at you rather than staying static within a billboard. Technology allows us to film and document products, as well as animate them. Through the Internet it is easy to share and find things, and ads tend to guide us in making a decision (for example Amazon related products or "people who purchased this item also purchased..."

I no longer think all ads are bad, and the psychology in it is interesting to see why we are persuaded and to see the types of connections we make with advertisements.

National Wildlife Federation has my support

The National Wildlife Federation is a well established and organized conservation organization. It is America's largest conservation organization with the mission to provide safety to all endangered animals, whether they are becoming extinct or have their habitiats compromised. They work on both the federal and state level to improve wildlife situations by protecthing streams, rivers, lakes, coastlines, forests, meadows, etc. They also are rooted in educating children on these problems, and they created the BE OUT THERE campaign to inspire families to take action. With more people involved, they hope to continue helping the environment and making a difference.

This organization works well because of its extensive resources and knowledge on the problems they are targeting. There isn't a sense of propaganda or that I'm being lied to. There is a ton of information on the website and it is easy to navigate. I can quickly learn about who they are, what they day, where they work, and how I could help via the main page. They also take advantage of the many social media networks and through those, they can easily reach a large audience. Digital technologies help them gain more exposure. People can be more involved and aware by following their Twitter and see their work/actions via YouTube videos and Facebook and Flickr photos. So many people are on these networks, and ultilizing them makes it easy to share with a click of a button.

Bring the Polar Bears back!

Nostalgia Marketing has many advantages and disadvantages that may help a product become successful.  Nostalgia Marketing keeps viewers of different generations engaged to a product. Some old figures or symbols are used as a means to introduce it to someone new or re-introduce the product to someone who has either used the product or seen it before. Nostalgia marketing has some major advantages because it gives viewers a sense of belonging and a reminder of how successful the product is. Specific advantages of nostalgia marketing is that it brings back loyal customers every time and can entice new ones to be apart of the loyal group of customers. Nostalgia marketing brings back memories of good experiences people have had with a product and helps create a universal symbol for the brand. This is important because a universal symbol makes the product known throughout the world. Major disadvantages of nostalgia marketing because some symbols can bring bad memories to customers and some nostalgic figures or symbols can give a negative impression to the public--such as being extremely annoying.

A marketing campaign that I feel wasn't successful and actually has a negative affect is the Chihuahua Dog of Taco Bell. Taco Bell has used the small dog for years and was known for its catch phrase “Yo Quiero Taco Bell”. After repetitive exposure of the dog, it became an universal symbol of Taco Bell. The dog appeared in many advertisements and played many roles within different commercials. The end of the Taco Bell Dog came to end when many Latin Cultural Groups felt the dog provided a negative stereotype of the Latin Culture. Taco Bell decided to end the advertising campaign due to multiple complaints of about the Taco Bell Dog. In general however, the phrase was too repetitive and the voice in my opinion annoyed me.

A successful product created with nostalgic marketing is the Pepsi polar bear symbol. The success came from its playful appearance to audiences and has helped remind customers of the cool refreshing taste of the Pepsi Soda, and how it can be shared. The Pepsi Polar Bear symbol has been successful throughout the years because Pepsi strategically advertises the bear during the Christmas/Winter time to not only remind customers of their products, but other external factors like it's winter and the holiday season. The sound affect that they use when they open a Pepsi product is so refreshing as well. The polar bear itself is also very cute and they introduced a baby polar bears as well which we make an indirect connection with family. These memories all make us feel warm and loved, which is why this marketing strategy works compared to Taco Bell's Chihuahua dog that obnoxiously appears on screen.

Harley Davidson Case Study

1: Do you believe brand communities like Harley-Davidson result in greater involvement with the brand?
I think that brand communities like Harley-Davidson result in greater involvement with the brand because having a positive community builds loyalty and consumer identification. Hardley-Davidson promoted destination rallies which gathered people who rode these motor vehicles together. The people who went to these events all had one thing in common: their bikes. In these meet ups friends are made and a greater appreciation of the Harley brand is created.

2: What elements of the Posse Ride do you believe enhance the meaning of the brand for the riders?
Gathering people who share the same interests to be had the biggest impact on enhancing the meaning of the brand for the riders. This is because their bikes represent them, and people make all sorts of changes and alterations to be the "better" bike or the "cooler" one. Since all the riders there are all familiar with bikes, friends are made and people can exchange advice and perhaps become really good friends for life.

3: Should Harley-Davidson get more involved in the ride or would that dilute the ride's meaning to the participants?
I think Harley should occasionally be apart of the rallies to directly connect with enthusiasts of his brand because it puts a real person behind all these rallies. I think riders would get a sense that he, too, is just like them and love bikes. I don't think Harley should be extremely involved however, because these Posse Rides are a place for normal people to connect. Harley can be considered a super celebrity.

4: In addition to experiences such as the Posse Ride, what other ways could Harley increase involvement in the brand?
Harley could also increase involvement in the brand by introducing other events rather than just the Posse Rides. These events could have little or nothing to do with bikes, but it still connects people together in one place to do something. I think doing some community service or charity work would definitely increase brand identity as well as public relations.

Consumer Behaviors: Tesla Motors = Win

Slowly there has been shift from standard cards to electric cars or hybrid cards. Consumers began to look for alternatives especially ever since gas prices have gone up, and don't seem like they will ever be in the $2 dollar per gallon range anytime soon. Besides saving money, today, electric vehicles have plenty of benefits. They are energy efficient and environmentally friendly--however majority of the cars on the roads today are still gas powered. Why aren't more people purchasing such cars even though we know of the benefits?

One major reason is many electric cars before Tesla Motors simply didn't look that cool. I honestly believe this is a major reason--and nothing that looks bad ever becomes widely accepted by a large audience. The Smart Car although serves its purpose of being small and electric, to me, is very silly. It does not seem practical and I would probably get laughed at by my friends if they saw me driving one. Furthermore, since they are so small, there isn't much in between me and other cars while I'm in one. This image is what I think of if I were to ever get into a car accident in one:

The consumer is drawn to Tesla Motors because of its sleek design. This by itself makes Tesla Motors a win compared to Smart Cars. The Model S looks to be a very classy sedan, and is even code-named "Whitestar". However, their Model X car completely turns heads with doors that open straight up. Although it hasn't been produced to public purchases, many people already have their eyes on it.

 

Specifically in California, I think Tesla Motors has a larger fan base due to the fact that the company started in California (Fremont area). People here are more motivated to support local and if Tesla grows even larger, it will reflect positive images to their hometown. These internal processes is what causes people to be loyal or to support Tesla Motors.

Racist Stereotyping in Advertising

Stereotypes in advertising serves the job of grouping people and therefore, ideally reaching a broader audience. The stereotypes quickly and easily differentiates what that product or ad is for, as well as who it isn't suitable for. Although from a purely marketing standpoint that would be desired, stereotypical images are not always true. Many of them are actually created fictionally by agencies and cultures through assumptions and ideas that aren't proven to be true.

I think it is wrong to racially stereotype for advertising purposes, however there is a small window in which I think it is okay. To me, as long as the racial stereotype isn't in a bad light or negative tone, it is fine. An example of such is this ad:

Here, the stereotype is that women love cuddling however here the company is taking a very humorous approach to this by presenting a ridiculous fictional invention of the "Axe Morning After Pillow" to satisfy the women's needs for cuddling.

Today I think racism in advertising should be a thing in the past because we have worked so hard to fight for our rights and to become a better society. There are so many new and alternative ways to present a product or an idea and it does not require the use of a racist stereotype. For example I've noticed in some ads today people are replaced with inanimate objects or animals. Those figures do not represent any one race or culture and it becomes neutral

Advertisers should have ethical responsibilities, because their messages are going to reach someone. And they do have the power to alter the exact message or how the message is portrayed. I think all ads should be tasteful or not offensive, especially since they will be public for the world to see.

Semiotic Analysis on Advertisements

Good advertisements to me gets the audience to read, interpret, and then revisit the message that is conveyed. However, messages can be interpreted very differently depending on the reader's culture and their social environment.

Take a look at this print ad:

We see an antelope and a cat chasing after it in the wild. What we interpret from this is that we assume that the antelope is afraid of the typical house cat, however, the cat is being contrasted to a cheetah or some other powerful wild cat. This is effective for the brand Whiskas because it suggests that the food will make your pet cat very healthy and strong--strong enough to perhaps take on a full grown antelope (abstract meaning)!

Another good ad is this TV commercial:

Here several people are stating their opinions on what part of the Orea cookie is the best part: the creme or cookie. I react to this commercial in a nostalgic and somewhat playful childish way, because I think people are all naturally competitive or want to be right/win (abstract meaning). Many other people, not just for example your siblings or family members join in this debate such as police officers and it overall the ad is very playful and sparks debate among the audience.

Lastly, this billboard ad is very engaging and draws my attention:

 

It plays with figure ground, and is simply a big razor in front of a white board. This ad is 3D and with the grass cut/flattened in front of the blades path, it really creates that connection in your head that this razor was able to cut grass, and thus your hair or whatever you want/need to shave (abstract meaning).