This is the first in a series of posts in which The Daily Anchor will bring in fresh perspectives from “the real world,” in an effort to see outside the confines of our media-bubble.
Every marketer and advertiser is inherently prejudiced: we are incapable of divorcing ourselves from our professional perspective, and our notions of what consumers might think are as contaminated as the Tennessee Valley.
I Wouldn’t Buy It Even if You Forced Me – Oh Wait…I like This One…
by Leigh Walker | Guest Editor | The Daily Anchor
Find a better way to reach me! First, if you’re doing any kind of email spam, just stop. No young adult wants to go into their e-mail account and find over 100 messages that are advertising things they don’t want or need. Do you honestly think a 19 year old wants to get constant e-mail alerts about your product? Searching a database for people’s e-mail addresses and then sending them useless information is not a way to have them subscribe or purchase your product. And this goes beyond email spam… unless I specifically sign up for your newsletter, I should never see an email from you.
Advertisements on social media sites are just as bad as the one’s that I receive in my e-mail. When I’m checking out my friends’ profile on Facebook, there’s always a weight management drug or liposuction ad specifically aimed for girls my age. It seems that advertisers specifically aim their products at people my age because they feel that we’re all self conscious about our appearance. Newsflash: placing ads on MySpace or Facebook like that are not going to encourage me to try your products, especially since I’ve grown up in the technology age and know what ads to look at and what to ignore.
On the other hand, Apple does a great job of reeling in people my age. Most of the products I have are all apple; MacBook Air, iPhone 3G, iPod 80 GB, you name it I probably have it or have had it at one point. The Mac vs PC commercials catch my attention the best. Comparing and contrasting two different products allow viewers to truly absorb what is being said. Apple products are completely reliable – which is why people purchase so many of their products. Yes, they may be pricey, but the quality is worth every penny.
If a product has prestige, it will most likely be obtained someway. If it has a good rep because people said so, it’ll get purchased. If it’s pretty or looks cutting-edge, it’ll more than likely get purchased. Ads that show beneficial factors of the product, for me, will draw me in more than ads that just try to be clever. The more we know about a product within a 30 second to minute commercial, the more likely people my age will remember that product.
SkyMall Magazine is the largest magazine with the most advertising, but their advertising gets people on a plane to end up ordering an item or two – or three – or four. The iPulse, for example, was a hit item in the SkyMall Magazine back in 2005 and yes; I purchased one from The Sharper Image. Its pretty lights created by the music coming from an MP3 player or iPod intrigued me immensely. But isn’t that how most companies that create products create revenue; through advertising and impulse buyers?
Well I’m no expert but the advertisements of pretty things or incredible technology that are posted around shopping centers trigger that whole, “Ooh! That’s interesting, let’s check it out!” or the whole “Wow. Pretty. I want it…NOW!” ordeal. I’ve been in that situation before with designer handbags. I see an ad in the mail for a new COACH handbag and I go crazy if it’s the right size, color, and style. I end up going to the outlet store and finding it.
So what does this mean for all you advertisers and marketers out there? Well, stated plainly and simply, find a better way to target your audience and draw them in. Most ads are just as bad as email spam. If you want to grab my attention, do your research on what interests people in my generation, and base your ads off that. Show me something interesting, tell me about its beneficial factors, and compare and contrast to other products. If you make it look good, establish a good rep, and build prestige around your product, then even if your product costs more than your competitor’s, I’ll purchase it from you.
Leigh Walker is a 19 year old Journalism Major at San Francisco State University, and hails from San Rafael, CA.
Photo credit: Tidewater Muse
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
awesome perspective ….
and very relevant article..!