I.                   Introduction

In today’s world, competitive advantage appears to be the most sought after element in business. Vying for a greater market share and consumer base tends to drive companies on a higher level of competition with one another using their own resources and other means of getting to this end. One tried and tested way of accomplishing this is by using marketing techniques. Probably one of the most important tools in marketing, advertisements is used by companies to reach the consumers and eventually acquire a bigger part of the existing market share. This paper will provide a description on the relationship between companies and their use of marketing strategies to improve their performance in their respective industries. Specifically the discussions will look into the use of advertisements as a main marketing tool of companies in enhancing their business. The following arguments and observations are going to be based on past and existing literature relating to marketing and advertising.     


II.                Marketing and Companies

The focus on the consumers tends to highlight the need for companies to reach-out more to its core costumers and its target market. The following part will look into an emerging model in marketing and the implications on the use of advertisements.


A.   Customer-Focused Marketing

This relatively new model of marketing is widely known as customer relationship management (CRM). Basically, acquiring relevant data from the target market and individual customer is the primary goal of the process that surrounds this model. It is also required that the company establishes a culture conducive for CRM processes. (Hayes, 2006, 49) This indicates that the whole organization, together with the personnel and those in the higher echelons, should realize that the company is heading for a more customer-centered perspective in their operations.


The emphasis on this model is in the word “relationship.” (Greco and Rains, 2003, 25)  This denotes the idea that the substance of the message being conveyed across channels is as vital, if not more significant, than the manner of expressing it to the public. How the company creates a positive impression, particularly on the perspective held by customers of the organization is what counts more in this model.


B.   Advertisements

Advertisement campaigns are among the most basic form of marketing used by companies. One good example is the move made by Daddies. The Adidas advertising campaign in Germany for the World Cup employed the very essential device to control consumer behaviour. The advisement campaign used the reputation and distinguished status of the World Cup Series. Since it is basically done once every four years, it has been consistently pursued by football supporters ever since its inception in the 1930s. (Andersen, Brewer, Brown, Cornelius, Van Relate, Winter, 2002, 134) Thus, there is essentially an unconditioned stimulus from soccer fans to actually witness the matches, either live in the arena, via live TV programmes, or live radio broadcasts. There is a recognized fan base that similarly associates to the viewers of the games.  


The advertisement made up a fresco painted in the ceiling of the Hauptbahnhof train station in Germany essentially pointing a reference to the one in Sistine Chapel. Together with the nuance of the said event implanted in the painting, reminders embodying world renowned players are also seen supporting the unconditioned stimulus held by the ad. (Moss and Shettleworth, 1996, 32)  This is similarly seen in the other ad where a viaduct is enclosed by the picture of well-known goalkeeper Oliver Kahn saving an attempted goal. Using signals on the event and the employment of well-known people in the said sport manifest an efficient employment of classical conditioning.


 


III.              Consumer Responses

Buyers of the product tend to react differently on different actions of companies. Studies have indicated that branded products in this context is deemed as among those with the top quality in the market for the reason that they have to ensure that they have a sturdy hold on their market share. (Kennedy, 1994, 373) This shows that products with brands are often equated by buyers with quality. Other studies indicate that kids turned out to be among the main indicators on consumer behavior in the United States. (Ramsey, 2006, 361) This may have been ascribed towards the feelings of children on advertisements that seize their interest. (1999, 19) This may entail that a commercial plug with a “cartoon” genre, children will act optimistically on that and perhaps hold on to information with regard to the brand.


On another study, it seems that “corporate reputation” in the same way has its influence on the buying behaviour of the consumers. (Fern and Graham, 2005, 305) Nonetheless, the said study pointed out that for the duration of the time when a consumer is out shopping for a specific product, whether the company is highly regarded is not a key component of its decision making factors. Brand image and consumer fairness still gives the impressions to be at the peak of the consumer’s main concern. Nonetheless, this could probably adjust with proper marketing. Along with the studies of Ramsey (2006) and Heffner (1991) television ads has been the key instrument of marketers to endorse their merchandise. Constant exposure to such advertisement could bring about retention of information and therefore accordingly winning over an individual that such products are indeed remarkable. (Braun-Labour and Altman, 2006, 57)


IV.            Role of Mass Media

The power of mass media to society has been debated unremittingly in literature. Media has the ability to supply information to the public, whether they call for it or not. The predicament in this situation is that this information could shape a social awareness that could well have an implication on the wellbeing of society. From political campaigns to ridiculous advertisements, mass media has the clout to sway the thought of society. (Hulbert and Stephenson, 2004, 556) This indicates that mass media could be employed as a tool to subscribe to either development or breakdown of the established principles of a particular society. As Hulbert and Stephenson (2004) claimed in their work, mass media could double as an intermediary to the consciousness of society. Though they pointed out that media is just a conduit, it could still supply both direct and circuitous effects on the existing circumstances in society.


However, advertisements have its share of ethical dilemmas. An incessant issue in relation to mass media is the advertising of tobacco products, the use of which is confirmed to be significantly fatal to its consumers. Unquestionably, there are quite a few billions of dollars yearly of advertising and endorsement (FT-C, 2003) triggers a towering level of association and consciousness with tobacco brands on the side of the consuming community. The study of Beemer and Siegel (2000) pointed out that long-term studies have documented a series where responsiveness with or even keenness for cigarette advertising does allow adolescents on engaging to smoking. This emphasizes that argument of Hulbert and Stephenson (2004) stated that media has without a doubt an influence on the social setting.


 


V.               Conclusion

The operational word in this situation is social responsibility. Improving the image of a company through advertisement will entail specific strategies to stick to established standards of social responsibility. The actions that these companies demonstrate mirror how they mean to take care of their customers. The strategies employed in drawing in people into purchasing their products do not evidently present malice on the part of the corporation. If a glimmer of implausibility emerge on their midst, then companies should recompense it to other facets like the services offered or even how they take care of the environment when they dispose of their wastes. That does not make dubious marketing strategies more tolerable; however it does guarantee that the public is receiving their money’s worth.


Nevertheless, advertisements still is a great way for companies to make a buzz on themselves. The studies presented and noted above have delineated the fundamental reasons why advertisements are tried and tested means of marketing. As stated, though effectiveness is seen, a general responsibility is still upon the companies using it. They have the opportunity to change and even create a new set of consciousness based on their use of advertisements. It would only be fair to make their campaigns worthy of this responsibility.   



Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com


0 comments:

Post a Comment

 
Top