What Hasn't Been Covered: Marketing

 

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One aspect that I believe should have been covered is how digital culture has affected marketing, specifically how there has been an increasing trend towards marketing using new means of social media to advertise. 


Marketing now makes use of many different types of electronics such as computers, mobiles, digital billboards, game consoles etc. to connect with consumers. Internet marketing is one of the main aspects of digital marketing. This has also advanced from emailing to social networking in recent years. 

Timmerman writes how “the evolution of media is hard to ignore in an age where digital marketing no longer means the traditional pull and push channels like website updates and email marketing. Digital marketers today need to be well versed in the latest technology channels and communication tools which include mobile, tablets, internet TV and of course social media outlets”.

List of some of the ways marketing has changed in recent years: 

1. Marketing and the tools it used are always changing to quickly that essentially, marketing teams have now had to become research teams as well. It is no longer just enough to attend marketing conferences once a year as you will never be able to keep up this way. 

2. Also, because the tools used are always changing, this means that initiatives have also had to change. 

3. Businesses now have to accommodate changes in the use of social media (its increased used by consumers) 

4. Marketing departments have now also had to become media and education departments.

5. How marketing money is spent has also changed. 


It is evident that marketing has changed extensively as technology has advanced. More and more people today use social networking sites. Whereas a few years ago advertising and marketing products on social media websites may not have been the most effective way of reached target markets, in today’s day and age it is. Social networking has allowed for communication, collaboration and interaction like never before. Companies are now connecting to consumers via these social networking sites and are starting to engage with them on a more personal level. Robin Parduez notes how because of this consumers start to think that companies care about their opinions and needs and how “eventually, the budding rapport leads to interest in the company's products / services and customer conversion”. 

But it is not just in relation to social networking that marketing has changed. Research has indicated that people are using a range of different platforms e.g. iPads, television, mobiles, internet, all at the same time. Parduez notes: “these devices make it possible for users to stay connected over the Internet at all times, so marketing is also adapting to tap into this growing mobile customer segment”. 


It has become a matter of urgency to market to the general public on as many different platforms as possible. This has not only created new opportunities for marketing, but it has also caused some challenges as there is now much more to consider from a marketing strategy point of view. All aspects now need to be covered, not just one or two.

References:

Ilana Rabinowitz. ‘7 ways marketing has changed’ (December, 2011) URL: http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/digital-marketing/how-marketing-has-changed/


Heather Timmerman. ‘The marketing & media evolution’ (April, 2013) URL: http://www.previewnetworks.com/blog/tag/digital-marketing/


Robin Parduez. ‘How marketing has changed’ (March, 2013) URL: http://www.stirlingdm.com/blog/how-marketing-has-changed/