Marketing and Society

As we saw in the documentary “Consuming Kids,” today’s children have grown up in an extremely commercialized world. They are constantly being advertised to. It hasn’t always been this way. Up until about the mid 1980s, it was illegal to market to children. Now however, marketing campaigns target children. One of the main reason they target kids is that they have an incredible influence over what their parents choose to buy- and the child marketers want to exploit this. Marketers also see kids as potential customers for life, and they want to get them early in order to make as much profit off of them as possible.

When marketers began marketing to children, many people became worried. People didn’t like that the industry was taking advantage of kids. Children take in so much information that people call them “sponges.” And people were right to be worried. Marketing to kids has changed our society. Kids want more things. They want more money. They think that happiness comes through consumer goods. Girls are trying to grow up faster and are trying to look like the girls and dolls that they see on the commercials. It has also changed the nature of products marketed to families. Products are almost exclusively marketed to kids. Even commercials for mini vans tend to be directed at children.

Marketers have a very powerful position in society- and not just with kids- throughout all age groups. Marketers have the power to make you want something, to make you want to look a certain way, to make you want a certain lifestyle. It’s the same process as with marketing to children. We worry a lot about kids being marketed to, but maybe we should worry about ourselves too. We tend to think that we are old enough to know that it’s just a marketing campaign and that we shouldn’t let if affect us. But maybe we should be a little more cautious about this approach. Maybe adults are just as bad as children when it comes to getting caught up in the marketing campaigns? Many women have body image issues- issues, which are surely made worse by the models they use in their marketing campaigns these days. If marketing to children had such a powerful affect on society that says a lot about the influence that marketing has over our society.

Luckily, adults are more equipped to deal with these advertisements than children are. Advertisements surround us everyday and for the most part we’re able to ignore them. And it’s also reassuring to see that the natures of some of the campaigns are changing. As far as the body image issues go, companies like Dove are doing their best to battles these problems. They’ve created a campaign based on the idea that everyone is beautiful, and they ask real women to star in their commercials. 

While marketing is an important part of any business, the industry must realize what an influential role it has over society, and act responsibly in that position.

What is Marketing?

I’m taking my first marketing course this semester, and coming into the class I wasn’t sure what to expect. When I think of marketing, I think of commercials and advertising. But as I’m beginning to understand, marketing is much more complex than that. Marketing is very strategic. When working in this field you’re constantly dealing with the changing wants and demands of consumers, and monitoring customer satisfaction.You have to worry about how you present your products- low expectations might satisfy those who purchase the product but you may not attract enough people to buy it. When expectations are set too high, you run the risk of disappointing your customers.

Marketing management also deals with reaching out to the correct group of people. A lot of research goes into this process. A company must first divide the market into segments, or segments of customers, and then target the ones that it can go after profitably.

Social Media has revolutionized marketing in the last few years, changing the relationship between companies and customers. As a result of these new forms of social media, companies and customers can interact. People are forming much stronger relationships with their brands.

I went on Instagram to see if different companies were using this form of social media. I found that many of them are. One of the companies that I looked at was Patagonia. The first page of their Instagram was their mission statement, “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environment crisis.” I found myself thinking that this page was a great form of marketing. The images were so well done, and captured everything that the company stands for. They posted Images of people hiking on glaciers, skiing through British Columbia, and ice climbing in Vermont. Following a company like Patagonia on Instagram makes you feel like you have a closer relationship to them, even if you are one of 321,000 followers.

One of the most important aspects of marketing is that it increases customer value and satisfaction. They’re creating the experience of the product. Having an apple computer is not just any ordinary laptop computer. You have the experience that comes with it. It’s the sleek look of the silver laptop, and the glowing apple in the front. The most successful marketing campaigns are the ones that create the best experiences.

When you purchase a Patagonia, you’re not just purchasing a new fleece; you’re purchasing an experience. You can connect that purchase to the images and the lifestyles that you see in the Instagram photos, and feel connected to them. Because you feel closer to the company you’re going to want to buy more of their products, and you’re probably going to be willing to pay a higher cost for those products.

It’s amazing what a good marketing campaign can achieve. Often times, you may not even realize that it’s a marketing campaign. The Patagonia campaign is what really stood out to me. Nothing on the page said, “Buy this product,” but it made me like their company. And as a result, I would want to buy their products. They have been able to create a unique outdoor experience surrounding their products, and people are eager to replicate this experience.