Neuromarketing is a relatively new field of study in marketing which has to studies a consumers' cognitive mind and sensorimotor and how they respond to marketing stimulation. This notion of studying an individuals thought process and how the stimuli show up in the individual's brain can be seen as a gold mind for advertisers and a complete invasion of privacy to us the consumer. No matter where you stand in the issue Neuromarketing, is not a science fiction but a reality in Today's world. Noah Robischon points out how politicians used this type of advertising during the 2010 elections.
Another example of this type of advertising can be seen in this ad below: Where a group of individuals who are against government spending are appealing to individuals and what the likely hood of the overspending would lead. Citizen's against government spending wants to make an emotional connection and tap deep into our thoughts. The use of imagery, like the fall of previous great power (Romans, Egyptians and the United States) can have a deep connection and the association made here is that our over spending could lead us to our great fall. The other use can be seen in the use of the foreign language and perhaps the suggestion of unfriendliness or a certain uneasiness.
I think that it's possible that these technologies will be with us in the near future and marketers will have access to lots of information by just reading and analyzing our brain activities. Image for a quick second that if it's possible to read someones thoughts, you can extract not just how they feel about certain things, but what the other person could perhaps be thinking about. This reminds me of the movie minority report with Tom Cruise in the scene where he is rushing through the mall and as he is running the advertisers are analyzing him through infrared and reading his eyes and sweat level and targeting him with specific advertising. Now image yourself walking through the same mall and a scanner, can scan your thoughts or determine that you're thinking of your wife anniversary present and different thoughts cross your mind and the computer will project those thoughts onto a large screen for others to see.
What do you think? Do you think neuromarketing is going to far in what advertisers are trying to do to tap into our thoughts and how and why we buy things? unconscionably access our more deepest thoughts and memory? Let me know if you're for or against neuromarketing.
Bonus: (60 Minute special on Neuromarketing)
Friday, November 19, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
If the the car industry is in trouble with generation Y what's to follow in it's foot steps
According to a recent article published by Allison Linn, a senior analysts at MSNBC points out a growing problem for the car industry. The problem at hand is that generation Y is to blame for decline of car purchases by generation Y, those individuals who proceeded generation X. It seems according to Dave Cole, that generation Y would essentially buy a car as they move further in life and the need for such a need would arise. The article goes on to further suggest that the economy is partly to blame for the decline in the purchases of cars by this group of individuals. So, what's to follow in the foot steps of a slowdown in consumption or usage of things in this high tech world we live in today? Could the same be said of other industries that also tailor to these group of individuals, I believe so.
I think the car industry is one of many other industries that will eventually experience slow downs and would have to re-invent itself if it wants to survive. The movie industry can be seen as an industry who is re-inventing itself to attract individuals to the movie with it's high increase in 3D movies from 2008 to 2009 according to the the theatrical market statistics report published by motions picture of america, but I believe that the biggest industry that will be affected more sooner than later is the the telephone business of land lines. Landlines are your traditional phone lines which are connected via telephone cables directly to your house. Can you recall a time when the telecommunications companies like AT&T advertised distinctive ringing, as a means to allow every member of your family the ability to have their own number but with a different distinctive ring? If what Allison, points out to be true and that technology is aiding in some of these declines then there is no more apparent evidence more true for Generation Y than the use of a traditional lan line as a means of communicating with the rest of the world.
Generation Y and those generations that are to follow will likely not know that lan lines existed and that a cell phone is the norm of communicating with each other. You can see how badly this industry is dying or close to death than what is pointed out by Anders Bylund, about how Google is closer than ever to killing the landline. I would not agree more than to say this is so true. If you pause for a moment and think about how interconnect the world has become and how much more powerful our cellphones are today you have to stop and wonder if you will ever need a land line. Google understand the concept really well that we are likely going to be "connected" at all times to the world wide web and started to offer this service through their most popular product gmail. The product was first conceived as a product that allowed you give your friends a family one number and it would ring you at multiple locations. Grandcentral, as it was known before it was aquired by google in 2007 for 45Million is now what is known to most Googler's as Google Voice. Now the concept has extended to allowing individuals to make telephone calls straight from their computers to any landline in the country or canada for free and around the world at very low rates. The land lines that i describe are those of the households or homes in this country and not necessarily those used by services such as hospitals, police stations and so forth.
I agree with Anders, and believe to be true that the land line as we know it today will be something of a times past for this generation Y, who in my opinion is adapting to technology and taking advantage of what it has to offer even when it's FREE as google presents it's products and services. The Public Telephone System will have to offer similar products and services if it wants to stay alive or simply just let this service fall in the hands of other companies such as Google.
I think the car industry is one of many other industries that will eventually experience slow downs and would have to re-invent itself if it wants to survive. The movie industry can be seen as an industry who is re-inventing itself to attract individuals to the movie with it's high increase in 3D movies from 2008 to 2009 according to the the theatrical market statistics report published by motions picture of america, but I believe that the biggest industry that will be affected more sooner than later is the the telephone business of land lines. Landlines are your traditional phone lines which are connected via telephone cables directly to your house. Can you recall a time when the telecommunications companies like AT&T advertised distinctive ringing, as a means to allow every member of your family the ability to have their own number but with a different distinctive ring? If what Allison, points out to be true and that technology is aiding in some of these declines then there is no more apparent evidence more true for Generation Y than the use of a traditional lan line as a means of communicating with the rest of the world.
Generation Y and those generations that are to follow will likely not know that lan lines existed and that a cell phone is the norm of communicating with each other. You can see how badly this industry is dying or close to death than what is pointed out by Anders Bylund, about how Google is closer than ever to killing the landline. I would not agree more than to say this is so true. If you pause for a moment and think about how interconnect the world has become and how much more powerful our cellphones are today you have to stop and wonder if you will ever need a land line. Google understand the concept really well that we are likely going to be "connected" at all times to the world wide web and started to offer this service through their most popular product gmail. The product was first conceived as a product that allowed you give your friends a family one number and it would ring you at multiple locations. Grandcentral, as it was known before it was aquired by google in 2007 for 45Million is now what is known to most Googler's as Google Voice. Now the concept has extended to allowing individuals to make telephone calls straight from their computers to any landline in the country or canada for free and around the world at very low rates. The land lines that i describe are those of the households or homes in this country and not necessarily those used by services such as hospitals, police stations and so forth.
I agree with Anders, and believe to be true that the land line as we know it today will be something of a times past for this generation Y, who in my opinion is adapting to technology and taking advantage of what it has to offer even when it's FREE as google presents it's products and services. The Public Telephone System will have to offer similar products and services if it wants to stay alive or simply just let this service fall in the hands of other companies such as Google.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Our government and the world wide web can they co-exist?
One of the most efficient uses of the internet is the dissemination of information, followed by the convenience of online services (i.e. shopping, online tax filing, etc.). These two basic purposes have spawned the success of many private owned corporations as well as non-profit organizations and most recently the viral, widespread use of social media sites. So what measures the success of the internet? Is it the large-scale influence? Is it its widespread use? Or can it be attributed to the increasing number of users? While we can argue each of these points extensively there is a larger issue at hand that is hovering overhead – at what point does it merit regulation – if it merits regulation at all. Further, should government be responsible or play a role in this at all?
Let’s begin by examining the government current use of the internet. One of its most efficient uses for the government has been e-filing of taxes. It has allowed for individuals to quickly and easily file their taxes. It’s beneficial to all parties involved in the process, as it reduces the environmental concerns with so much paper been used, individuals time and avoiding errors in processing your taxes. Some may argue that their privacy is at risk and that their tax information may end up in the wrong hands. This reminds me of how people viewed e-commerce at the beginning and that it was not going to work since our credit card information was going to end up in the hands of a hacker. The development of the Word wide web has added much value to our daily lives and I believe that government use of e-filing is something that will be for here for a long time.
E-filing maybe a good use of the world wide web by our government but can it go beyond e-filing? Another use in our local government is having the ability to conduct hall meetings virtually or at least allow individuals to gather virtually online and voice their opinion. One of the great thing about our government is that we are democratic and that we have at least some say in how our government runs itself or conducts itself with in our society. If we don't agree how things are going we get to choose and kick the people who are power out the door and have others have a chance to represent us. A virtual town meeting gives access to the old and the young to equally participate and voice their view on how our local government is going to decide on a particular issue at hand. Of course there has to be a method in which you can validate those individual users who belong to a particular municipality to voice for their own issues and not someone who is from another part of the country to have a say. While you may feel that your opinion or your views can be logged for ever once you say how you feel about a particular issue, a citizen can be protected by the use of an alias so that others in the town meeting can really determine who you are, but of course validated by our local government that you have a right to speak during the town meeting.
The internet has been evolving over the past 15 years and we can already see how it has benefited us in many ways; from e-commerce, to researching, to e-filing and assembling as a group of individuals to speak to our government. I believe this is just the beginning and that while some of us may feel our privacy is at risk, you have to welcome change with an open mind and see the benefits of what the world wide web has offered amongst other industries and things that affect our daily life. The role of government and the use of the world wide web will be intertwine for years to come; how we view this is up to us.
Friday, October 29, 2010
E-commerce and factors that you should consider when doing ebusiness
When you are considering an e-business model to sell online you should consider several factors before you begin this process, amongst these factors you need to consider several things before you decide on an e-commence business.
Remember, before considering an online e-business model you should consider the factors of your existing competion to determine if your model already exist or how you will find your niche online. Another key point to remember is that not all models will succeed online take for example Wevan, who gambled on that consumers would buy in groceries online. Next you may want to test your e-commerce website online by using free services to determine if your idea is viable online. Finally, consider Lock In's, as proposed by Amit and Zott which argue that you should have repeated transaction from existing customer, keep them coming back to your website to do more business as the case for Zappo's who use Search Engine Marketing and Customer service to bring them back to the store to purchase.
- Consider the competition online and how it relates to e-commerce.
- Consider previous models which have not work. (Real Life models don't always transition well to e-commerce)
- Testing your chances of success before launching.
- and Lock-Ins.
Before you engage in any business model online when you're doing e-commerce you should consider the competition online. One aspect of e-commerce is that most people don't realize that businesses have been established online for many years now, and getting into the business today you may be playing catch up. For example, Image you are trying to open a new store in your neighborhood, but have a competitor who has been in that neighborhood for year? how will you get those customers to come to your store, when they have been going to your competitor store for years? You may consider offering the same products at a lower price, or market your new store as offering better products but it will take sometime for existing customers to realize you are also a merchant offering the service. This is what happens in e-commerce. A website that has been around for years, lets think back to 1990 has a higher presence on the internet than your spanking brand new website. One thing that most new e-commerce sites take into account is the previous competition that exist already online offering a similar product.
A common idea amongst individuals is that an eCommerce website can have the potential to sell more than a traditional mortar and brick location. This miss-conception comes from that fact that the internet creates efficiencies online, ie. makes it so much easier to sell online with just "1-click" buying, for example does for Amazon.com. The idea as explained by Raffi Amit, co-director of the Wharton e-Business Initiative (WeBI), and INSEAD’s Christoph Zott. is that the internet creates efficiencies online, in which they argue the key element for e-commerce. While in certain situations efficiencies are created when it comes to e-commerce some business models are not so successful no matter how efficient it may seem. Take for example the website Wevan, a model that tried to succeed on the idea that individuals would buy groceries online. According to Joanna Glasne The Website Was Very Optimistic That Indivudals Would Essentially Ditch Their Traditional Ways In Favor Of An Online Model. I Have To Agree With Her That In This Particular Case Wevan Was Wrong On People's Choices When It Came To Food. I Mean When You're Hungry You Want Food Right Away And Not Have To Wait 24/Hr For A Particular Delivery.
E-commerce not only relies on technology for it to be successful, but it also needs a solid business plan to support its operations and flow of income. While all ideas are great, not all ideas have a good solid understanding of how to proceed beyond the initial year or launch. E-commerce is just like any other business and it requires a good foundation for the business to sustain, and sometimes you may need to test the idea before committing to the full project. You probably have seen the word "Beta" around lately, and how companies want you to test their products and services before they officially are in for "business", well e-commerce is the same way. As I have stated previously, not all models will adapt well to the online business, you may consider running a "beta" or a test of your particular e-commerce idea online before committing fully to the concept. Most companies use this practice and there is no better example of this than Google, who has lots of products in their "labs". What I believe Google, is doing is basically testing the water to determine if a particular product has a chance to succeed in the market or not. You can consider your online retail store a lab and test the water to determine if consumers are willing to buy or interact with your particular store or product. You can measure the interest in a particular product or service and determine if your investment or other individuals investment is worth the time or money before proceeding. There are tons of free product that will allow you to run any e-commerce website at no cost, take for example Magento which is a robust e-commerce solution for no cost, which allows you sell any number of products online, so before you consider a full model online consider running a light version of your store or beta website.
Another point of view is Lock-In's - as Amit and Zott argue the point that repeat business and keep the customer happy and returning. A prime example of this and how it worked for a giant e-commerce site was zapoos.com. The site was big on Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and then made efforts to keep customers happy once they shopped through their store. According to Nisan Gabbay, Zappo's success was also attributed to their 17,000 affiliates who helped drive traffic to the website. I would agree that what Zappos did was key in making their model work, after all they were selling a product that most of us would have to try in a store to determine our satisfaction with a particular shoe. Zappo, was later aquired by Amazon.com in 2009 for nearly $900 Million dollars. You can view their recent ads and how they are so focus on customer satisfaction below. Remember the key to this company success was to keep customers happy so they would return and purchase another pair of shoes.
Another point of view is Lock-In's - as Amit and Zott argue the point that repeat business and keep the customer happy and returning. A prime example of this and how it worked for a giant e-commerce site was zapoos.com. The site was big on Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and then made efforts to keep customers happy once they shopped through their store. According to Nisan Gabbay, Zappo's success was also attributed to their 17,000 affiliates who helped drive traffic to the website. I would agree that what Zappos did was key in making their model work, after all they were selling a product that most of us would have to try in a store to determine our satisfaction with a particular shoe. Zappo, was later aquired by Amazon.com in 2009 for nearly $900 Million dollars. You can view their recent ads and how they are so focus on customer satisfaction below. Remember the key to this company success was to keep customers happy so they would return and purchase another pair of shoes.
Remember, before considering an online e-business model you should consider the factors of your existing competion to determine if your model already exist or how you will find your niche online. Another key point to remember is that not all models will succeed online take for example Wevan, who gambled on that consumers would buy in groceries online. Next you may want to test your e-commerce website online by using free services to determine if your idea is viable online. Finally, consider Lock In's, as proposed by Amit and Zott which argue that you should have repeated transaction from existing customer, keep them coming back to your website to do more business as the case for Zappo's who use Search Engine Marketing and Customer service to bring them back to the store to purchase.
Monday, October 25, 2010
QR Codes and Mobile Marketing
A quick response codes can be read by a QR Reader and some application exist for your mobile device today like your Iphone, and Adroid. You can quickly search and find lots of great applications to be able to read these codes which are quickly appearing on just almost all print marketing. A QR Reader simply snaps a picture of the 2-dimentional image and shows you the particular information that was encoded in the code, weather it's an image, or simple text.
How can marketers take advantage of this great technology and engage users and get the most out of them? A company in Brazil, (Editoras Online), which you can consider the equivalent of Amazon took this concept of usability and made it into a big marketing campaing and pushed the information out to the users and made what they called a "Living Book" or a book which content would change as users snaps pictures of these QR Codes which were spread through out the city. You can view their approach on the video of how this company was able to generate offline interest in their website in order to increase traffic and interest in this book. Dick's sporting good kicked off their mobile website by making a big announcement on the big jumbo screen at Cowboy Stadium. What's great about both of these marketing effort is the interactivity from your mobile users and consumers, in which Marketing companies can give consumers more information and at the same time measure their success or failure rate of the particular campaign.
If you want to think outside the box, remember what these companies have done to use a technology who's primary application was designed for package tracking to a full engaging advertising campaign. The use of this technology gave instant feedback to both companies about how effective their marketing efforts were and proved to a be a successful concept for their marketing efforts, with regards to mobile users. You can learn more about the use of QR codes and Marketing here if you like.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Welcome to Marketing SEO TIps and tricks
We are going to cover Marketing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tips and tricks so that you can get maximum exposure to your small business or personal website. One of your first tips is to select a subdomain (marketingseotips.blogger.com) name that has your business goals and objective in the name. For example I have selected a name that clearly describes what this blog will cover moving forward. My goal in selecting this name is name is that I want a natural search term that someone who is interested in Search Engine Marketing tips can easily find my blog. The goal of the website is to lead individuals into buying some of my products and services that I offer through this website. I will post the best search engine marketing books that are out there to help you with your seo marketing. Please don't forget to buy your book for this course!
The Search Engine Marketing tips that will be posted here can be applied to just about any type of business model you do online. We all know that having a good domain is extremely important now in days and getting good seo tips will help you give this domain the extra help it needs if it's going to be successful with it's seo marketing. You can make an entire career out of seo marketing if you wanted to, but for now will concentrate on just all the marketing seo tips and tricks you need to get your website to rank naturally with any search engine that understand seo guidelines.
So your first seo marketing tip and trick is to select a really good subdomain that will clearly deliver the message home of what your blog is all about or clearly states to the consumer what is covered in this blog. Remember that the rule applies to any search engine marketing and the domain is the most important of all if it's still available. If you are ever considering your own business years from now I encourage that you buy this domain today to reserve your business name before someone else takes it. The domain name has become more important than the actuall business name.
If you have any suggestions or tips you like to add to this blog please do so and help anyone who is looking for search engine optimization tips and tricks take your tip too because sharing is caring :)
The Search Engine Marketing tips that will be posted here can be applied to just about any type of business model you do online. We all know that having a good domain is extremely important now in days and getting good seo tips will help you give this domain the extra help it needs if it's going to be successful with it's seo marketing. You can make an entire career out of seo marketing if you wanted to, but for now will concentrate on just all the marketing seo tips and tricks you need to get your website to rank naturally with any search engine that understand seo guidelines.
So your first seo marketing tip and trick is to select a really good subdomain that will clearly deliver the message home of what your blog is all about or clearly states to the consumer what is covered in this blog. Remember that the rule applies to any search engine marketing and the domain is the most important of all if it's still available. If you are ever considering your own business years from now I encourage that you buy this domain today to reserve your business name before someone else takes it. The domain name has become more important than the actuall business name.
If you have any suggestions or tips you like to add to this blog please do so and help anyone who is looking for search engine optimization tips and tricks take your tip too because sharing is caring :)
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