For my last post for the thesis project seminar class, I am going to talk about one of my research interests that I have not written about or spoke about all semester. The reason behind this is simply that I am tired of talking about brand image and social cause-related marketing!
So for this blog I am going to focus on alternative advertising methods. In today’s busy world a person can see up to 5,000 advertisements in one day! That is crazy! With that much going on around us how can advertisers expect to reach their target audience without breaking into their “world” (or their audience segment: such as teen, tween, parents, baby boomers, etc…)? The answer is that they can’t or at least not without the help of guerilla marketing which uses “sneaky” (for lack of a better word), creative ways to get the information about the product or brand out there and into the life of the target audience. Guerilla marketing uses interesting and unique campaigns to create a word-of-mouth buzz about the product or brand.
Though I said I wasn’t going to discuss brand image, I lied, because I have to mention it here. When an advertiser or brand breaks into their target audience’s world, the brand become relevant to the consumer and therefore integrates itself into their everyday life. This causes the brands image to form and be validated in the eyes of the consumer. But, let’s go back to alternative advertising methods…
While alternative advertising methods and alternative media fascinate me, I am no techie and may not have complete understanding of all things electronic or internet related. I want to focus this blog post on some of the most interesting alternative advertising methods I have found. Some of these are so artful and eye-catching that even people outside of the target audience have to notice. Now that is effective advertising.
First, I want to talk about sidewalk advertising, which I find to be so interesting. While it may not be the most technologically advanced, it is so artful and intriguing that it catches the interests of many walks of life. It can also be very noticeable because it is not very common yet. Click on this article, it is pretty interesting and presents several alternative advertising methods. Also, this picture is an ad for beverage in Europe somewhere, I believe. I first saw this ad in Jim Avery’s advertising campaigns class.
Second, I want to talk about Facebook and MySpace advertising. This is quite possible the best internet advertising a brand or business marketing to tweens, teens, or young adults could do. I know that I (who never click on internet ads) have even click on a couple of ad on Facebook, because they were relevant to me at the time.
Last, I want to mention mobile advertising, not mobile phone advertising, but actual ads that move. Everyone has seen an ad on the side of a bus or a truck, but how about an entire truck that is an advertisement for something. Like this truck that is advertising for the movie Juno that recently release on DVD.
Well, there are tons more alternative methods but I just wanted to touch on a few that I really believe could work (for awhile until they become normal, then a new alternative will be needed).