In response to Karina and Daniel post address the following:
- Compare your views on the appeal of traditional marketing to various audiences. How do they differ from your peers' views? How are they the same?
- Compare your views on the importance of creativity and innovation in traditional marketing. How do they differ from your peers' views?
- Respond to the top ideas of your peers for consumer research and use of SEO. What are the pros and cons of each idea from your point of view and research?
Karina post
Baby Boomers: Television was becoming popularized as baby boomers were raised. Televisions were used to communicate news and for advertising purposes. Baby boomers are more likely to engage in news related and informative programs.
Generation X: Television was already around when generation X was born and they have been accustomed to it from birth. Television during this time as still informative, but an increase in entertainment was seen.
Millennials: Different types of technology started to get introduced during millennials adulthood. The need to get news and seek entertainment from television starts to decline.
Generation Z: Television news and advertisements have very little impact on generation Z. There are numerous other technology platforms that this generation spends time on and they can chose what they want to see on television.
Radio:
Baby Boomers: This generation is accustom to the radio and often multitasks when listening to it. They frequently play the radio, whether that be in the car or at home.
Generation X: Generation X has a very similar appeal to the radio as Baby Boomers.
Millennials: Radio starts to become less common for millennials. They tend to only listen to it when commuting.
Generation Z: Radio usage is very minimal among generation Z. New technology allows for listening to pre-programmed playlists during commutes.
Just yesterday, a marketing strategy influenced me to make a purchase. I go through my emails everyday and yesterday, I saw an email McDonald's sent out about $0.50 double cheeseburgers for that day only to celebrate national cheeseburger day. I thought to myself, maybe I'll go there after work. After I got home, I went on Instagram and I saw the same advertisement pop up. I hardly ever go to McDonalds, but I knew I couldn't miss a $0.50 dinner. This "too good" of a deal at a place I wouldn't normally go to, caught my attention. The first time I saw the deal caught my attention, but I only really made the effort to go once I saw it again. Deep discounts and repetitive advertisements is crucial to getting customers to try your product.
In order to market the brand correctly, the company must understand who the target audiences are and what type of marketing resonates the best with them. Consumer data and trends for amusement parks must be looked at. Consumer research can be done by coming the internet, getting industry data from share groups, or conducting surveys in the community or on social media. The company can research top searched topics and incorporate those key words in articles or advertisements that are released to bring visibility online.
Daniel post
When considering traditional marketing channels, I find television and print advertising to be among the most interesting. This could be because of the 'old-school' way I chose to consume media and information. Television, while potentially fading from prevalence, still continues to have a strong appeal to baby boomers. It has been a trusted and familiar source of news and entertainment throughout their entire lives. Research shows that nearly half of baby boomers primarily watch live television, which makes it an effective way to reach them (S&P Global Market Intelligence, 2022). Generation X is also highly receptive to television advertising, with surveys indicating that 83% of Gen Xers trust TV ads when making decisions (MarketingSherpa, 2017). While millennials (my generation) and Generation Z consume less traditional broadcast television than older generations, they still engage with televised content via streaming services and cut content shared online via other platforms. When commercials are well-produced and socially conscious, younger audiences can still be influenced by them (YouGov, 2023).
Print advertising carries a different kind of appeal entirely. For baby boomers and Gen Xers, newspapers, magazines, and direct mail still retain a sense of credibility and appreciation. These groups are more likely to view print as reliable and are more at ease with consuming information that comes on a physical medium. Millennials and Gen Zers, on the other hand, are less likely to seek out print media. However, research shows that they can still be impacted by it if the marketing campaign is creative and distinct. A study done by Keypoint Intelligence shows that younger consumers are still among the most likely to review and engage with print media when it comes in the mail if it is personalized (Keypoint Intelligence, 2021). In addition, younger consumers are often more responsive to print advertising when it incorporates interactive features like QR codes (YouGov, 2023).
One creative print media marketing campaign I encountered was at a locally owned gym in my area. They rented a booth at the County Fair and instead of passing out flyers, they handed out custom scratch-off cards that revealed a free class, free trial membership, or several other discounts. This made the print advertisement more engaging and rewarding for anyone that took the time to interact with it. I was unfortunately already a member, and the prizes were for new customers only, but I still appreciated the creativity.
In thinking about the reopening of the park, there are two ideas I would like to entertain. From a consumer research perspective, I think that utilizing customer survey results would be valuable. By asking guest about their experiences while at the park we gather authentic feedback while sparking fond memories that could entice them to want to return. The surveys could also include questions about which advertisements for the park they have seen and which media those advertisements were on, which would provide direct insight into the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns. From a SEO standpoint, I think that creating a hub on the park's website that offers planning and scheduling capabilities of other things to do in the area would be a huge benefit. Adding links that allow for hotel, flight, and rental car bookings, and even restaurant reservations, would increase the website search engine results and generate more web traffic.