By Kamea Zelisko
It only makes sense that an industry that thrives on being cutting edge would adapt quickly to the trends of today.
Those who work in the marketing and communications field have really had to work hard to not just catch up but push the boundaries of marketing and communications in a world where immediate gratification is wanted. As a result, a complex web of traditional and technological marketing has been weaved, and its effects can be seen almost everywhere.
Do you remember when you had to actually fork out money for a magazine at the corner store to get your fix of celebrity gossip? Well not anymore. Today there are a plethora of blogs and websites; Facebook and Twitter groups that are not only dedicated to celebrity gossipers or the celebrities themselves, but also to marketing products on a much bigger scale.
What kind of nail polish does Lindsay Lohan prefer while out on bail or in between rehab stints, you ask? Well I don’t know why you would ask that, but for those who are dying to know, Lilo is wearing Fresh/Maple Bar polish. She says it’s the “NEW black nail!” and encourages you to “Tell your friends!”
Everything from charities to clothing lines are being hocked on social networking sites like these, making celebrities seem like close friends on our networks, and bringing marketing to whole new levels.
Even newspapers, whose readership in increasingly online focused, make use of their hard copies, with sections called “Digital Culture,” and texting options at the end of stories to share through cell phones.
Some of the sneakiest viral marketing happened about a year before the movie 2012 premiered. If you had a Facebook, Twitter or YouTube account, someone probably sent you information or a link about this doomsday theory. Of course while the theory itself wasn’t new, the social networking and marketing that occurred prior to the movie coming out was a new marketing concept.
By simply posting some creepy YouTube videos and Wikipedia entries from one computer, millions of people became convinced the end of the world was only a few short years away. A few weeks later, the movie hit. This was no accident – it was a carefully constructed viral marketing plan that in very short order raised awareness and education of how the world will end (that is, if you take the theory seriously of course). By the time the movie premiered, we all needed to see it, now that we felt so connected to the topic.
All of these rapid changes and new innovations are incredibly exciting and continue to make our world seem smaller very day. One can only imagine what new marketing trends technology will bring and where our imaginations will take us!
