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Addicted By Design

As we know, we live in the 21st century, also known as the Age of Information. No other time in history has information and knowledge been so easily available to humans. As potential social media marketers, we must be aware of what occurs in the world of technology. 

Currently, the popularity of social media continues to move upwards and show no signs of slowing down. Generation Z, the generation after the Millennials are now taking up the torch and are even more submerged into social media. This is great for marketers who want to engage with this age group and create loyalty from an early start.

However, more and more people are feeling burned out from social media. There are more cases arising of increased anxiety and depression from too much social media usage. A number of people also more distracted and are having a hard time focusing. In addition, what they are focusing on when on social media is only a facade. It is only the highlight reel of someone’s life that is being seen, not the other 99% of their life that isn’t glamorous. 

What is the most interesting about this topic is that while  people are aware of the negative aspects of social media and the lethargic feeling it gives them, they still continue to heavily use these apps. It almost seems like social media was set to addict users to keep using the apps....and they actually aren’t wrong. 

I became more interested in this topic of consumers and social media addiction through this video where a former Google developer, Tristian Harris, discusses just how these developers are really instrumental in hooking consumers into social media and heavy cellphone usage.

So why is this important as a marketer? Well, it questions on whether we are making decisions that are ethical. The problem is that consumers are addicted to social media and companies are profiting from it, not caring about the adverse affects it has on the consumer. 

We see the affects on adult users and how it makes them feel being connected and bombarded by advertising 24/7. Yet, we are also now beginning to see similar effects from the younger users as well. Marketers need to be aware that while we have a mission to promote our products and make a profit, we also must be conscious to the people we are delivering our messages to. It is important that while there is a company that needs to make a profit, there are also people that are still concerned for other people and want others to make more conscious and less decisions manipulated by large corporations.

I understand that it is a controversial topic because the whole idea of social media marketing is using social media to market our products to consumers. But maybe, it is time to take a different approach to how we use social media for marketing. Maybe, it is time to let consumers breathe for a little bit and decide for themselves what they want to see, instead of constantly being barraged by advertising. 

What do you think? Do you think as social media marketers, we have some kind of responsibility with this social media addiction? React or comment your opinion!

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March For Our Lives

When the news broke on February 14th about a gunman opening fire at  a high school in Florida, it marked the 17th mass school shooting of 2018. Some people left their heartfelt messages to the victims and survivors of hope and healing, while others voiced out their opinions and debated the politics behind gun control. However, no one expected a new movement to be born from this tragedy. 

March For Our Lives began when students who were victims of the horrible shooting began to speak out about what really needs to be done to make sure school shootings never happen again. 

Social media played a big role in getting their message out to the public. Students spoke about their experience and about what should be done to prevent this from happening again with using the hashtag #NeverAgain. 

In February 2018, The Never Again Movement began and created social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. March For Our Lives was developed a little bit later during the month. On these social media accounts, they would reach out to other users and talk about what was going on and how the White House and NRA were responding. The news outlets constantly covered this ongoing debate between the students and the officials. 

YouTube was an important tool for this movement to use because video is the ultimate way for people online to understand what is going on visually and hear word-for-word what is going on. When the students would be interviewed about the need for change and their experience of the shooting, broadcasting companies like CNN would post the videos onto YouTube and other social medias that spread their messages. 

In this YouTube video, Vox was able to get the opinions of students across the US by posting questions to their social media accounts asking students about school shootings and gun control. 

The video has over 300,000 views, and the channel has over 3 million subscribers meaning the opportunity for this conversation to continue is always available; which is what the March For Our Lives movement benefits from. 

Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are some of the most popular social media platforms to use and these sites have a main focus on interacting with others. The thing that helped the movement become take off by spreading awareness and sparking conversations was with hashtags. At first, the main hashtags used when topics of the shooting and gun control came up were #NeverAgain and #StonemanShooting. Hashtags help social media sites organize trending topics and makes it easier to track what is  being said about them. 

These hashtags also help get the word out about events related to the topic of gun violence and prevention. They also caught the attention of major celebrities who then voiced their support to the cause. With their following, it gave the event more of a spotlight and also more awareness online and offline in interviews and television.

On March 14,  the Women’s March movement organized a protest called National Walkout Day where students and educators were encouraged to walk out of school and stand outside for 17 minutes in protest. Using the hashtag #Enough on social media and users retweeting/re-posting the message, it led to many students actually walking out on March 14th. The Women’s March was mostly a social media movement from 2017 at first and gave way to the largest march in Washington since the Civil Rights era. Thanks to social media, Women’s March is a large organization with support online and offline.

Today, March 24, marks the day for the large rally in Washington DC and all across the world in support of March For Our Lives. Social media is still a huge component in the success of this movement and the reason for it to move forward. Currently, there are millions of people worldwide participating by either marching in person, or showing support via social media. News media sites like Time, NBC News, and the Washington Post are having live streams streamed on YouTube of the marches.

As of right now, the current social media hashtags associated with March For Our Lives are:

#WhyIMarch

#EnoughIsEnough

#MarchForOurLives

#NeverAgain

People using these hashtags are speaking out about their reasons for supporting March For Our Lives, their own experiences with gun violence, and voicing out opinions on how to prevent another school shooting.

In the end, social media played a major role in the success of this movement. The next event is already being planned for April 20th with another school walkout in support of anti-gun violence. Though this doesn’t seem directly related to March For Our Lives, the torch of modern-day activism is being passed down, one tweet at a time.

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Pheramor: The Future of Dating Apps

At least one point in our lives, we’ve been single and maybe thought about giving online dating or dating apps a chance. In the past, there was a lot of stigma about online dating and how it could seem like an act out of desperation. In 2005, 29% of people believed that people who use dating sites are desperate. But in 2015, that number decreased to 23%. People have been shifting their mindsets about online dating and it shows in the numbers.

More and more people are using online dating, specifically dating apps thanks to the advancements in mobile technology. In a study from Pew Research, in nearly every single age group, the amount of people using dating apps and sites have increased. For young adults, the number has even tripled. This can be credited from the use of mobile apps.

With so people using dating apps and websites, it would be easy to assume that dating should be easier than ever. However, that is not the case. Many people who use dating apps/sites have many complaints when it comes to finding their next potential partner. Personally, my friends and I have talked about our struggle with dating apps multiple times for hours at a time. Some of the reasons that we’ve come up with as to why it can be difficult to really find a partner using dating apps are:

·        Horrible communication: people who can’t hold conversations, not responding to messages right away, disappearing without a trace aka ghosting

·        Not being able to afford premium access so less people to choose from

·        Feeling like there isn’t anyone who you truly connect with

·        Fake profiles aka catfishing or not accurate profiles

Well, Pheramor is a game-changing dating app that wants to help people find their potential partners more accurately and take away some stress that comes with typical dating apps. How? By using DNA to find your perfect matches.

Pheramor is an online dating startup based in Houston, Texas. They are the world’s first smart dating app using genetics and data. They use genetics and social media to “enhance romance” and help singles find genuine, more authentic connections.

How does it work?

First, you need to purchase the genetic Pheramor Kit which can be purchased from their website or on the app itself for $19.99. Next, you swap the inside of your cheek with the cotton swabs provided and send it back for processing. From there, your genetics are viewed along with your personality traits, likes and dislikes, hobbies, etc. from your existing social media accounts and will determine how compatible you are with the other users of the app based on a score from 0 to 100.

Some of the interesting features is that you can view percentages of other people to see how compatible your genetics are to another person. Pheramor also can be linked to your social media accounts so instead of struggling on what to put on your profile, Pheramor can create the profile for you based on the social media accounts you link to it. Since genetics can’t be the only indicator for what makes a person compatible, Pheramor also uses your social media to help you further in your search for romance by adding your hobbies, interests and likes into account and adds it into what makes you compatible with other people. When using the app, the users’ photo is blurred into order to combat against mindless scrolling and judging partners purely based on their physical appearance. 

They are looking to add a new feature soon called Second Date. With Second Date, it will track the locations of the users and will be able to know if they meet up with one of their matches. After the date, the app will give you a survey about the date and depending on both surveys from the date, will recommend if you go on a second date or not. From that information, it will let the app know if you like that kind of person and will adjust so that you can see more people like that person for future dates.

You may still be wondering, but how do genetics help me figure out who is best for me? Well from the DNA you submit to Pheramor, they will then look at the 11 genes that have been researched as some of the main indicators behind attraction and how it compares to other people and their 11 genes.

According to Pheramor, it’s all about the pheromones. Pheromones are defined from the Merriam Webster dictionary as a chemical substance that is usually produced by and animal and serves especially as a stimulus to other individuals of the same species for one or more behavioral responses yet, this also qualifies for humans too. There have been countless studies on human pheromones and genetic-based attraction.  Some of the results they have found is that there really is more science underlying the phrase “opposites attract.” The more differentiated the DNA is between two people, the more likely they are to be attracted to each other. This is from us sensing the pheromones that we are constantly emitting from our bodies. According to the Pheramor site, we humans are subconsciously taking in the pheromones of other people and our brain processes this when we are around other people. When the pheromones come across to us just right, we often experience love at first sight with that person.

However, there are multiple other scientists that are saying that pheromones do not have much impact on romance. One scientist claims that pheromones don’t exist at all.

From what I have been able to learn about Pheramor, I would be willing to give the app a chance. Ten years ago, this wasn’t even a concept that I could begin to wrap my mind around as being a possibility so if my DNA can tell me who is a match for me, I would try it. Apparently, using my common judgement has not worked out the best for me in the past and I have passed up on people that could have actually been good for me if I wasn’t being so particular. So, to have a process that tries to get rid of some of the hiccups that many people struggle with using dating apps without genetic involvement, I don’t see a reason not to try it.

In the meantime, Pheramor has just recently launched in late February/early March is available for download for IOS and Android users. As of right now, Pheramor is trending at #2 for trending dating apps on Google Play Store. It is currently free to download and you can use all the app functions for free. To continue using the app later on, there will be a monthly membership fee of $10.00.

Sources: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/02/29/5-facts-about-online-dating/ https://www.pheramor.com/the-science/  https://www.wired.com/story/with-this-dna-dating-app-you-swab-then-swipe-for-love/  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5214913/A-genetics-based-dating-app-perfect-partner.html

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24 Hours with Instagram

At my university, we have a program called “Devils Den @ 10.” It’s put on by different clubs and they host fun activities and try attract students into coming instead of drinking off campus and endangering themselves.

Last Thursday, my friend had invited me to go. Normally when a student goes to a Devils Den event, they bring their student ID and they are swiped into the event. That Thursday, it was a game night and the SGA (student government association) was hosting it that night and giving away free stuff (tshirts, water bottles, hats, etc).  

The way to get in that night other than having your student ID was to follow Devils Den on their SnapChat and Instagram accounts. Before that night, I had successfully avoided making accounts for either platforms. But I wanted free stuff and to go to the game night so, I caved and made both accounts. 

So, as a person who has just made an Instagram account in 2018 AFTER the hype died down, I thought it would be interesting to discuss my experience on using Instagram for the first time.

Before downloading the app and creating an account, I had limited interactions with Instagram. I’ve scrolled through pages of certain topics that I like or I would check out my Tumblr followers and their Instagram pages. I had some experience this month of February because it is Black History Month and for the club I am a part of, I had to help make posts of queer LGBTQ+ people to celebrate for the 28 days of the month. 

I had no idea how to make a post. My friend had to show me how to make a post. It was a little confusing at first from selecting the photo I wanted to post to adding captions (granted, I was working with an Iphone 4S). 

Within the first 24 hours, I hadn’t posted a thing, yet gained followers left and right. Just like when sharks smell blood, popular accounts can sense new, fledgling accounts and seek out to gain their attention by following them. Also, I made my account linked to my Facebook account so, all of my friends that were already active on Instagram got a notification that I had made an account and some decided to add me. That was a beneficial thing that Instagram created because it lets your friends know that you are not a catfish or a fake account.

Interestingly, even though I hadn’t started following many accounts at this point, the advertisements that came my way were already geared just for me. 

I think that because I made the account with my Facebook information, it also gathered all the different pages I liked and clicks on ads I actually open and use them on my Instagram feed. I know that as I follow more accounts, the ads will be even more tuned to my likes.

It took a lot of guts for me to actually make a post. It was rough even deciding on the profile picture but, the first post was really something. I used the #myfirstpost with my first post and from there, I had people from all over the world commenting and liking my selfie of myself. I don’t know if I somehow was synced with Italy’s most popular time to post on Instagram but many Italians were paying my post attention. 

Most of the people had thousands and thousands of followers and they are looking to expand themselves by reaching out to new accounts. I wasn’t that surprised though because the same thing tends to happen on Twitter only for those people to eventually unfollow you. 

All in all, I didn’t think adjusting to Instagram would be too bad. Especially since I had used it unofficially before, it was pretty simple to figure out for a beginner like me. I will say that since I am joining in 2018 and not during 2015-2016 when Instagram really took off, the momentum on the platform can be a bit boring and slow. But, for a person who really wants to be discovered and likes photos, and with all the different hashtags that can be used to help market your brand, Instagram is really the place you need to be.

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Every Kiss Begins With Kay : A Look Back at Kay Jewelers for Valentine’s Day

Ahhh Valentine’s Day, the day where we remind our loved ones of why we love them. I thought it would be interesting to look at one of the most iconic Valentine’s Day brands we associate with the holiday, Kay Jewelers, and their progression over the years in their advertising.

Kay Jewelers was founded in 1916. It’s the early 1920s when the first advertisements from Kay Jewelers arrived. They added more jewelry to their brand around 1930 and were known in the 50s for their retro jewelry.

Growing up, most of the commercials I remember seeing were geared for people in relationships or married. The jingle that would always remain in my head whether I wanted to remember it or not was “Every kiss begins with Kay.” I don’t think there are many people who don’t know their catchphrase because Kay Jewelers have been synonymous to Valentine’s Day and Christmas as the perfect gift for a loved one. 

However, some would say that their advertisements in the past were cheesy and not that realistic, to the point where people have made parodies of their ads on YouTube. but they were wholesome and and able to pull at the heartstrings.

This first commercial shown below was aired in 2008. It depicts what I described above.

Social media definitely had an influence on the way Kay Jeweler advertises themselves. Before social media really took off, Kay didn’t have to pay much attention to their online presence because most people knew of Kay Jewelers from the mall or the commercials on television. So there was more pressure on creating an image offline than online.

With Web Archives, you can see that during the holiday season of 2004, the website is quite nice for the time. Yet, there are no social media plugs on the page whatsoever.

Fast forward to 2018, there isn’t anywhere on the page where Kay Jewelers isn’t trying to pull in its customers to help them with free advertising using different social media platforms.

 Instead of just advertising for romantic love, Kay Jewelers has embraced celebrating different kinds of love like Galentine’s Day. Galentine’s Day is when Valentine’s day is celebrated with your best girl friends instead of having a romantic partner. It’s been gaining popularity of the past years and is still going on strong to help those who aren’t married or dating someone to still have a way to enjoy the holiday.  On their Facebook page, Kay has videos from their Instagram page advertising for Galentine’s Day and even for jewelry to show love to pets too. 

Social media has been an asset to Kay Jeweler not only in getting their information about sales and new releases out. But to draw more people into their products, Kay Jewelers has teamed up with popular social media stars to create content with their products to give Kay more exposure. They’ve teamed up with people like Thomas Sanders, Dude Perfect, and Matt Cutshall to name a few. With the amount of fans that these social media stars have, it helps give Kay Jewelers an even bigger audience and exposure. Kay sponsors the videos and so their product is placed (product placement) to be seen by everyone.

Here is Kay Jewelers and their sponsored YouTube video with Dude Perfect. With sponsored videos, the person being sponsored is likely to have a code or special link that viewers can click and go to and both Kay and the social media personality get revenue from customers using the link to make purchases.

In the end, Kay Jewelers has seen many changes to the way they advertise and how they get their message across. Compared to the early 2000s, they had to expand a lot to become current and keep with their company mission of being/remaining America’s #1 jeweler.  

Are there other brands that come to mind when you think of Valentine’s Day? How have those brands changed over the years? Leave your comments and reblog and Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Katrina’s Top 5 Superbowl LII Ads

Advertising’s biggest night of the year was this past Sunday and I thought, what better way to start off this blog than going through a Top 5 list of my favorite Superbowl ads?! 

Katrina’s Top 5 Favorite Superbowl Ads

#5: Kraft: Family Greatly

I liked this ad! I thought it was so cute! It aired towards the beginning of the Superbowl and they told then to use  a hashtag and they could be featured all across the US. 

Kraft used the ‘pull’ method of bringing in families and friends to get involved with the ad by giving them a hashtag to use and with the promise of showing off their picks from the ones who participated.

It was so nice and heartwarming to see all the different families and how they were celebrating football’s biggest night! 

#4 Bud Light and the Bud Knight

Is it really the Superbowl if Bud Light doesn’t have a commercial? The commercials they make are pretty memorable. I always remember the one with the dog fetching the beers for everybody at a Superbowl party and it being the cutest thing. 

Anyways, this year, we got to meet the Bud Knight and, it was a great success in my book. The humor was definitely there and I found myself laughing with my friend while watching it. 

Part of making successful ads is connecting with the viewers through emotions. And with all of the serious and tense events going on in the world, using humor to get the viewers’ attention was really worthwhile. I think Bud Light nailed it. 

#3 Avocados from Mexico

The funniest part of this ad, was how entertaining  it was! The thought of not having dip for your chips! It reminded me of a video from Ryan Higa’s YouTube channel called “First World Problems” where this happened:

It was hard to not pay attention to this commercial! The last part really got me where they calmed down after getting the avocados, but then the WiFi wasn’t in the oasis and chaos erupted again! Avocados from Mexico knew what they were doing with this commercial and it was successful and popular...and there were many memes from this too.

#2 Pepsi Co: Doritos Blaze vs Mountain Dew Ice

Pepsi was teasing this commercial before it even aired. Why? Because they knew how iconic this commercial could become. Doritos Blaze and Mountain Dew Ice went head-to-head with Peter Dinklage rapping for Doritios and Morgan Freeman with Mountain Dew! 

Two people that we aren’t likely to think about spitting bars, suddenly do a rap battle beyond epic proportions. That was the angle that Pepsi Co took when they created this ad. Dinklage, most known for his role as Tyrion Lannister in  Game of Thrones, wasn’t someone many thought of as a rapper. Morgan Freeman, with his notable voice and  acting roles, was also a surprise. I think many fans appreciated seeing these two great actors doing something  different than what we are used to seeing them do.  Hence, social media, particularly Twitter, were big fans of this commercial, including me.

And last but not least...

#1  Amazon: Alexa Loses Her Voice

Honestly, this ad was pure genius. All these celebs that the Internet loves to death in a commercial of them being their most comedic?! Amazing! Celebs like Gordon Ramsey, Cardi B, and Rebel Wilson all took part in replacing Amazon’s Alexa when she lost her voice. 

I think this ad was so successful because of the stars and of course, the jokes themselves. If I were to make an equation as to why this commercial did so well, this is what it would be:

a well-known product + stars we love + hilarious jokes = unadulterated success! 

This ad also turned out to be the favorite across the board from other Superbowl commercial reviews I’ve seen. I don’t know how many times I can use pure genius in a post but honestly, what more is there to say?

And there we have it! 

There were so many that I would have loved to put into this list that I couldn’t fit! What were your favorite Superbowl 2018 commercials? Reblog and comment with your favorite commercials!