Advertising Communications and Channel Planning
Cherise Hoefler 151 Kelly Macleod
Media Diary 1.
Media Diary 2.
Media Diary 3.
Media Diary 4.
Media Diary 5.
Media Consumption Comparison
Today, women aged 25 and over remain heavily involved in multiple media channels. Gen-X, Gen-Y and millennial women are either working in or for an online domain, partake in more than five media channels socially and are browsing through media channels for over 20-23 hours a week. Through extensive research on my own personal media diary in comparison to the typical 25-year-old women today, strong similarities were evident. Research from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has seen a shift in media use from women aged 18-29.The shift has seen an attitude change towards technology and a keen interest in learning more about online media than ever before. The ACMA has gained recent facts and figures that women aged 18-29 years old are the most active online social networkers in comparison to men in that age bracket (ACMA, 2011). A recent article by Ad Week found that adult users of media across all age groups spend an average 42.1 minutes per day on Facebook. 18-29 year-old women dedicate 51 minutes of their time to Mark Zuckerberg’s platform, while Tumblr finished second overall in the survey, with 34.2 minutes; ahead of Instagram 21.2 minutes and Pinterest 20.8 minutes (Bennett, 2014). When comparing my results with the typical 25 year old, similarities were evident as I spend a solid 20 hours a week on social media, particularly Facebook and Instagram. To fall further down the rabbit hole in understanding and analysing the typical 25-year-old women to myself, further facts are figures are required. The Pew Research Centre states that, ‘people living in cities spend the most time on Social Media, at 70% of the population. And women, on average, spend 9% more time on social networking sites than men’ (Social, 2013). To analyse and compare my statistics with the typical 25-year-old women, facts and figures are required:
Media Consumption Comparison Kelly’s facts and figures:
Average amount of hours spent on social media: between 20-23 hours a week Media channels I am involved with: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Whatsapp, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube, online banking, Gmail, Hotmail, VSCOcam, WordPress.com, Pinterest and Tumblr Ethnicity: South African born, Australian raised. Age: 25 years of age Background: Brought up in a city, digitally active daily and brought up by parents who own their own businesses, educated at Bond University and studying journalism and Advertising. Media consumption is used socially and business wise as well as for my degree. Family members:1 sister, mom and dad Psychographic: Outgoing personality, OCD, enjoys leisure activities, hikes and beaches, engaged in new and upcoming trends, photography and art, magazines and coffee. Without fail, wake up and fall asleep to scanning through all social media and media channels on my mobile phone Preferred online media channel: YouTube and Instagram Preferred offline media channel: The Collective magazine and The Smith Journal
Media Consumption Comparison Typical 25-year-old women facts and figures:
Through a recent survey sent out to all women I know aged 25, the results can be found below: Average amount of hours spent on social media: Between 20-25 hours a week Social networking accounts: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr and Snapchat Background/ ethnicity: Australian, American, Canadian Daily routine on social media or other media channels: Use their mobile phone as they wake up and before going to bed. Between every 10-15 minutes they will check each social networking site for notifications and procrastination Main purpose for using media channels: Staying in touch with friends, entertainment, business purposes and staying “in the know”. Most loved media channel: 50% Instagram, 20% Facebook and 20% YouTube and 10% Snapchat Common psychographic: Educated women, working and post study, working in communications, law or business. Regularly buy magazines, upload daily or every second day on social media, prefer using their mobile phone than laptop and often download new apps. Mobile phone: Smart phones ‘iPhone or Samsung” Newest trend on media channels found: Photo editing applications, budgeting apps, memes, vines and online magazines.
Through comparison of the typical 25-year-old woman to myself, the facts are similar and represent standard and typical media consumption.
References: Bennett, Shea. ‘This Is How Much Time We Spend On Social Networks Every Day’. Adweek.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 20 February. 2015 ‘Digital Australians: Generational Differences’. The ACMA (2011): 1. Web. 20 February. 2015. Social,. ‘Social Media in 2013: User Demographics For Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest And Instagram- The Buffer Blog’. N.p., 2013. Web. 20 April. 2015
Kelly Macleod
“Converse Conversation” A detailed Ethnography
‘Shoes are boring, wear sneakers’ Artsy, grunge, musical, athletic, fashion, iconic, basketball, Chucks and All-Stars are among the characteristic words chosen when referring to Converse today. By wearing Converse sneakers, consumers convey a message that he or she thinks outside the box, is creative and artistic. More specifically that he or she is connected to iconic musicians and athletes, even just by wearing the same brand of sneakers. This is the bow that ties together the ‘Converse Consumer’. To understand the brand ‘Converse’, an ethnography is to be completed and analysed. An ethnography is a qualitative research technique where researchers seek to observe and interact with people in their natural environment. Today, ethnographies are an established market research technique adopted by companies all over the world. Over the past few years, companies have come to recognise the commercial value of using ethnographies to identify unmet needs among their customers. Advertising and marketing experts around the world are discovering the power of becoming the ‘fly on the wall’ in consumer homes to better their selling techniques in consumer experience and consumer needs. Converse seems to have done just that. If you have a tiny taste for fashion and a sheer love for sneakers, chances are you’ve had at least one pair of Converse Chuck Taylors in your life. The main question is how did Converse become the fashion icon they are today and what media have they advertised with? The original Converse company was set up in Malden, Massachusetts in 1908 by Marquis Mills Converse.The company proved to be a success, however the real success of the brand was in 1917 with the transition to producing basketball sneakers from a simple rubber shoe. In 1921, the brand climbed the ladder of success and had basketball Hall of Fame alum, Chuck Taylor’s name and signature on the sneakers. As celebrities are major influences to the community, Converse made the leap from athletic wear to alt fashion in the 1950’s through celebrity endorsement of James Dean. Rebel without a cause, James Dean cemented their iconoclastic status when he appeared in several photographs wearing Converse kicks.
‘Shoes are boring, wear sneakers’ According to Robert Goldman and Stephen Papson, “Celebrities are usually sought because they have high potential sign value…In recent years advertising has appropriated nostalgia, hip-hop music, grunge, and feminist sensibilities” (Diaz, 2013). The Converse Connectivity campaign based most of its advertisements around celebrity musicians, which allowed consumers to quickly understand what the Converse brand and the campaign itself was all about. (Karavasili,2014). As Converse was typically known for basketball sneakers, today the brand is a legacy by counterculture icons that wore them in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Across the globe, Converse’s broad cultural, ethnographic and demographic following reinforce the equity of this rich lifestyle brand. 98 years after officially opening, the brand has morphed to meet the needs of the “Every day Joe,” the professional athlete, and even the American Soldier. Converse shoes have adorned the feet of the young and old and served as a fashion statement for the very chic and uber-geek. The brand has survived a depression, world war and an increasingly competitive market. Today, the shoe is a trademark for punk rockers, surfers, skaters and actors, creators and innovators. From a brand identity perspective, the real gem of the Converse website is the Converse gallery; a collection of 24-second independent film shorts inspired by the Converse brand. A truly viral site, the Converse gallery welcomes film submissions from all individuals and has received contributions from a range of professional and amateur filmmakers around the globe. Converse Gallery films are positive, entertaining, fun and accurately reflect the broad demographic and ethnographic reach of the brand.
‘Shoes are boring, wear sneakers’ When researching Converse and their social networking sites, there were no surprises when viewing their large following: - - -
Instagram followers: 1.5 million Facebook likes: 37,540,471 million Twitter followers: 861K
Through careful investigation of the brand and its typical consumer, Converse does not seem to have a huge advertising budget. Through the brands large social media following fan base, they do not seem to need a large budget. Consumers clearly love the brand and have been loyal customers for decades. To better understand the marketing and advertising behind the brand, the voices of the experts who sell the brand and the consumer’s thoughts; further investigation is needed. Geoff Cottrill, Chief Marketing Officer of Converse stated, “Our philosophy in social media has been to bring our voice to the medium, which includes acting like a good party guest. We bring something to the table and we listen more than we talk. It also means not bringing campaigns from other channels verbatim to a platform that’s about conversation” (Diaz, 2014). Consumers of the brand portray a strong loyalty and immerse themselves on all media channels related the brand. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter followers are proof that consumers want to know more about the brand and products and have a strong emotional connection. This is seen through their uploads on Instagram, being creative with sneakers and videos. The Converse consumer believes in the “Converse Conversation”.
‘Shoes are boring, wear sneakers’
In conclusion, the brand will continue to grow amongst consumers efforts in advertising the brand on social media, allowing consumers to be as artistic and creative as they want, as athletic as they choose to be as well as their freedom of experience. Through the brands experiential marketing, participatory media channels and emotional marketing through content marketing, Converse will continue to be the iconic shoe brand. Consumers express themselves online with the sneaker in a positive way. The above findings are helpful and as accurate as can be through their online platforms and follower amounts.
Quirky facts about Converse the brand: - - - - - - - -
Converse has sold more than 800 million pairs of sneakers Marquis Mills had the idea to create winterized rubber soled shoes for children, men and women after he slipped down a flight of stairs in Malden in 1908 There are several types of Converse All Star sneakers During World War 2, Converse manufactured boots for the Air force Chuck Taylors were the shoe of choice for Dennis the Menace The Converse All Star shoe was originally designed for Soccer and Netball The Rolling Stones made the Chuck Taylor the official sneaker of the Steel Wheels Tour in 1989. No patents, no royalties, but Chuck Taylor did leave his mark on the shoe that bears his name. In fact, the anklpatch that actually bears his name was his idea.
References: Diaz, Ann-Christine. ‘Meet The Experientialists: Geoff Cottrill, Converse’s Secret Social Weapon’. Adage.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. Karavasili, Natalia. ‘Celebrity Endorsements On Twitter’. Advertising & Society 2014. N.p., 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
Effective Ways of Advertising to me:
Life Insurance and Fit Bit
3 Mediums
Life Insurance JLT Insurance is a global insurance company that offers life insurance as well as all sports insurance. JLT Sport is the leading provider of national and state based insurance and has over 30 years experience in the field. When researching the target market of 25-year-old women, preferred medium channels were investigated. Through observing my personal media diary; Social Media, YouTube and print mediums were preferred to other mediums. As women today are heavily involved in media and the industry is only growing, 25-year-old women are able to choose how they view their own media and what media they prefer over others. A sense of control and feminism is in full force today. As we currently live in a digital world and Millennials are the predominant ‘game-changers’, advertising methods, strategies and word choices need to adjust to target the chosen audience. In today’s society, particularly women aged 20-25 are focused on their careers, fitness and health and gaining control over their life. According to career expert, Heather Huhman, “Millennial women are a new breed, when it comes to their careers and workplace. Majority of women aged 20-25 are known for being highly ambitious, educated, optimistic, dedicated and are attempting to thrive in a well-rounded lifestyle. These reasons alone make female Millennials powerful players (Huhman, 2013).
Life Insurance Medium 1- Partnership with Miss Australia 2015 - -
Promote Life insurance on Radio Metro 105.7 and YouTube adverts with a 30 second clip advertising the show and life insurance. “Health is your wealth� advertisement Sponsors of the competition- all contestants to promote JLT life insurance during interviews as the winner will receive life insurance for a year
Medium 2- Student bank accounts offering life insurance with JLT Insurance - - -
Advertise life insurance with a chosen bank (ANZ/ The Commonwealth bank) An EDM will be sent out to 20-25-year-old students offering life insurance with a quirky, simple and effective email. Bank Online app advertising too
Medium 3- Event Cinemas and Reading Cinemas- advert amongst trailers. - -
During the month of January for the Australian Open, Sam Stosur to showcase life insurance with JLT during a 30 second advert Advert will appear as a radio advert on Radio metro for the month of January
Life Insurance As I fit into the Millennial- Gen-Y category, 3 mediums are chosen to best advertise to me on life insurance. The reason I have chosen Miss Australia is for the simple reason I am interested in beauty, my mother used to assist the beauty department in Miss South Africa as a beauty therapist and it is something I enjoy watching. As the show presents girls aiming to be crowned Miss Australia, publicity is surrounded on all mediums for the duration of the show, predominantly on television and YouTube. The promotion of health, taking care of yourself and investing in yourself as a women coincides life insurance and grabs the attention of women in that particular age bracket. Women in my age category are constantly searching for the next best beauty trick, the latest diet and a long-term solid package in protecting themselves if the worst is to happen.
Life Insurance The reason I chose student bank accounts as my second choice of medium, is purely for the fact that women my age are career driven and are employed. We are constantly checking our bank accounts and often purchase items online. To advertise to the 25-year-old women through electronic direct marketing is a smart way of gaining attention as most women enjoy interactive mail, print or online forms. Through connecting with ANZ or The Commonwealth bank, as the two most popular banking choices amongst women aged 20-25, the target market is reached.
Life Insurance My third choice of advertisement for life insurance is through television, however at a larger scale - cinemas. As most women my age enjoy attending the cinema with friends or partners as it is a break away from all the stresses at work or university, an ad that cannot be paused, stopped or turned down will gain publicity and some information will be stored. A celebrity endorsement through a strong women, such as Sam Stosur and a local talent to Australians will grab the attention than if it was an unknown talent. Advertising life insurance while the Australian Open is on would be a good idea in insuring publicity and gaining profit for JLT. Another form of advertising is through a popular radio station, Radio Metro 105.7. As majority of 18-25 year-olds are listening to Radio Metro, a 30 second ad of Sam Stosur advertising life insurance will be heard as the target audience remain on the channel for the next song.
Fitbit Health and fitness has become a main goal and focus for women aged 18-25. The reason for this is society has placed heavy publicity on the latest fitness regimes, boot camps, diets and yoga styles. Not to mention all the health cafes that have recently opened targeting the health concerned society of today. Women are slightly obsessed with looking their best and feeling good about themselves- why shouldn’t we? A recent study from the Pew Research Centre projected that woman aged 18-29 resulted in 42 percent in using their phone to look up health or medical information (Pai, 2013). As women are constantly using their phones and downloading fitness and health applications, the Fitbit has been a huge success for women today. As many women prefer being personal about their weight, the Fitbit is an asset.
Fitbit Medium 1- Partnership with Kayla Itsines - -
Every new participant who purchases Kayla’s e-book and completes the 12 week body challenge will receive 15% off a Fitbit Advertising through EDM’s, Facebook wall posts as well as Instagram imagery to target her 2.6 Million followers
Medium 2- The Collective Magazine- print and online - -
Print imagery full page of the Fitbit with social media imagery advertising the Fitbit “#FitGirl15” code that can be entered on a competition base for the week/month on Instagram by showing an image of girls and fitness
Medium 3- Partnership with the Gold Coast Marathon - -
Radio ad on Radio Metro 105.7 EDM sent out to all participants with a competition of the first top 20 runners in each division will win a FitBit
Fitbit The reason I have suggested a partnership with Australia’s leading fitness guru, Kayla Itsines, is purely for publicity and reaching the masses. With an Instagram following of 2.6 million and dedicated “Kayla fans� the word will be surely reached of the promotion. As many girls aged 16-29 are following and participating in the 12-week body challenge, a Fitbit would be a nice link to entice the public to purchase the Fitbit.
Fitbit My second choice of medium is the popular trending magazine, The Collective. With an online and social presence of 54K and age bracket of 18-29 year-old women readers, outreach of promotion will result in good favour. As Instagram is a popular way of gaining attention, particularly with competitions, most girls enter them in the hopes of being a winner. By uploading an image of health and fitness, as most girls do today in my age bracket, a competition should be successful with a code. #FitGirl15.
Fitbit My third choice of advertising medium is a partnership with The Gold Coast Marathon. Fitness, health and fair competition all relate to the marathon and can be advertised on popular channels. Radio Metro, popular station amongst 18-29 year-olds is a good way of gaining publicity and reaching the targeted audience. EDM’s sent out to participants and informing them of the top 20 winners in each division is a healthy competition and can be sent out in an interactive way.
References:
Huhman, Heather. ‘Millennial Women: A Force To Be Reckoned With - Women Powering Business’. Women Powering Business. N.p., 2013. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. Pai, Aditi. ‘Flurry: Millennials Use Health And Fitness Apps More Than Other Age Groups | Mobihealthnews’. Mobihealthnews.com. N.p., 2013. Web. 18 Apr. 2015.