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Marketing Implications

Instagram

Instagram was purchased by Facebook in 2012 for the whopping price of $1 billion (Rusli, 2012). This was a very smart purchase on the part of Facebook, because the photo and video social media platform has now amassed over 116 million users in the United States alone, as of 2020 (Chen, 2020). While people use the application to keep up with their friends, celebrities, and other public figures, Instagram has also mastered the craft of adding in a great deal of advertisements in a very clever and unassuming way. The ads that are presented on Instagram have been expertly tailored to match the interest of each user based on accounts they follow, how they interact, and what they are interested in.

Personal Connection to Advertisements

I have found that Instagram does a fantastic job at tailoring advertisement to my specific interests and hobbies. For example, I love to workout at different fitness studios in Las Vegas. Below is an example of a sponsored post that appeared in between my friend’s posts on my feed.

Instagram took my geo location, my interest in fitness and showed this ad, which in all honesty I would be very likely to click on especially since they are offering a free class in this post. A great aspect to this advertisement is that there is a clear call to action, and an offer for something free. This would prompt me to click through because I am receiving something of value that interests me for no cost. One thing that I also noticed while researching for this blog was that Instagram shows you advertisement every three organic posts on your feed. That ratio is very high, and I am being advertised to a lot without realizing it.

Instagram stories has been a big game changer in terms of how I use the app as well. I find myself looking at people’s stories more than their feed. It feels more natural and authentic, as opposed to very curated feeds. This is also another location where I find myself being advertised to, however as with my feed, it is curated to my interests. On stories I am usually advertised fashion or home decor items. What stands out most to me are flashy videos, and I tend to swipe up or click through just to see the pricing. The only items I have ever purchased however from an Instagram ad were both gifts. One was a custom children’s book, and the other was a candle company that made specific candles for people’s birthdays. There is also a trend of if I Google something, that item or something similar will appear on my Instagram account.

Overall I am very impressed with the way that Instagram has used their platform to host advertisements. As I mentioned earlier, we are shown one ad for every three posts which is a high volume every day. The app has done a fantastic job of making the ads flow within your usage, so it does not take away from the experience, and usually the ads are something that are of interest to that specific user.

References

Chen, J. (2020, August 28). Important Instagram stats you need to know for 2020. Retrieved from https://sproutsocial.com/insights/instagram-stats/

Rusli, E. (2012, April 09). Facebook Buys Instagram for $1 Billion. Retrieved from https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/04/09/facebook-buys-instagram-for-1-billion/

The Future of Digital Advertising

Digital Advertising Over the Next Five Years

The world of digital marketing has seen many changes, especially since the introduction of mobile devices. According to pewresearch.org, “The vast majority of Americans – 96% – now own a cellphone of some kind.” This number is huge, and marketers need to capitalize on the fact that they can advertise to millions of people on the go. I believe that marketing will turn more towards “conversational advertising” in the next five years. People are becoming immune to traditional display ads, and marketers need to adapt. Google released the program AdLingo which appears as a banner advertisement, however there is one main difference, users are able to interact with the banner. Some of the ads allow users to chat with a virtual assistant directly on the advertisement for example. This is making the advertising process more personalized, which can lead to an increase in click through or purchase. “Research found that there was an 8% increase in click-through rate for personalized ads in 2019 compared to 2018” (bannerflow.com, 2020).

While the concept of influencer marketing is not new, I believe that we are just at the beginning of its growth and development. As I mentioned earlier, so many Americans own cell phones, and are on social media apps on their devices. We like to follow influential people, and if we see someone we admire using a product or service, we are likely to check it out. “Not only do 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations but 40% had purchased something after seeing it on Twitter, YouTube or Instagram” (digitalmarketinginstitute.com, 2019). Influencer marketing is a wise investment for companies as well due to the fact that they do not need to create marketing material for promotion. They are able to partner with the right people, and they do the marketing for them in the way that fits their audience. People have trust in those that they follow, and I feel the influencer marketing trend will likely continue to grow over the next five years.

The final development that I believe will occur in the next five years will be an increase in video advertisements. Platforms such as YouTube are notorious for their video ads, as people are there to consumer videos, marketers know this format will appeal to them. Users respond well to video as it can be more captivating than traditional banner advertisements. “Amazon and eBay, report that adding a video ad to a product description increases the chances of a shopper buying that item by up to 35%” (Fahad Muhammad, 2020). People are also 27.4 times more likely to click on a video advertisement compared to a standard banner. The key in marketing today and in the future is about fighting the noise and sea of ads. Companies need to figure out how to stand out, and what people respond to best, and video is definitely a strong contender.

Overall when it comes to the next five years, the main theme that I discovered was about standing out, and finding out how your target audience behaves. You need to learn where they are spending their time online, what devices, how they prefer to consume ads, and what people respond to. This will always be changing and evolving, and it is up to marketers to stay up to date on these trends.

References:

20 Influencer Marketing Statistics that Will Surprise You. (2019, November 15). Retrieved from https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/20-influencer-marketing-statistics-that-will-surprise-you

Display Advertising Trends 2020. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bannerflow.com/blog/display-advertising-trends-2020/

Levine, B. (2018, October 17). Google ushers in the Age of Conversational Ads with the launch of AdLingo. Retrieved from https://martechtoday.com/google-ushers-in-the-age-of-conversational-ads-with-the-launch-of-adlingo-226742

Mobile Fact Sheet. (2019, June 21). Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/

Muhammad, F. (2020, April 1). 3 Reasons Why Video Ads Are the Future of Advertising & the Ad Types Available. Retrieved from https://instapage.com/blog/video-future-of-advertising

United Airlines Ethical Issues

In April of 2017, airline giant United Airlines faced a huge PR nightmare and ethical dilemma when a man was forcibly removed from his seat due to the airline overbooking the flight departing from Charlotte O’Hare airport in Chicago. The gentleman was removed from his seat and dragged down the aisle of the airplane when he refused to de-board the plane. While legally speaking, overbooking a flight is legal as there are many no-shows, if there are no volunteers to switch flights, the airline is allowed to select passengers to remove based on a number of factors such as cost of their ticket, and when they check in. While the situation was entirely legal, United Airlines faced a large amount of backlash from customers due to footage of the incident going viral.

This incident caused United’s stock value to drop by $500 million immediately after, and customers were not happy either. Many customers dropped their loyalty program with United, they chose to fly with other airlines, even if it meant a price increase in ticket fare. They also chose to fly other airlines even if it meant having a longer travel time to their destination. According to the Chicago Tribune, “38 percent of consumers said they’d be willing to pay extra to fly American rather than United.” People also took to United’s social media pages to express their concern and outrage over the incident.

While the issue impacted United’s image and financial health temporarily, it did not impact the brand long term. When it comes to airlines and travel, people are limited to a few options, and only one month later, people were resuming their travel with United. I believe if it were a brand that was not as much of a necessity this would have been a greater issue, but people are not left with many options.

If I were an executive at United Airlines, I would have handled this situation entirely different, and avoided this incident from happening in the first place. I believe that airlines should never overbook flights, even if it means losing out on some money from having a couple empty seats. I would also have a standby system in place, so empty seats can be filled last minute if needed. I would never have police intervene, unless it was a dangerous situation. While United offered $800 credit to anyone willing to change their flight, they should have done this before anyone was boarded to the plane. If there was no one interested, I would raise the offer price of the travel credit to encourage more volunteers. Finally, I would issue a public apology to Mr. Dao and offer him and his family free flights with United for one year as a sign of good faith.

References:

Zdanowicz, C., & Grinberg, E. (2018, April 10). Passenger dragged off overbooked United flight. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/10/travel/passenger-removed-united-flight-trnd/index.html

Zumbach, L. (2018, April 09). A year after a passenger was dragged off a United flight, everyday indignities remain. Retrieved from https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-united-passenger-dragging-anniversary-20180405-story.html

The Importance of Brand Positioning – Starbucks

“To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”

Starbucks was founded in 1971 with the focus on having the best quality beans, and best coffee for it’s customers. It wasn’t until the 1980’s when Howard Shultz joined the company that the company’s brand shifted into what we now know Starbucks to be. Shultz vacationed in Italy, and noticed the way baristas welcomed customers, the atmosphere in the coffee shops, and how much of a pleasant experience it was overall. He wanted to bring this feeling to Starbucks, which brings me back to their mission statement noted above, “To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”

When you go to a Starbucks location you are greeted by baristas, they take down your name, and drinks are customized exactly to your preference. They are serving you a sense of belonging one cup of coffee at a time. Another aspect to the brand that stands out and reflects this is in the way they treat their employees. They offer scholarships, stock in the company, and many other perks to employees. They have earned loyalty in customers through their very popular app where people can earn stars which in turn gets them free beverages. They have an emphasis on customer service, excellent drinks, and you should expect to receive exactly what you want regardless of which store you go to. The key is consistency. Whether you go to Starbucks in Utah or Massachusetts, you will be treated with kindness, and served a delicious beverage.

Another iconic aspect to the Starbucks brand is their logo. The name Starbucks was inspired by the book Moby Dick, and the logo is meant to be a mermaid or a siren. The home of Starbucks, Seattle is a seaside city, and their coffee traveled great distances to get to its stores. Over time the logo has changed, the siren has evolved, and now their logo does not even feature the Starbucks name. I believe this was an intentional move as the brand is internationally known. People simply can recognize the green siren regardless of what country you are in.

I believe that when it comes to creating a brand name there are some things that need to be considered. In the example of Starbucks, the company chose it because it meant something special to the brand. It resonated with their history, culture, city origin, and meant something to them. I also think that when choosing a name it should be short, easy to pronounce, and easy to spell as well. You want the name to stand out in consumer’s mind and be easy to recall. Another successful company in terms of brand name would be Starbucks’ competitor, Dunkin’ Donuts. I personally respond very well to brand names that are alliterations. Overall, I believe that customers are looking to feel a certain way, and your service, product, name, and logo need to capitalize on this.

References:

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2016/who-is-starbucks-siren/

Mission Statement. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.starbucks.com/about-us/company-information/mission-statement

The Secret to Starbucks’ Brand Success. (2018, August 11). Retrieved from https://martinroll.com/resources/articles/strategy/secret-starbucks-brand-success/

Marketing: Ethical Practices and Concerns

Ethics in Marketing

When you are starting out in the marketing field, and specifically going to be working on integrated marketing plans, there is one consideration you must take into place, ethics. According to the American Marketing Association, “As marketers, we recognize that we not only serve our organizations but also act as stewards of society in creating, facilitating and executing the transactions that are part of the greater economy” (AMA.org, 2020). This implies that as a marketer, it is your responsibility to promote and advertise products in a way that is never harmful, misleading, or untruthful to consumers.

When working on an integrated marketing campaign, it is important to always keep the guidelines set by the AMA in mind. For example, you need to always foster trust by dealing fairly with customers, and always being honest, straightforward, transparent in our communication. This means that pricing must be accurate, advertisements must be truthful, communication needs to be transparent and upfront when dealing with consumers. You need to always have in mind that the goal is to foster trust with consumers, because this breeds loyalty. It is also imperative that you always meet the customer’s expectations that have been set from the campaign. Last but not least when setting ethical standards, you need to keep in mind to never negatively depict certain demographics.

Consequences

If these ethical practices are not put into place when working on an integrated marketing campaign, there are many things that occur. To start with, if customers are not satisfied and feel they were hoodwinked by your campaign, you could lose them as a customer forever. In the day and age of social media, one bad review on Twitter or Facebook can go viral, and really paint the company in a bad light. People are more prone to air their grievances with products or services online, so it is crucial that you are never making false claims, and you are transparent in your marketing to avoid this. The company could also lose money spent on the advertisement/campaign if it needs to be pulled due to it being seemed unethical. On a more serious note, if you make a false claim in an advertisement you could even be investigated by the Federal Trade Committee.

At the end of the day, consumers want to feel they can trust the company they are giving their money to. It is the marketers job to ensure that people are buying items that the truly do want/need, and that the claims of the product and service will match expectations. We live in a world where consumers have become more smart, and online reviews/ratings dictate whether someone will purchase or not, so our marketing needs to match this.

References:

Codes of Conduct: AMA Statement of Ethics. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ama.org/codes-of-conduct/

Marketing Campaigns and SMART Goals

The difference between strategies, tactics, and goals

Tactics are the things that we do everyday, such as posting to Instagram, responding to emails, updating Facebook statuses, sending out email campaigns and more. Strategy is the vision that your day to day actions are working to achieve. It is the plan that is set up to make sure that actions are contributing to a company’s goals. Goals are measurable milestones or achievements with time sensitivity that you are looking to complete. The strategies and tactics are all working together to achieve a goal.

The importance of SMART goals

While it can be easy to come up with a goal, there is a big difference and importance to making sure you are setting SMART goals when creating a marketing campaign.

SMART goals are:

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Relevant

Time-Based

By setting this criteria for creating a goal, you are ensuring that the goal will benefit your company and is something that you can actually achieve and reasonably work towards. There are some questions to consider when developing goals. Is the goal possible to achieve? Is the goal specific and measurable so you know when it has been accomplished? Is there a time limit or span you can set?

How marketing tactics align to strategies

Once you have your SMART goal defined, you can now come up with your strategies that you want in order to meet this goal(s). Tactics will then be set in order to take action on your strategy. For example, let’s say you are a clothing company who wants to increase sales revenue by 10% this quarter. A strategy that could be in place might be to increase returning customers to repurchase clothing. Examples of tactics for this strategy could be: Send email offers one month after initial purchase for 15% off next purchase. Another tactic might be to run targeted ads to previous customers with related/similar items to those purchased.

Key Performance Indicators

KPI’s or Key Performance Indicators help to ensure that your marketing channels are working towards fulfilling your goals. They indicate whether or not a marketing campaign is successful or not, and are important to keep track of. Some examples of KPI’s are: Facebook likes or shares, Instagram followers, email list subscribers and open rates, Youtube subscribers, and website visitors.

References:

SMART Goals: – How to Make Your Goals Achievable. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/smart-goals.htm

The Difference Between Marketing Strategy vs Tactics . (2019, July 15). Retrieved from http://charliesaidthat.com/digital/digital/difference-between-marketing-strategy-vs-tactics-an-example/

Marketing Perspective & Influencers

The traditional world of B2B (business to business) has begun to see a shift to B2P (business to people) with the growing popularity of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to name a few. “Social media cuts across channels and is all about engaging with individuals, holding conversations not relying on press releases and launches” (R. Damian, 2015). The power and influence that popular people such as Logan Paul, Kim Kardashian, or Kylie Jenner has established an entirely new and more successful way for companies to market to audiences. I am an Instagram fan, and while I do not follow many celebrities, upon writing this blog post, it opened my eyes to the influencers that attract my attention. I follow mainly people who have pages geared towards health and fitness related content.

The one thing that stands out most to me about this type of marketing is the personal touch that comes along with it. When you have your favorite celebrity promoting a product, you may be more likely to purchase it because you admire them and respect their opinion. People often strive to be like the people they follow, and this includes using the products that they use. One interesting aspect however that I have noticed is that if the product is not one that stands up to expectations, there can be a very negative backlash on the influencer that was promoting it. There also needs to be a transparency when it comes to advertisements so that people are aware that the person is being paid to say great things about a product or service. B2P marketing however has done an excellent job of making well known people the face of their company for a fraction of the price of traditional marketing, and reaching mass numbers of people.

The strategies that are employed with influencer marketing are very smart for both the companies and the influencers. Companies traditional may need to pay to create an advertisement, shoot a commercial, pay to have the commercial aired only to reach a few million people. They now can pay a smaller price (although still large depending on the influencer), they basically create the ad, do the promotion, and can potentially reach an even greater number of people. For example, Logan Paul was paid a whopping $200,000 by Dunkin’ Donuts for a simple off the cuff advertisement for them.

While this may seem like a large price to pay, according to a 60 Minutes interview, the ad by Paul reached around 7 million people which is the same volume as a traditional prime time television spot (CBSnews.com, 2016).

While some people may feel that this is an overpriced concept, there is no doubt that these influencers are playing an integral part in this new age of marketing. They need to be wise about choosing companies to partner with, and they have to know their value. They are taking the place of a commercial, or print ad that we normally would see. They have the responsibility to be smart about who their audience is, and promote products that fit into that demographic. Influencers need to also worry about creating exciting content that centers around a product to ensure they create buzz around it and generate sales for companies. As I mentioned earlier, I love to follow food accounts on Instagram, and many of the pages I follow will do sponsored posts. One thing I have noticed is that they always align themselves with brands that are relevant to them. For example, I love @TheDefinedDish on Instagram.

Alex posts healthy foods that are mostly Whole30 inspired. She frequently will partner with food companies that sell products related to her niche, and she creates amazing recipes using them, which feels like an organic advertisement to me. If she is promoting a product as well, the company knows that her audience would have an interest because they follow her. Influencers are playing the part of a salesperson, testimonial, and sometimes customer service for marketing, and it needs to feel authentic to the audience or they will not purchase. The influencers’ reputation and trust with their followers could be at risk.

By using influencers in marketing, companies are not only able to sell products, they can use this relationship to gain perspective into their audience as well. They are able to see which products, sell better with certain influencers, because everyone has a different audience. They also can use this relationship to create new products that may be desired that they weren’t aware of. Sponsored posts are a public forum where brands can see how customers are reacting, see feedback, and create relationships with consumers. Basically, the influencer is bridging the gap between the customer and the company.

References

Logan Paul Dunkin’ Donuts Ad Image. (n.d.). https://www.tubefilter.com/2015/11/13/dunkin-donuts-logan-paul/

Ryan, Damian. Understanding Social Media : How to Create a Plan for Your Business That Works, Kogan Page, Limited, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/snhu-ebooks/detail.action?docID=2006876.
Created from snhu-ebooks on 2020-06-14 10:23:08.

Whitaker, B. (2016, October 23). The Influencers. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-kim-kardashian-logan-paul-social-media-influencers/

http://www.instagram.com/thedefineddish

Stock Featured Image Credit to Tofros.com

Effectively Impacting the Consumer Through Digital Media

THE TALE OF TIGER’S BIG ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHTS AIRPORT’S COMMITMENT TO CUSTOMER SERVICE

The example that I chose to dive deeper into for this week’s blog post was Tale of the Tiger: Customer Service. This story revolves around The Tampa International Airport, a young boy who lost his stuffed tiger there, and the heart warming story of the Operations Manager who reunited the two. I lived in Tampa for 4 years, so I was very excited to see that one of the options we could choose from was centered around this airport. It is actually one of my top five airports that I have traveled in and out of, and this story only reaffirms these feelings for me.

While you may not think of an airport as a traditional business, travelers do have a choice in deciding where they want to fly in and out of. Tampa International Airport is aware of this, so they choose to go above and beyond in making sure their customers experience with them is out of this world. So many people may lose an item while traveling, and they are told to simply call a phone number and you may be lucky enough to get the item back, but not in the case of this story. One employee at the airport went above and beyond once they received a call about a lost stuffed animal tiger. He took the tiger around the airport to different areas, snapped adorable photos, and created a photo book for the boy to collect along with his stuffed animal when they arrived back in Tampa. You may think that the responsibility of airport employees is to simply get you to and from cities safely, but this created an experience, and one that went viral.

The airport posted this story on their Facebook and Twitter pages with photos of the tiger, and the story gained traction. This then turned into a prime opportunity for the Tampa International Airport to use their social media to link with customer experience. The story reached over 3,000,000 people, and it allowed other customers who had a positive experience with the airport to begin sharing their stories as well. It made the airport feel more personal, and almost gave it a personality, which people connected to. They did a fantastic job of handling their digital media followers by replying to comments on the Facebook post, but when it came to mainstream media, they chose to let staff and the family tell the story.

I feel that this experience was handled perfectly, and there is nothing I would change about it. It made an industry that is so hectic and impersonal, hyper personal which rarely happens. People become loyal to companies that truly care about the people they are serving, and I know people will always think of the Tampa International Airport after hearing this story. It truly takes one employee to make a difference, and seeing good news like this so widespread and gaining national attention is great for our morale as a society.

Tampa International Airport’s Online Presence

When you take a peek into Tampa International Airport’s website, it takes you to a one stop shop for information. Everything is laid out perfectly so if you are a new traveller with any questions, you can navigate the site easily and feel confident in finding an answer to your problem or question. They also have a mobile app which also serves to be a one stop shop for questions, flight information, and general guidance for traveling in their airport. Where they really excel is in their use of Social Media to connect with people. Upon going to their Instagram page, I was surprised to see funny and relatable content on there. I would not usually think of an airport to be one to post funny memes, but I found myself giggling at several of them. They also use their social media to keep travelers informed, answer customer service questions, and tell stories of families being connected or reunited. They really are setting themselves apart from just being a cookie cutter airport, and putting an emphasis on the customer relationship and connection.

References:

https://shortyawards.com/8th/boy-leaves-stuffed-tiger-at-tpa-returns-to-a-tale-of-tigers-big-adventure-see-more-at-httpww

https://www.tampaairport.com

http://www.instagram.com/flyTPA

http://www.twitter.com/flyTPA

Branding: A Day in the Life

In today’s blog post, I am taking you on a day in the life of my internet and app use on my phone. As I work on my computer mainly all day, it was interested to reflect on what applications I am frequenting most, and how much time I am on the internet.

What am I looking at most?

I wanted to narrow it down, and take a look at the top five applications and websites that I use the most. When it comes to work, WordPress is the top contender. WordPress allows you to host your website, post blog posts (such as this one you are currently reading), and share information to visitors to your URL. In terms of social media applications, I spend most of my time on Instagram and Facebook. Instagram allows you to view images, videos, and stories from people that you follow. Facebook I use more for work purposes, and catching up with family, but it is still a very social platform. You will not find my posting on Facebook nearly as often as Instagram though.

Finally, the website I frequent the most in my free time is YouTube. I find that I will watch YouTube more often than I would traditional television. I love the aspect that most content is from normal people like me and you, not actors. People can share videos that interest them, and you find people that you resonate with, or find entertaining.

Positives & Negatives to Social Media

I find that the positive and negative reactions to certain platforms all come down to who you are following and interacting with. That is what I find is the beauty in social media, it is meant to be a social interaction between people you are friends with or find interesting. On Facebook, I tend to see a lot of political agendas from certain people, but the platform allows you to “mute” or “unfollow” that person. This allows you to still be friends, but you aren’t seeing their content if it bothers you. I have positive reactions, because I am able to connect with people from all over the world, even though I live far away from them. You can easily share photos, funny images, and stories with friends who you may not see in person often.

Your Needs & Social Media

I find that my needs are met very differently across various platforms. I could not rely solely on one application to fulfill everything I am looking for. For instance, I love YouTube because it is a more long form type of media. Videos can range from 5 minutes to 5 hours, and the options are endless depending on your needs. I enjoy the visual aspect, and quickness of Instagram. You can visually scroll through your feed to find someone that you like, but it does not require much attention. Finally, I enjoy using Facebook for it’s sense of community and sharing. People can share articles, updates on their lives, and I feel it is more geared towards your immediate community or family.

Email Campaigns & Marketing

I receive emails from so many companies, and it is very rare that I would open them. I tend to find email blasts from companies to be spammy, and unrelated to anything I am interested in. The key factor for me to open the email would be for the email subject to be very catchy, and it needs to be from a company that I am familiar with, and have something of interest to offer me. For example, if I order clothing from Madewell and they send me an email about new clothing arrivals I may open it. If they were to send me an email about a 30% off sale, I am almost guaranteed to open the email. If I am an existing customer, and the company is offering a sale I am going to open the newsletter more often than not.

Digital Media Marketing

I believe that the future of marketing is and has been recently based in the digital world. According to pewresearch.org, 81% of Americans have a smartphone. This means that they are potentially on social media platforms, browsing the internet, and more all in the palm of their hand. This allows marketers the opportunity to advertise to someone in various locations. For example, someone scrolling through Facebook may be advertised a clothing company that they were looking at earlier online. There has also been an interesting shift to “Influencer” marketing as I would call it. People with large followings online are now being paid by companies to produce digital content that promotes their product. People trust those that they follow, and may be more likely to purchase something they recommend. All in all, marketers are at an advantage to merely advertising on television, newspapers, or magazines, they now have the whole world to advertise to on their individual devices.

References:

Demographics of Mobile Device Ownership and Adoption in the United States. (2018). Retrieved May 10, 2020, from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/

Green for Profit or Green for the Environment?

Lush Cosmetics

I was excited for this module in our class, because I am able to discuss one of my favorite brands in the world, Lush Cosmetics. Lush is a company that sells, bath and beauty products, all of which are cruelty free and the majority of them are also vegan. They pride themselves on having sustainable business practices, as well as being charitable as well.

One aspect that has always stood out to me in regards to their sustainability has to do with their packaging. If you purchase five full size products in containers, and return said containers, Lush will give you a free large face mask. This encourages people to not throw away the plastic containers, and then the company is able to sanitize, and reuse them for future use. Lush has a program called “Charity Pot,” which is the sale of a specific body lotion. For each unit that is sold, they donate some of the proceeds to different causes. This program has been around since I can remember, and the different charities change, so they are able to help many different people or causes.

Lush also strives to treat its employees with care and respect, especially being in the retail field which is often not known for caring about sales people. Employees receive 50% off on all merchandise, they emphasize internal promotion, full time employees receive full health benefits, and they even pay staff members to participate in charity events.

From my research, I could not find any instances where Lush was involved in situations of conducting business in an immoral or ethically corrupt manner. This is refreshing to me, as the cosmetics world is full of players that seem to have little care for animals or the environment. This leads me to my last point. I believe that Lush is mostly green for the environment, however their business model and beliefs has also made them green for profit. As I mentioned in the beginning of my blog post, they have their recycling program for their plastic containers. While this idea is fantastic because it reduces the amount of plastic ending up in landfills, it is also financially smart as well. When people recycle the containers, it then cuts back on the cost of the company needing to purchase more as well, which I believe would cut back on cost as well. I also know that as a consumer, when I feel a company is doing good in the world, I will spend more money for a product to support a good cause, or if I feel it makes a positive impact in the world.

Resources:

https://www.lushusa.com/stories/article_why-work-at-lush.html