Response to Caitlyn...

In response to Caitlyns question, Do you think all businesses could benefit from this?

I believe that businesses do benefit from electronic mailing and advertising because it is cheaper and easier and much more conveinent for them. I also agree with you that people now a days are much less personal with eachother. Personally, I text people or talk with them online a lot and I find it much more conveinent to do that. I aslo think that people text eachother way more then they call on the phone but it is just a easier way for people to connect. I don't think that people will ever go back to being more personal, it will only get more technologically advanced with the years to come.

E-marketing and Direct Mail

Question: What are some of the benefits of direct mail compared to electronic means of marketing?

There are many advantages and disadvantages of both direct mail and electronic mail. With direct mail, companies spend a lot more money, such as Alicia Settle at Per Annum Inc. who spent $20,000 on signed letters. Also many people stopped responding to the mail after it was sent electronically. This could be because people were not checking there e-mail or it got deleted or stuck in the junk mail folder. Also it is very important in America now a days to be "going green" so when many companies choose not to send direct mail, they are following along with the trend which may make them more favored by some people. Many companies also have the option to choose whether or not you want direct mail or e-mail. When I get my electric and cable bills in the mail they also send another letter in the package which encourages me to enroll in e-mail and online bill pay programs. This is a smart chose for these companies because it is nice to be able to choose which kind of mail you will receive.

Do you think e-marketing techniques will replace traditional forms of marketing (direct mail, phone calls, newspaper ads/promotions)?

I believe that eventually almost all mail will be e-mailed or be delivered via some sort of electronics. No longer do people generally get phone calls marketing things because there are laws such as the "no call list" that many people have signed up for to avoid phone calls. Also many households do not even have landlines any more and use cell phones as there primary phone, making companies unable to reach them through the phone. I have noticed within the last couple years that many companies market through text messages. If you sign up for there magazines such as at a shopping store or voluntarily give them your number, they will text you with the different promotions and offers that are coming up in there store.

I also like the idea of using scanners, like an app on a cell phone so that if you see something you like in a magazine or anywhere you can scan it and find out where to get that item. I think this is a good idea to promote products because when people see them in magazines it is sometimes hard to find that item somewhere else.

Would you use a scanner to purchase products and find them if you saw them in a magazine? How much would you be willing to spend on a product such as this? Do you think it would be easier to use a scanner of some sort or to just use a search engine online?

How Companies use Environmentalism to their Advantage

Environmentalism is such an important aspect to everyone now a day's. Lately, it seems as though every company has "gone green" somehow. For instance, uncertainty in the middle east and natural disasters here in America, have driven gas prices up. This has affected many of the company's that make "gas-guzzling" SUV's. Many consumers are looking for cars with over 40 mpg and hybrids that are even more "green." I believe for a company to say that they are "going green" is just a way for them to attract more customers who feel better about themselves if they purchase something that is "supposedly" better for the environment. Many companies can advertise a product as great for the environment or that it does something special or safer than another product, but the truth is most consumers don't research whether what these companies are saying is true or not. Environmentalism is pretty simple for most companies to practice and achieve because they can simply cut down on certain things and be able to advertise even more about how they are helping the environment. We don't know the truth about what these companies are actually doing we only know what we see and hear through the media.

So are these companies actually "going green"? Have you ever bought a product that you believed was environmentally friendly to find out it wasn't much safer than any other product? Do you think companies are using environmentalism to there advantage as a free way of advertising?

Response to Michelle's Post

This is in response to Michelle Corf's post, Marketing, Advertising, and Propaganda. I believe Michelle made a good point by using the example of cell phones for a difference between marketing and advertising. I agree that a good way to define the difference between marketing and advertising is to distinguish a person's needs from there wants. In response to her question about propaganda and the war on terror, Should people be influenced by propaganda such as this even if they believe differently? I think that people will always be influeced by the propaganda and the war no matter which side they are on. I think that unless you are there fighting in the actual war, then you can't really have too many thoughts because so many of the images in the media are distorted and exagerated so that we will believe what they want us to believe. No matter whether you are for the war or against it, I think the media and propaganda will influence everyone. Since propaganda and media tie togther so well, are they the same? Does proganda have to be through the media?

The Differences Between Marketing, Advertising & Propaganda

Marketing, Advertising & Propaganda may seem very similar but if you look past the idea of a company just trying to get a product or service out to people, then you will see they are very different from one another.

Marketing is more about satisfying customers wants and needs and trying to improve products for customers. Marketing involves stimulating a demand, while advertising is more involved in convincing customers to buy a product or service. Marketing and advertising have more similarities with each other than propaganda. Propaganda is a form of communication aimed at influencing the attitude of a community at some cause or position.

I believe that the "war on terror" is a form of propaganda. Through the media they influenced people on what position to take. No matter which side of the war you are on, there will always be propaganda misleading people with distorted ideas and exagerations. Peoples views can be altered so quickly just by the influence of media and propaganda. I don't believe the "war on terror" is in anyway marketing because it is not satisfying everyones ideas and demands.

Is the war on terror a form of advertising? Do businesses use the war to there advantage? If so, how?