Module 4 We're talking a lot about advertising and social media this week. Let's apply this directly to one of the successful ad campaigns mentioned in this module's lecture: ALS #IceBucketChallenge A

 The Uses and Effects of Social Media

Advertising and violence are two major areas of research which are often near the center of controversy surrounding the effects of social media on behavior and social trends.

Social media communication in its various formats exists due to consumer consumption. It is like the old saying, "If a tree falls in the woods, does it make a noise?" The same is true for the social media: if no one reads, listens, or watches, could it be considered social media? As we have experienced, the competitive market of instant access has evolved into commercial websites that seem to target consumers. Even noncommercial markets, such as not-for-profit websites, still have to provide valued services to their stakeholders on social media - one of the reasons we're working on the final project we are!

Violence perpetrated on social media can be a controversial issue. For instance, on the news, we have seen and read about the effects of violence on children and adolescents by predators on popular dating sites. Social media is also a major way that municipalities and services like the police force and fire department can reach out to their constituents with warnings and information - something that people with malignant intent are also aware of.

On the other hand, there are interactive social sites that can be positive learning influences, for instance, About.com and TedTalk websites. Youtube and blogs are popular learning sites as well.

Marketing for Success

In 1995 Amazon.com began peddling books and videos and became successful because they were able to advertise products and services through social media marketing, and their marketing wasg successful because it resonated with the consumers' wants and needs. The same basic principle of advertising that was true then is still true today; however, the complexity of advertising has changed significantly, especially with today's technology. The challenge, of course, is in knowing what the consumer wants and then marketing to those needs.

If marketing is the activity or process of bringing products and services to the consumer, then Amazon's advertising method via social media to persuade the consumer to purchase goods or services is a glowing success. Of course, one aspect of advertising success depends on the company's methods in aligning their product or service with the consumer's values or attitudes, and using social media's coercive power to persuade the consumer.

Other companies are also using social media successfully. Where else have we seen incredible success that can be attributed to social media? Here is a small list of recent examples:

• ALS #IceBucketChallenge

• Always #LikeAGirl

• Coca-Cola #ShareaCoke

• IKEA bookbook video

• McDonald's Super Bowl 2015

• Taco Bell #OnlyInTheApp

• Virgin America Boo videos

You can search for any of those you missed - they are really cool campaigns!

Even politics is rapidly changing to keep up with social media. Barack Obama used social media marketing successfully in his 2008 campaign for presidency. His campaign is studied as one of the first successful political campaigns with strong use of social media. He also had a diverse social media portfolio - podcasting, Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube were all aspects of the campaign.

How Social Media is Normalizing Violence

Today, at the touch of a button, we can look up the latest statistics, search for the best programs, and send vital information to educate the general public. We can analyze and study family violence prevention programs already in place at various law enforcement agencies to find the best way to implement such a program in our community. We can post the results of those prevention efforts to the Internet, making it easy to find what is working and what is not. With all this information available, there is no need to reinvent the wheel; we can share and learn from each other.

However, we need to keep in mind that aggressors and perpetrators of violence have knowledge of the same technology, and that raises many concerns and red flags. Freedom of speech means that anyone in the United States is allowed to post anything. You can find hate sites, sites detailing how to create different kinds of incendiary devices, pornographic sites, and sites that allow you to download music with extremely violent lyrics, violent video games, and virtual violence that depicts real-life pictures of accident scenes, mutilation, and torture.

In addition, and in spite of stricter and tighter controls over personal information, it is possible to locate personal information on anybody. This puts victims at further risk because it becomes increasingly difficult to hide from stalkers or batterers. It makes us more vulnerable to identity theft as well.

Evolution of Trends

The evolutions of trends are enhanced by the speed and accessibility of social media. By studying social media trends, you can understand how their self-images are impacted by social pressures. Social media can have both benefits and consequences that students should aware of. For example, there is a trend to publish academic resources online which has educational benefit.

We also see trends evolving in things like device usage. Mobile devices are becoming more and more popular, and have even become the primary device for some people. Social media and advertisers have adapted for all kinds of cell phone usage from "checking in" places, reviewing a vendor, even using coupons from your phone.

Other examples of trends in social media are the insertion of ads and videos in blogs, customer loyalty cards that depend on smartphone usage, and all of the sharing buttons on blog posts, photos, and more. Can you think of other examples?

Additional Resources

Maslow's hierarchy and social media

Key Takeaways

This module continued looking at the social media that we can see in daily life, specifically focusing on two major issues: advertising and violence.

Advertisements play a major role in our purchasing habits as well as affecting attitudes, behaviors, and trends. It seems obvious that marketing is important to the success of a brand, but there are more factors involved. Things like stereotypes and following trends and purchasing habits are important to consider.

Violence is also a controversial issue, and one that needs a lot more research to unravel. The research thus far is contradicting itself. However, the balance between freedom of speech and postings with violence and aggression is something we'll likely see more about in the future.

There are many important things from this module, but three key points to take away from this week are:

• Online advertising contributes significantly to social trends and purchasing.

• Social media provides significant impact on a customer's path to purchase and strongly influences their buying decisions.

• There is growing evidence to understand the role that social media plays in youth violence, both directly and indirectly - but more is needed.

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