In response to Graham Kingma’s blot post, I fully agree that a company’s integrity and customer loyalty heavily rely on the transparency of their social media. However, I must add that transparency is also important in every aspect of marketing. In a society with increasing demand for product information, if important product aspects are ambiguous to consumers, then there will be a lessened opportunity for sales.

In 2004, independent filmmaker Morgan Spurlock took it upon himself to eat nothing but McDonalds for 30 days in his movie “Supersize Me.” The results of the movie were nothing like the world had ever seen before. Fast food was rarely questioned because nobody ever stopped to think that it was decreasing the life quality of a nation. In response, McDonalds was so threatened by the film’s powerful message, that they withdrew the “super size” option from their menus and evermore began implementing healthier options.

Supersize Me Results

In 2013, it is much harder to get away with covering up damaging information. Most fast food stores have product health information posted somewhere visible in every location. Mandatory product transparency does not solely apply for the food industry. In 2008, Splenda was sued because their slogan, “Made From Sugar,” was actually nothing more than a “highly processed chemical compound made in a factory,” and this smeared Splenda’s brand.

In a knowledge-seeking society, it is becoming increasingly difficult to false advertise or cover up incriminating information. Needless to say, practising corporate social responsibility will create a higher lifetime value of customers and maintain a brand’s image.

In Michelle Lee’s blog post, she analyzes the effectiveness of Target’s move into Canada. I agree that Target’s reputation is at stake since their move into canadian territory. However, I think the unease brought by Target’s change in location is NOT due to their size, nor their corporate dominance.

The only visible flaw in Lee’s argument is the fact that she makes Target appear as if they are some leviathan organization that plundered and pillaged its way into total market dominance. The one key detail that needs to be considered is the fact that Target bought out Zellers and simply refurbished the preexisting store space. In comparison to previous Zellers customers, the increase in consumer interest isn’t severe enough to tyrannize smaller businesses. As well, locals are already desensitized to super-sized retail stores. Canada has Costco, Sears, The Bay, and The Hudson’s Bay Company; it is unlikely canadians will be taken aback by a new addition.

Target does run a cause for concern though. It derives from the political metaphor of an american invasion. Think big-picture: Canada has developed a sense of identity by being a peaceful country who aims to increase the quality of life for all of its inhabitants. When an american-based company overtakes a canadian brand like Zellers, it comes off as invasive, and to consumers it may look like an infringement on canadian culture (since the US has such a questionable history with peacefulness).

Although Target has a distinct allure to canadian citizens and will be able to reap the benefits of high profit from this venture, if more american companies plan on globalizing themselves, Canada may be a difficult starting point in years to come.

In recent times, the boundaries of advertising have been stretched and improved upon through means of producing memorable and aesthetically pleasing masterpieces. For wealthy corporations with endless funding and nothing short of an army of computer technicians at the ready, the creative possibilities know no bounds. However, since small to mid-sized businesses have comparatively restrictive budgets, there harks a need for ingenuity and ensuring that their money can effectively and positively grab consumer interest and lead to loyalty.

Here is an example of an extremely successful ad by JG Wentworth:

JD Wentworth Commercial

I haven’t seen this commercial in over 2 years but I still remember that if I need cash now, I call JD Wentworth. Notice that their ad had nothing extravagant (other than a viking costume). What made this commercial so vividly epic was the simply preposterous combination of opera, riding the bus, and a large man in a viking costume.

In contrast, here is Flea Market Montgomery’s sad attempt at appealing to consumers:

Flea Market Montgomery’s

Even though both JD Wentworth and Flea Market Montgomery spent limited money on their advertisements, Flea Market Montgomery’s lacked for several reasons.

For one, the ad was too long; in a time-poor society, lengthy commercials often create prepurchase dissonance and are  dismissed despite any actual marketing genius.

Secondly, the vocals were repetitive and uninteresting. If a jingle is going to be incorporated in a commercial, it MUST be aurally pleasing.

Finally, commercials are the first impression consumers have on a company. If there is any “choppiness” to the ad, then it comes off as lazy and a waste of lifetime.

I’m going to leave you with a series of ad campaigns by Dodd’s furniture, probably the greatest low-budget ads ever made:
Hindiana Dodd
Dodd’s Serta Trek
Wizard of Dodd