Month: April 2011

I recently came across to the Canadian Marketing Association website and found one of their blogs very interesting. The author is a female and she talked about her views towards people targeting golf mainly towards men only. Being a girl, I can easily relate to this situation (although I’m not a big fan of golf). There are so many things out that are using the demographics to target to consumers. However, I find that when marketers do so, they are limiting their revenue because genders don’t represent all. I extremely agree on the fact that the author suggested using interest-based marketing. Rather than focusing on whether the product users are majority men or women, focus on the segment that are interested in the products and who would even pay attention in the first place. Not all men play golf and not all women do yoga. Of course, choosing a segment highly depends on the product itself but there are lots of examples out there that are using demographics as a segment base such as 2-1 shampoo and body wash, or even buying a race car. “Women account for the most powerful consumer group” says the author, and by seeing that women have the purchase power, Dads don’t have to be the only one who decides on buying a car or a house.

Here’s Ashley Van Dyke test driving a race car.
Source:  http://thegreenloopblog.com/coco-eco-da-tesla-three-days-in-la/829

If you were to ask me what are the greatest marketing tools, Youtube is definitely one of the top choices. It’s free, it’s easy to access, and most importantly, it adds sounds and moving images to the message encoded by the video maker. I got addicted to watching makeup videos since a year ago when I started watching Michelle Phan’s makeup tutorials on youtube. Not only does she demonstrate how to use makeup products such as eye shadow palettes and brushes, but she’s also advertising for the well known makeup brand, Lancome. Here’s one of my favourite videos of hers:

Although makeup counters are available in every department stores for consumers to check out and try on their products, it often doesn’t increase their willingness to buy until they really see the effects of the products applied on skin. Here, Michelle is introducing Lancome’s their new makeup products (a year ago) to create a Valentine’s theme. Watching her applying the makeup step by step may easily educate consumers how to use the products as well as increase the awareness of the brand. Looking at the video views and the comments of the video, Lancome and Michelle may analyze consumers’ feedback to the products as well as the response to this marketing tool. As attractive as all the printed ads and commercials out there,  I still believe the power of photoshop plays a huge role in exaggerating the effects of products. But Michelle’s videos shows the whole process of makeup application from zero makeup to a transformed beauty.

I personally don’t like having a salesperson following me around the store asking whether I need help and trying to sell me stuff that I don’t even need. Watching videos on youtube at home already educated AND demonstrated how each product works while I’m anywhere with internet access. So I only have to go in the store, pick out the products I want and pay. With this marketing tool, who would want to just risk buying makeup products that “looks” like they’ll work well on them?