Monthly Archives: October 2013

10/22/13

To the Men of UBC

Note: This blog post is unrelated to the blog assignment for COMM465

In response to the string of sexual assaults happening on the campus I love so dearly, Facebook has exploded with respectful discussion and engaging conversation, as well as petty arguments. When I made a post geared at sharing some safety strategies, I received some comments which made me uncomfortable and a little upset. I felt as if my good intentions were being overshadowed by the need to educate people about rape culture and victim blaming — a topic which I thought I was fully aware of.

As I read through posts on the event page for Take Back the Night UBC, I reached a moment of sudden clarity — a realization hidden amongst all the emotion and lingo. I don’t know how it came to me, but I hope to be able to share this epiphany. So without further ado…

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10/16/13

Viral Marketing: Is there really a perceived need?

In today’s society of memes, YouTube and social media, the term “viral” has received a whole new meaning.

 viral
ˈvʌɪr(ə)l/

adjective
  1. 1.
    of the nature of, caused by, or relating to a virus or viruses.
  2. 2.
    (of an image, video, piece of information, etc.) circulated rapidly and widely from one Internet user to another.
    “a viral ad campaign”
noun
  1. 1.
    an image, video, piece of information, etc. that is circulated rapidly and widely on the Internet.
    “the rise of virals in online marketing”

Two of the three above definitions only came into existence over the last decade or so. Since then, thousands of viral advertisements have been produced, from Old Spice commercials to just about anything on Super Bowl Sunday. Please direct your attention to the video below:

tl;dr Celebrities face off in a musical debate over whether the crust of a Hot Pocket or the meaty inside is truly what delivers in the taste department and the primary reason for why people love eating them

This advertisement by Hot Pockets (Nestlé) uses star power, popular Internet references and a fabricated debate to draw attention from the masses. The battle between #TeamCrust and #TeamMeat does not appear to create a need for the Hot Pocket product itself. Instead, it uses humour and the attractive power of Internet virality to bring consumers to buy Hot Pockets.

What’s going on? If a consumer doesn’t need to buy the product, why do companies invest so much money into creating the next viral ad? It seems that today’s consumer does not look only at the basic need for a product, like food, but how that food is generally perceived by society. If a product is popular due to a recent viral spread, then society will generally also perceive the product positively, or at least with some viral value.

So I guess there really is a perceived need after all. A need for social validation. A need to fit in and to be in the know. How often do people really need the products they buy? In this day and age, it seems that most purchases are really just fulfilling a need to belong.