The consumer

With the ever development of technology direct marketing has altered, with the high popularity of social networking sites marketers are now more able than ever; interact with the consumer. Social media sites such as Facebook and, Twitter allow firms to engage more with consumers making post purchase follow ups, discussions of preference in or of certain products and brands easier to obtain. Through these sites brands are able to reach a more personally level through co-creation which allows customers to choose what information they get, which channel they receive it in, and when. Emotional bonds can also be created between the consumer and brands if techniques are implemented effectively, which in turn can create loyalty and preference among customers.

Coca cola just like many companies can’t deny the sufficiency towards the use of social networking sites as a marketing channel, with the amount of engagement power social networks can create towards consumers it would be false to state otherwise.  Consumer engagement is to some extent essential towards how consumers behave towards certain brands, social networks possess a huge advantage in this respect as social networks sites such as Facebook, twitter, and YouTube etc. are able to interact with consumers like no other channel can.  

Creating a viable relationship with consumers is crucial in gaining loyal and long term customers proving the importance of relationship marketing. Listening to your consumers is obvious in giving them what they want, with the number of tools becoming more available caused by technology it’s made it increasing easier to engage with customers being able to interact with them more; post purchase follow ups, feedback, consumers views on certain products are all examples of facets that have become more amendable to implement. The article also addresses means to increase loyalty, and sufficient channels to take. 

Like everything in general or more specifically marketing techniques; there’s a range of positive aspects to direct marketing and then there’s the disadvantages to it all. Direct marketing has various positive attributes ranging from; marketing directly to consumers, companies have greater control over the marketing message as there is no middleman, decrease end price for consumers as there’s no cost going into the middleman (that’s if the firm passes on the savings to the consumer), the ability to tailor information sent out specifically to an individual’s needs or preference which can lead to an increase in loyalty displayed by consumers and if techniques are implemented correctly an eventual increase in profits. Disadvantages that can be attached to direct marketing are; a negative image attached to firms that directly market consumers caused by an impression of lower quality in comparison to other marketing techniques, many consumers in terms of telemarketing find it annoying to be contacted to a certain extent can be portrayed as annoying if anything. Like everything there’s a plus side then there’s the down side but overall I believe the negatives can be side stepped by not implementing certain techniques such as cold calling.  

The average consumer tends to derive its motivation from the same sector that processes emotion, so it makes sense that emotions can increase ones motivation to purchase a product. Consumers quickly decide or take a course of action based on an emotional response stressing the high importance of emotional marketing, consumers are a lot more likely to purchase products based on emotion rather than facts and figures about a product. Emotional marketing can also to a certain extent increase brand; recall, awareness, and inturn with the right facets implemented increase brand loyalty.

Technology is constantly increasing moving us away from our typical online experience leaving marketers anticipating the next social or online phenomena. With the increase of smart phone users or the online consumer in general and the extent to what we can now use these devices for has increased the information available about consumers, allowing marketers to track seamless amounts of data about; their preference and behaviour in general sanctioning engagement between the consumer and a brand/ product to intensify or become more intimate so to speak.

With almost what it seems to be the entire population using social networking sites its not hard to believe consumers have more trust and are more likely to purchase brands current on these sites. Brands noticed the numbers using social networking sites in-turn joining in as well, not to have an account on facebook, twitter etc is to a certain extent being socially unknown and its the same with brands, I mean do you even use brands that cant be found on these sites?.