How has the internet changed consumers over the past 10 years and how can companies’ best adapt? Part 1

October 16, 2014

Written by Liu Fan

Introduction 

Long time ago, the people can only receive the information of production and service through the mass media. The companies are often using the one-way interruption advertisement to attract the people who are watching the TV or news in order to gain the attention no matter they like or not. But now it is an advertisement explosion era that you can see the commercial information everywhere, no matter what you are in the public or you are at home. As Akar and Topcu (2011) said that the internet has changed the way people work, communicate, and live. It has changed the human behavior largely. People can listen to music in whatever you want---even you are not in your home country. People can get the news on their smart phone---sport news, product promotion, etc. people can watch the movie in the publication or at school. The relationships are getting closer between the people or customer and company through the internet. People not only have mass media that involves television, radio, newspaper and magazine also has the internet which influences the customer or company. The people search the production and services information that they like or they need on the website.

 

The old marketing rules are more active and positive in the past few years. The advertisements are seemed to be an important component of marketing. It becomes a best way to distribute the information about the company. Moreover, the creativity is taking a large part of the position in the advertisement. The companies are trying to use interruption marketing for making the customer get an attention. And the advertisement and public relations are different activity. They have different goals, standards, and strategies running by two departments. The old public relations are determined to send the messages through the media. Company only can communicate with the journalist across the press releases. And there is nobody can see the actually press unless you are editor. In addition, the companies try to make top news in order to let the journalist write the new production or services via release. If the customer wants to know the news immediately, they merely accept the news from the reporter.

 

However, the internet has changed the rules of marketing and public relations. Traditional marketing involves talking at someone; social media marketing involves talking with someone (Atkinson, 2013). Which means it targets particular groups, maybe it is large or it is small. Moreover, Atkinson (2013) said that if you are not involved in B2B social media marketing, you are missing out on a huge opportunity, especially as it relates to attracting younger generation customers. Marketing is no only about the popular products and services, but also the things that face a small share of markets. The theory of long tail is telling us the marketing shift is changing from the popular markets to comparably smaller market share; it works such as the online shopping of Amazon. The new rules of marketing and public relations are means, for instance, the marketing is not 4P---product, place, price and promotion, the marketing is not advertising, etc. the company could have their own blog, twitter, podcast or website. And their employees could also have the blog or twitter to introduce the new products or services, too. But for the security aspect, company should make principles. However, the people could get the information or solution via company or employees’ blog or twitter. Comparably investing a huge of amount money in advertisement on television, the website is a smart choice, especially for the beginner of the entrepreneurships.

 

Purpose 

For the research of this report, we are discussing the significant of internet for the company using such as blog, twitter, website, podcast, etc. Many evidences prove that the company may face the internet media before that have action for the branding or others to compete with rivals. Furthermore, we are aiming to help the organization or company out with the target group, content management, building a relationship with customer. Is it the internet has an effect on branding or not? The question s that how does the company uses the internet on order to get involved in the new era for the future?