Monthly Archives: March 2013

by | Friday, March 29, 2013 · 9:52 pm

Google’s Electronic Wallet

Every day it seems that consumers are able to conduct more of their routine purchases and payments electronically. So why should consumers need that bursting-at-the-seems old wallet? The reality is that soon we will not need to carry wallets and hard cash; payments at the store can already be done with our smart phones.

While mobile sales payments are small today, they are rapidly increasing at retail outlets. Mobile payments in stores have increased nearly four-fold since last year and PayPal alone processed an estimated $14 billion in mobile payments in 2012. Retailers – and consumers – are taking note of these changes.

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Using a smart phone for mobile payments is easy, but there are implications for privacy; a single device can track where you are, who you call, what you do, and now it can track what you buy.

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

1.      Show video on Google wallet: http://youtu.be/hLbmy4XQsMo
2.      Show videos of Google wallet in action: http://youtu.be/NKuUzNnb8aQ and http://youtu.be/cVDyd4G0uTU
3.      What are the advantages to consumers? To retailers?
4.      What are the disadvantages to consumers? To retailers?
5.      Discuss privacy concerns and implications.
6.      Divide students into teams. Have each team select a retailer and work out a marketing campaign to introduce and encourage consumers to make mobile payments.

Source:  Brandchannel.com, other news sources, 3/21/13

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by | Friday, March 29, 2013 · 9:50 pm

Digital Behavior of Generation X

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Smart phones and mobile Internet use is still growing around the world. According to eMarketer.com, 75.7% of the U.S. population is online, and penetration in younger demographic cohorts is even higher than that.  Among the Generation X population (born between 1965 – 1980), 88.8% are monthly Internet users; nearly 95% of them use mobile phones (60% use smart phones).

This age group consumer online content like crazy with 74.5% using social networking sites at least monthly and 2/3 use Facebook. Interestingly, Twitter reaches only 14.7% of Generation X, but this is expected to quickly grow. Digital video is more popular than social networking; at least 78% of the groups downloads/streams video online at least once per month.

Not to be left behind is the Baby Boomer generation (born between 1946 – 1964). In that age cohort, roughly 8 in 10 are regular Internet users, and they are also likely to use mobile Internet and smart phones.

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Poll students on their use of digital technology.
  2. How often do students use their mobile devices to access the Internet? Surf Internet? Access social media? Purchase items?
  3. What other activities do they routinely do online?
  4. How does this usage compare to that of the Baby Boomers and Generation X?
  5. How have these patterns changed since they have been in college?
  6. What do students think the next applications will be?
  7. What should retailers do to reach Generation X on smart phones?

Source:  eMarketer.com, 3/20/13

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by | Friday, March 29, 2013 · 9:48 pm

Buzz Marketing Campaigns

Ever wondered how some companies get so much publicity and word-of-mouth buzz about their products? It isn’t random, but is instead the work of dedicated public relations and marketing agencies on behalf of client companies. One such international company specializing in buzz marketing is BzzAgent.

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According to the company, it has been connecting people and brands since 2001, putting products into the hand of hundreds of thousands of actual consumers, then helping them share their opinions about the products.

The process starts when consumers apply to join BzzAgent by filling out surveys about their lifestyle, demographics, and things they like. Then, the consumers are invited to try products and share their opinions through sites including Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and more. The company emphasizes that opinions be honest –  no matter whether negative or positive – and insists that consumers follow a code of conduct and disclose when they are BzzAgents.

The result for consumers is they get to try products for free, which in turn leads to more opportunities for trying products. And for companies – well, a real consumer’s opinion about a product can go a long way toward credibility and increased sales.

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss the basics of buzz marketing and the impact of word-of-mouth marketing campaigns.
  2. What are advantages and benefits? What are the risks?
  3. Bring up the Web site www.bzzagent.com and review how it works.
  4. Check the code of conduct, rules, FAQ, and examine some of the various campaigns.
  5. Divide students into teams. Have each team examine a different product on the site. What are objectives, tactics, etc.?
  6. In teams, have students select a product and design a buzz marketing campaign for the product.

 

Source:  www.bzzagent.com

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