Marketing

There are many elements that go into marketing, and many of them have to do with journalism. First off, one of the main aspects learned through journalism and marketing has to do with the importance of reading and research. Going off of that, it is important to be a critical thinker. With that being said you should always be reading. An example of being a critical thinker would be saving webpages to your bookmarks can be an effective way to brainstorm and generate ideas for marketing content. Journalistic skills and best-practices are also critical for creating any sort of customer-facing communication. Interview skills aren’t just useful for journalism; they are even as useful for creating content in the world of marketing. However, reading is only part of being successful in marketing through journalism. Writing is all about monitoring social media for new headlines and reactions and then going off of those  to create editorial and marketing content, all in the hopes of chasing an existing audience or trend. When it comes to journalism or marketing, it is important to do your own research. Ultimately, the kind of content that creates true value for your audience is the kind that matches searcher intent and drives traffic.

That leads me to the topic of Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing refers to the process of gaining traffic or attention through social media sites. Different social media platforms all are used to provide information in different ways. For example, Twitter is a social site designed to let people share short messages or “updates” with others. Facebook, in contrast is a full-blown social networking site that allows for sharing updates, photos, joining events and a variety of other activities.

social media marketing is becoming more popular than e-marketing and digital marketing together. Most social media platforms have built-in data analytics tools, which enable companies to track the progress, success, and engagement of ad campaigns. There are two main  platforms used for this. Social networking websites allow individuals, businesses and other organizations to interact with one another and build relationships and communities online. When companies join these social channels, consumers can interact with them directly. These interactions hit on a personal level. Social networking sites act as word of mouth or more precisely, e-word of mouth. The Internet’s ability to reach billions across the globe has given online word of mouth a powerful voice and far reach. Social networking websites are based on building virtual communities that allow consumers to express their needs, wants and values, online. Social media marketing then connects these consumers and audiences to businesses that share the same needs, wants, and values. Everyone now days is always glued to their phone. Mobile phone usage is beneficial for social media marketing because mobile phones have social networking capabilities, allowing individuals immediate web browsing and access to social networking sites. For example, Many companies are now putting QR (Quick Response) codes along with products for individuals to access the company website or online services with their smart phones.

Social media marketing is something that can only benefit your food business. It is a source of instant feedback and a market research tool. It helps you bond with customers and potential customers. The main way to get the word out about your business is to simply start posting. Instagram and YouTube, in particular, are great for pictures and videos because their users love to “share” them with friends. With that being said, just creating an Instagram page for your business can help you gain customers.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnDVbVMnjos/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Example of restaurant Instagram page.

 

 

Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Post

This week in class, we talked about virtual and augmented reality. Before this class I knew what virtual reality was, but never really had a clear idea of what augmented reality was. Both virtual and augmented reality are being used to impact the future of the food industry. Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated real-world environment, augmented reality (AR) remains in the real world and uses a variety of hardware devices and extensions to give users a layered or multidimensional view of an object.

The main areas that are affected by VR and AR in the food industry are designed to reduce the costs of training and to enhance the customer experience. When looking at reducing the cost of training, Simulating the training with VR creates an excellent simulated but noticeably unrealistic environment. When using this type of training the chefs can then visualize the process and the details looking at a single screen, requiring only one video to instruct any number of chefs. When using VR and AR on the marketing end for the food industry, in order to get customers to come to your restaurant, it requires creating a visual experience using VR and AR that is memorable and motivational to the consumer. Here are two examples of Coca Cola using VR and AR in their marketing campaigns.

We can see that VR is an experience, AR is an immersive experience and more interactive for the customer. AR has extended itself into connecting the physical world with the virtual world. This shows us a whole new world for marketing speaking in terms with connecting with the customer. In this example, companies are making video games available to customers on their cereal boxes.

Today and moving forward, technology is going to be enhancing our overall experience as a customer. For example, tequila manufacturer Patron has already taken this bold step. The company recently launched a 360-degree video showing the entire tequila manufacturing process, from harvesting the agave plant to bottling the drink. Sure, pictures and videos are fine when it comes to choosing where you want to eat, but AR is so much better.