Chapter 5 has an interesting premise - do we care more about what our neighbor thinks? I know I don't make day to day decisions based on Google, and I bet I would be surprised how many "other people" factors impact my day to day decision making. Here are the questions for Chapter 5:
1. Do you think people feel compelled to give back as in the TripAdvisor and car seat examples?
2. How does your knowledge of your friends, enhance your understanding of their recommendation and thus your purchase decision?
3. If you are an early adopter, how might you see social media differently than someone who is not an early adopter?
4. Why is it increasingly more important for companies to make great products rather than great advertising?
5. Clearly e-books have changed the publishing landscape forever. How does the social element of digital books enhance both the author and reader experiences?
The first paragraph of the chapter has an amazing line: "...in the future we will no longer seek products and services; rather, they will find us." This is very true in my experiences. Many of the products I purchase are based on the experience and recommendations of others. Many times I buy a product, watch a movie, or eat a restaurant based on word-of-mouth. Social media simply amplifies WOM and makes it easier to access.
ReplyDeleteRegarding question four, I believe proper product management is one of the most important business functions. Before my current internship at Robert Bosch, I never knew anything about product management, but during my internship and working with Product Managers I have experienced all the work that goes into developing products that appeal to consumers. Advertising and brand management are still important for companies, but without the products consumers desire companies will fail. Advertising will have to support product management. Companies need to make sure they have a proper product available to meet the needs of customers. Many times customers will not deliberately think about buying a product, but instead the decision will be made quickly based on WOM, just like Karen and her iPad.
2. How does your knowledge of your friends, enhance your understanding of their recommendation and thus your purchase decision?
ReplyDelete--I know that the majority of my friends don't buy products just because the brand is popular or "everyone has it." So when my friends buy a product such as clothes, kitchen stuff, wine, etc. I know that they are recommending it to me and others for the right reason such as it's a great quality product or the brand is very reputable. I also know that most of my friends do their research before making a big purchase such as new phone so I trust their opinion and are influenced by their purchase decisions because I know that they have already done the homework on the product.
2. Though I think the book makes a good point about the efficiency of using social media to make purchase decisions and it's probably a great way to do things for many people, I'm not sure it's necessarily all-encompassing. In my own experience, my priorities during the information search before an important purchase are often vastly different than those of my friends. Some products, like the book's travel example or restaurant choices, are fairly universal: everyone can find value from a friend's account of customer service and overall fun-ness. Beyond that, the book fails to acknowledge other dimensions of purchase decisions. Personally, I've seen countless heated Facebook debates surrounding technology purchases. People tend to have strong feelings about certain brands (Apple fanboys everywhere!) that extend beyond the basic quality and functionality of the product at hand. At a certain point, suggesting a product to a friend turns into making your case for a brand you have a personal, emotional connection with instead of a discussion about how the product can fit his or her needs. For this reason, there are certain purchases in which I don't give my social circle an opportunity to share their opinions because I prefer the time-consuming digging for less biased (hopefully) information.
ReplyDeleteI think that it’s more important that companies make great products rather than great advertising because ads will come and go, but in the people have that product and are continuing to use it. Advertisements can be funny and get people’s attention, but if they aren’t of good quality why would anyone really want to buy them. That is why companies should make great products that will make people tell their friends and family. I have friends that will talk about great advertisements, but don’t buy the product; they will, however, buy a product that people are suggesting they purchase.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to what Aaron already stated with the first paragraph of the chapter and in response to question 4; I have to say that as an Advertising major, it is increasingly difficult to advertise for so many products these days because there is little physical differentiation between them. Personally, I feel that it is increasingly difficult for companies to make great products because there are so many brands producing products within the same product category. WIthout a strong difference in their appearance or without a newer unique product attribute, they will simply blend in and then it becomes the sole job of advertisers to set them apart. So, because it is so difficult to make a new product stand out on their own in an over-saturated market, advertising must be utilized to make up for the difference. I guess it really becomes a loop and it all begins with the product itself.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to question 5, the social element of digital books enhance the author’s experience because now when they are in the process of writing a book they have the ability place an exact image of something that they want the reader to see. Although, by adding a link to a word/or brand name this can be an advantage for the author because they can probably charge companies to advertise in their new book. I love that from the reader’s perspective, you can click on a link to wherever the book tells you and place a picture in your mind of what say Transylvania looks like and really let you imagination of the story go from there. However, I do feel like you could possibly get distracted from reading because you keep clinking on links and searching on the web. Also, I feel like advertisers may take advantage of this by completely filling ebooks ads that you really don’t want to see especially when you are focusing on reading a book.
ReplyDeleteLast year I planned summer trip to Europe with a friend. We had to find flights, hostels and all that jazz in order to plan it all on our own. Even though I did not use social media directly as a search engine I defiantly did post status saying “ What should I do when I am in Paris?” and got responses from friends that have been there. When looking for hostels we booked them almost entirely based on reviews of places and not just the websites. When we returned we wanted to write reviews for each place that we stayed in order to ‘return the favor.’ So yes, I would say that people do like to give positive reviews. But I also think that it goes extreme either way. It’s the same thing for sites like ratemyprofessor.com. People only write on it if their experience was really good or really bad.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read the idea about advertising in e-books I at first thought genius! But my second reaction was ‘how awful.’ Especially for fiction books that are read for pleasure, I think it would be awful for them to start having banner ads! People read books like that to get away and relax, not to be bombarded with ads. Using a hyperlink for brand names though is an interesting idea. It would almost be like product placement in movies, but in books
I think if you are an early adopter you might view social media as a megaphone. You will use the social media to let others know what you think of the new product or service. If you are not an early adopter, you would view social media as a way to get other people's opinion. The difference is which end of the megaphone are you on.
ReplyDeleteI like to consider my friend's strengths and weaknesses when it comes to considering whether or not her opinion is one to consider. My brother in law, Mike is an early adopter in the whole technology department. I would trust him completely to buy or purchase for me any technological device out there. However, his weakness in the decorating department would sway me from trusting him to choose a paint color for my bathroom or any room for that matter. If the person is familiar with the product line, I will consider their opinion more heavily than one who does not have any experience.
It is increasingly important for companies to make great products as the social media tools are becoming a more and more popular avenue for word of mouth advertising. More people are willing to trust the opinion of Joe Schmoe than to trust the advertisement of a company seeking to make a profit. Thus, making it more important for companies to make great products rather than make great commercials.If your product is good than people will spread the word via social media.
4. Why is it increasingly more important for companies to make great products rather than great advertising?
ReplyDeletePlain and simple, mediocrity is not buzz worthy. Like Qualman said in this chapter, 78% rely on what others say, while only 14% rely on advertising. The technical skills advertisers learn in school will eventually become obsolete as the consumer becomes the one controlling the conversation. With the takeover of social media, advertisers are going to also have to be good managers to be successful. Word of mouth solidifies more in consumers’ minds than an advertisement, therefore, the things advertisers have to say will slowly become less influential. Companies won’t be able to use promotion the same way to sell their products. They will have to make products that can stand on their own without any sort of promotion. This means that product will have to be outstanding for one reason or another, but must be above average in some way, hence, mediocrity is not buzz worthy. Consumer will be the ones recognizing and broadcasting the reasons why a product is outstanding, but they won’t talk about a product that isn’t outside the norm.
2. How does your knowledge of your friends, enhance your understanding of their recommendation and thus your purchase decision?
ReplyDeleteWell I believe we've somewhat have discussed this in class but I know when I have seen someone like either a food place or a destination that they liked - I sometimes has discouraged me not to want to dine or go there for the sake i know my taste preferences and what i like to do in my spare time differ drastically from my friends but then at the same time if i know my friends that are very similar to me in taste preferences or purchase decisions it makes me not even question my purchase twice and i side with their recommendation before even trying to question mine at all.
4. Why is it increasingly more important for companies to make great products rather than great advertising?
ReplyDeleteI would have to say two reasons, which are becoming increasingly apparent with the rise of social media. People look past/ignore advertising especially on social media sites. The other reason is that social media has made it easier to speak your thoughts, vent, share interests, etc. It also is a way for companies to connect with consumers. If the product isn't great, the unhappy consumer is more likely reveal/vent about it via social media and perhaps on the product or company's page for everyone to see. That can be avoided if the product is great, and then social media can work to the company's advantage if someone raves about a good experience with the product.
5. Clearly e-books have changed the publishing landscape forever. How does the social element of digital books enhance both the author and reader experiences?
ReplyDeleteI personally refuse to use E-books because I am a more visual hands on reader. I like the traditional feel that books represents, turning the pages and actually feeling the sheets of paper in my hands. As far as the social element, it could be that when someone recommends a book to another instead of taking the time to meet that person and physically receive the book you could instead just look it up online or on your kindle reader and get the book that way. This may cut down the turn around time to read the material. It would enhance author experience by cost by cutting down publishing costs etc.
4. Why is it increasingly more important for companies to make great products rather than great advertising?
Because if you have a great product you don't need exceptional good advertising, traditional word of mouth will get the job done every time. Zara, a clothing store in Chicago refuses to use online advertising or any excessive advertising of any kind because there clothing speaks for itself and everybody who knows anything about fashion knows about Zara clothing store on Michigan Ave in downtown Chicago. I honestly think that Apple could get away with this strategy as well just because they have revolutionized technology as a whole.
2. How does your knowledge of your friends, enhance your understanding of their recommendation and thus your purchase decision?
ReplyDeleteI have found that if a close friend of mine recommends something I am very likely to want to go out and buy the product or support the cause. A lot of times when I am online shopping, I find the recommendations written by random users to be helpful, but I sometimes wonder if I can really trust what they have to say since I don't know who they are. But with friends, I already know that I can trust them and that they know me well, so if they are recommending a product to me than I will most likely really like it.
I do think that the author brings up a very valid point when he says that google's biggest competitor won't necessarily be a new search engine, but rather searching within social media sites. Pinterest is slowly becoming an actual threat to google, and Facebook as well especially when people product 'search' by changing their status updates to ask their friends questions about a certain product or service.
4. It is increasingly more important for companies to make great products rather than great advertising because of the word-of-mouth potential that comes with social media. You can put advertising out there that says your product or service is great, but there is more potential for people to quickly access a large amount of information and make their own judgments. Instead, success is more likely when making a great product that people will naturally talk about and generating awareness and conversion through social media. People are more likely to convert when the source is someone they trust, and companies absolutely have to figure out how to leverage this, and at its core it involves making quality products.
ReplyDelete5. Authors are able to see how readers interact with their work. When I read ebooks, I might look differently at the text when I see that a bunch of people have highlighted a certain section. I’m more likely to stop and reflect on those sections. It is also a cool feeling to be connected to people who have experienced the same book. Additionally, instead of relying on individual fan correspondence and book tours to promote their book and interact with their fans, authors are able to utilize eBooks to connect with their fans on a larger scale.
4. Great products speak for themselves and as the author pointed out we rely much more on word of mouth than advertising. It is now easier than ever to find this word of mouth. Why would a consumer be persuaded by an ad when they can go online to websites, social networks, etc and find out about the product. That's not to say ads can't play a role in marketing products. If a company makes a great product, it could be useful for them to advertise just to raise awareness as traditionally done. I could see them integrating sources of word of mouth even mor into their traditional ads. A great ad is only one part of the decision process; we will still go seek alternative sources of info. Or even better, they will find us. Its hard to hide a bad product when people are connected.
ReplyDelete5.Authors have access to more feedback than ever before due to ebooks. Not only can they see reviews, but certain analytics are available to show which parts of books are garnering the most attention. Additionally, it is easier to make a book available for purchase as part of the process of dealing with large publishing companies is out. Many people can write ebooks now without ever going through a publisher. E books have also drastically enhanced the readers experience. With apps like kindle, I can mark and highlight sections I find interesting. Many times I can even go look at what others have noted throughout a book. For example, one expert I follow makes many of his comments public and it is interesting to see what he finds inspiring. I learn just as much from his comments as the book. It's like being in a book club with someone I wouldn't normally have access to.
In regards to the first question, I do feel that people feel somewhat compelled to give back in similar instances like the TripAdvisor and car seat examples. Anytime someone researches a product/service heavily, I believe they think it is customary to divulge what their thoughts were once they have had their own experience. With this in mind, I do think this comes into play more frequently with a product over a service. I remember when we first discussed blogging a diaper example was brought up. No parent wanted what happened to their child to happen to anyone else's kids and immediately rushed to bash the product. I believe this shows how apt people are to report when they have time and money invested into something.
ReplyDeleteCompanies definitely must generate better products rather than focus on superior advertising. A firm can never under-estimate the power of word-of-mouth advertising. It's the easiest form of promotion in terms of price, while it also tends to be the most sincere. I think over the past couple of years commercials have gone so far outside the box that some of us don't even realize what a business is trying to sell us once we see them. Qualman points out that marketers must spend more time listening to their customers rather than "creating the next award-winning, but no customer-getting" commercial. This is a great point and just relays the message that it is crucial that businesses concentrate more of their energy toward production.
5. Clearly e-books have changed the publishing landscape forever. How does the social element of digital books enhance both the author and reader experiences?
ReplyDeleteSince there hasn't been an advertising aspect in digital books yet, their soon will be. I was wondering how they would do this without interrupting the reader during an intense plot or interesting story. Well, they came up with if the story has an actual brand reference the company can pay for a hyperlink. This will enhance the author's experience because there can be a direct picture of the object and also help the author with sponsoring the book. So if there is a direct picture of the object the reader will be able to see the object without having to envision it.