Going Green

"Going Green" is the hottest trend in businesses today. There is such a major focus on providing eco-friendly products and services, and manufacturing them in such a way that has minimal effects on the environment. In order for companies to be successful, they have to go along with the going green trend. A great way to gain support of consumers is by advertising the company's mission to reduce their carbon footprint and provide eco-friendly goods and services. People are more likely to buy products that are advertised as eco-friendly or "green" products, than similar products that do not promote green thinking. People are attracted to companies that hold high ethical values and place a great deal of importance on keeping the environment cleaner and safer. Advertisers should incorporate their "going green" strategy in theiur advertisements.

Word of Mouth

I think a lot of people underestimate the power of Word-of-Mouth advertising. Word-of-Mouth advertising is critical and can make or break a company's success. Word-of-Mouth simply refers to people spreading word about a company, product, or service. Word-of-Mouth has many potential benefits. One major benefit is that Word-of-Mouth advertising is free! Secondly, people often respect the opinions of their peers. If a close friend recommends a certain product or service over another, then you are more likely to purchase that product. Peers are great influencers of purchasing decisions, often based on their recommendations. The downside with Word-of-Mouth is that companies have little or no control over what people have to say. So if someone is generating negative Word-of-mouth about a company or product, then it can really affect the company's brand image and reputation. Nevertheless, whether good or bad, Word-of-Mouth advertising can make or break a company.

Social Media

The explosion of social media over the past year is truely phenominal and mindblowing. Social networking sites and social media usage and involvement is at an all time high. Facebook may very well be the most powerfully addicting site on the planet. It truely amazes me how many people engage in social media. 50% of all people capable of using the internet have a Facebook account. I bet you would have to stop and think a minute to come up with a list of 5 people who do not have a Faceook account. I don't even really like Facebook and barely use it for anything other than scanning other profiles, but I still have one. Facebook has made segmenting and targeting groups of people with similar interests very easy, and advertisers can use that to their advanatage. Facebook also allows people to write comments or seek out information about specific products. Social media is changing the landscape for advertising as we know it.