Fall Semester Arrives and Teach the 4 Ps Returns…

by Leave a Comment

Just like many of you (I hope), Teach the 4 Ps took some time away from teaching this summer. In fact, I (Joe) was able to travel and see family and friends that I had not seen in at least a couple of years. I hope that you were able to do the same. Like many of you, my last few weeks have been consumed with getting ready for fall classes. Our classes here at Colorado State University start tomorrow. I am the author of an introductory marketing textbook – Essentials of Marketing.

Now that the semester is about to start, I will start making regular posts. This site is designed to support marketing instructors looking for current and interesting marketing examples and activities they can add to their course. The coverage is pretty general, so any marketing instructor can find something of interest here. The “Categories” have general marketing topics and also use “Chapter” numbers keyed to Essentials of Marketing. If you click on the Category chapter number or topic area, you will see a bunch of posts over the years that connect with the topic or chapter. Starting today, I will be posting once or twice a week.

If you have any ideas for posts, please send them to Joe[dot]Cannon[at]colostate.edu.

 

What is dark design?

by Leave a Comment

In Essentials of Marketing, we try to highlight some of the positive things business does to make the world a better place. That said, marketing is a set of tools that can be used for good and bad. An example of bad is dark design (sometimes called dark patterns) – a sub-set of tools that a web designer might use to manipulate users into behaviors they might not otherwise do. Of course, this might also be called nudges or behavioral economics – which are usually thought of as nudging users to positive behaviors. Examples include the use of colors or patterns that make it much easier to “accept” cookies or click on an advertisement than to simply get around it.

This article, “How to spot the psychological manipulation behind ‘dark design’ online” (Fast Company, October 4, 2021) notes that “Dark design has proven to be an incredibly effective way of encouraging web users to part with their time, money, and privacy” – all scarce resources for many of us these days. If you want a deeper drive, the four-minute video shown below.

The most hated brands in America…according to Twitter

by Leave a Comment

This article highlights a new report that highlights the brands that receive the most hate on Twitter. The findings of the study might be fun to show students when you cover either branding (Chapter 8) or maybe marketing research (Chapter 7). The findings are a mix of the expected culprits (Uber might not be a surprise) and mostly unexpected (LEGO, Sony, Netflix). The findings are based on the use of a sentiment analysis tool (which is why you might talk about this when covering marketing research) which focused on 100 of the largest brands and the percentage of Tweets that were positive vs. negative. The article also includes a map that points out the most hated brand in every state.

This article or perhaps simply the graphic with the findings, might be used to stimulate class discussion on the topic of consumer complaining behavior, how firms respond (customer service, Chapter 14), or on the usefulness of sentiment analysis. The design of the research also calls into question whether the research actually identifies the “most hated brands in America” or simply those most complained about on Twitter.

“Science Moms” Take on the Marketing of Climate Change Science

by Leave a Comment

An argument can be made the climate crisis is, in large part, a marketing problem. While “97 percent of climate scientists agree that human-caused climate change is happening” (What We Know), many Americans still question whether climate change is real. Even those that acknowledge a problem, often fail to take personal actions that will limit their impact on the planet. This raises the question – what can be done?

This article, “How can we get more people to care about the climate crisis?” (Fast Company, October 11, 2021) suggests the solutions may be related to the messaging (Promotion) and audience (target market). The article provides some historical examples that show how people’s minds can be changed to focus on an important social issue. It also identifies some groups trying to make a difference, including “Science Moms” whose campaign is gaining traction. See example video below…

Why do some brands discourage customers from buying more of them?

by Leave a Comment

This is a fascinating trend. I first noticed this with Patagonia. The clothing brand that encourages people to keep their clothes longer (recall the “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign). REI is on board with the “Good & Used” section of its online retail site – and in our local store. These choices seem to be a good fit with the sustainable positioning of these two brands. But more recently, I am seeing other clothing brands step into the used gear space. One example is Adidas, which has partnered with ThredUp to help customers resell used footwear.

These examples might stimulate discussion about consumerism (Chapter 19), retailing (Chapter 12), or reverse channels (Chapter 10). It also begs the question about why companies would do this? Does Adidas have the same motivations as Patagonia or REI? Does this help the company sell more new clothing – while also making money on used gear (perhaps appealing to a clientele that cannot afford these products new)? Is it all about positioning the brand as caring about the environment?

Social e-commerce is huge in Asia. It’s coming to the U.S.

by Leave a Comment

My kids have started talking about social e-commerce. Of course that is not the term they use, but buying via Instagram is growing fast. “Social e-commerce is the business of selling goods online—in quantity—through people’s social networks” – quoted from this great Fast Company article, “This $360 billion e-commerce trend is huge in Asia—and it’s coming to the U.S. next.” The article describes the growth of social commerce in Asia, where is now comprises 13% of all online sales in China. The article delves into the two most prominent business models – group buying and live e-commerce. This could be an emerging online retail practice to keep an eye on – and to share with your students.