Integrative advertising : the marketing 'dark side' or merely the emperor's new clothes?

This paper assesses the move towards more 'integrative advertising' methods which rely on the mixing of commercial and non-commercial content, and the suitability of the current EU legislative framework to deal with such developments. In essence, the paper examines the 'identification' and 'transparency' principles in the context of online advertising. This analysis allows for the drawing of conclusions vis-à-vis future policy initiatives and enforcement challenges. The paper states that for true advertising literacy mere identification of commercial communications is insufficient and that efforts need to be made in order to educate consumers (especially children) to allow for the continuing relevance and reliance on the notion of the average consumer

Retailtainment: Popota fun experience

This project was developed in the context of master thesis, and it has the objective to develop a strategic marketing plan. In this respect, and applying the knowledge acquired over the last four years, it is developed the “Popota Fun Experience”, a retail toys store of a well-known character by Portuguese population. Popota Fun Experience is a retail store target to children and it is based in two important concepts: entertainment and education. Having said that, the main objective is to educate children while they are playing. It is a new retail store concept with a different positioning from the main competitors and that will stimulate the market growth. In order to support the opening of Popota Store, it is defined a marketing strategy and it is designed the retailing-mix variables.Este projecto foi desenvolvido no âmbito da tese de mestrado e tem como objectivo o desenvolvimento de um plano de marketing a nível estratégico. Neste contexto, e aplicando os conhecimentos adquiridos ao longo dos últimos quatro anos, é desenvolvida a “Popota Fun Experience”, a loja de brinquedos de retalho de uma personagem bastante conhecida pelos portugueses. A Popota Fun Experience é uma loja de brinquedos orientada para as crianças e tem como base dois importantes conceitos: entretenimento e educação. Desta forma, tem como principal objectivo educar as crianças enquanto brincam. É um novo conceito de loja com um posicionamento diferente dos principais concorrentes e que vai dinamizar e estimular o crescimento do mercado. De forma a suportar a abertura da loja da Popota, é definida a estratégia de marketing e são desenvolvidas as variáveis do retailing-mix

The Internet of Things Will Thrive by 2025

This report is the latest research report in a sustained effort throughout 2014 by the Pew Research Center Internet Project to mark the 25th anniversary of the creation of the World Wide Web by Sir Tim Berners-LeeThis current report is an analysis of opinions about the likely expansion of the Internet of Things (sometimes called the Cloud of Things), a catchall phrase for the array of devices, appliances, vehicles, wearable material, and sensor-laden parts of the environment that connect to each other and feed data back and forth. It covers the over 1,600 responses that were offered specifically about our question about where the Internet of Things would stand by the year 2025. The report is the next in a series of eight Pew Research and Elon University analyses to be issued this year in which experts will share their expectations about the future of such things as privacy, cybersecurity, and net neutrality. It includes some of the best and most provocative of the predictions survey respondents made when specifically asked to share their views about the evolution of embedded and wearable computing and the Internet of Things

An Investigation of Teenagers’ Advertising Literacy in the Context of the Brand-Rich Environment of Social Media

Teenagers are avid consumers of social media and consequently, constitute attractive target audiences for marketers. On social media, advertising can be integrated into content such as YouTube videos and Instagram posts which means the boundary between commercial content (the advertisement) and non-commercial content (e.g., the video in which the ad appears) becomes increasingly blurred. Therefore, in this context, the consumer must be able to navigate a minefield of overt and covert advertising that is disseminated by a range of sources, including brands and social media influencers. A resulting concern for academics, parents and policy makers alike relates to young people’s understanding, evaluation and critical responses to such advertising practices, i.e., their advertising literacy. In order to command a basic level of advertising literacy, consumers need to be able to recognise the source of an advertisement, identify the commercial and persuasive intent, and subsequently enact a critical response. However, this can become challenging in the context of newer advertising practices on social media platforms where advertising content can be seamlessly woven into editorial content that is interactive, entertaining, and engaging. It follows that if a young consumer cannot properly identify and respond to an advertising episode, then the act of targeting them is unethical. This thesis reports on a qualitative study of 29 teenagers aged 15–17 years. The aim was to investigate teenagers’ dispositional and situational advertising literacy in the context of the overt and covert advertising formats which prevail on social media platforms. The study sought to investigate their general knowledge, attitudes and judgements regarding advertising which develops over time (dispositional AL), but also their ability to retrieve and apply this knowledge during exposure to specific advertising episodes (situational AL). The findings indicate that whilst the participants had a highly developed associative network about SM advertising (i.e., their dispositional AL), their ability to retrieve and apply it (i.e., their situational AL) was dependent on the nature and origin of advertising. Specifically, the marketer’s ability to craft messaging which delights the consumer; emerges from a meaningful source; or provides opportunities for social learning can impede critical response

The Official Student Newspaper of UAS

Letter from the Editor / Whalesong Staff -- Power and Privilege Symposium / Frank Soos -- Study Abroad / Continuing the Conversation -- Not Medea -- UAS Rally Against DAPL -- UAS's Re-Entry Hero -- UAS In Brief -- A Time to Remember: New Tech in WWI -- Marvel's Luke Cage -- In Defense of the Coffee Bean -- Calendar and Comics

Internationalization of a digital luxury brand: Josefinas case study

The present case approaches the internationalization of a digital luxury brand (Josefinas), more specifically the Communication Strategy used during the opening of a popup store in a country and city different from Braga, Portugal, for one year. Therefore, at the beginning of the Case, three distinct world cities are proposed and the challenge for the students is throughout the Case Study, answering the questions and make decision-making in order to choose one of the destinations initially presented. Luxury Brands predominantly use communication actions like printed advertising, newsletters, Public Relations, Press Releases, interviews to mass media and Word of Mouth to promote their brands and products. However, digital brands need to be present and use social networks daily to grow, survive and reach as many people as possible. In order to stand out in the global luxury market, brands need to be genuine and true to themselves. Regarding the Global Luxury Market, the Chinese consumer is the predominant. In recent years, generation Z and the Millennials are boosting a strong growth in global luxury purchases, and tourism is a major driver of this market. On the other hand, while online shopping is increasing rapidly, the luxury consumer still uses physical stores as their main channel for purchasing luxury goods, hence, it makes sense for Josefinas to open a pop-up store abroad.O presente caso aborda a internacionalização de uma marca de luxo digital (Josefinas), mais especificamente a Estratégia de Comunicação utilizada durante a abertura de uma loja pop-up num país e cidade diferente de Braga, Portugal, durante um ano. Por conseguinte, no início do Caso são propostas três cidades mundiais distintas e o desafio para os alunos é ao longo do caso estes irem respondendo às perguntas e fazer tomadas de decisão, a fim de escolher um dos destinos apresentados inicialmente. As marcas de luxo utilizam maioritariamente ações de comunicação como Publicidade Impressa, Boletins informativos (Newsletters), Relações Públicas, Comunicados de Imprensa, entrevistas aos mass media, o Boca a Boca ou passa-palavra para promover as suas marcas e os seus produtos. Contudo, as marcas digitais precisam de estar presentes e usar as redes sociais diariamente para crescer, sobreviver e chegar ao maior número de pessoas possível. Para se destacarem no mercado global de luxo, as marcas necessitam ser genuínas e fiéis a si mesmas. Relativamente ao mercado global de luxo, o consumidor Chinês é o predominante. Nos últimos anos, a geração Z e a geração Y estão a fomentar um forte crescimento nas compras globais de luxo e o turismo está a ser um grande impulsionador deste mercado. Por outro lado, embora as compras online estejam a aumentar rapidamente, o consumidor de luxo ainda utiliza a loja física como o seu principal canal de compra de bens de luxo, daí, fazer sentido a marca Josefinas abrir uma loja pop-up fora de Portugal

Empowered but Endangered? : An Analysis of Hegemonic Womanhood in Indian Gender Advocacy Campaigns

This research examines digital gender advocacy campaigns in India during the 2010s. By employing thematic analysis and conceptual tools of the social representations theory into the analysis of 250 gender advocacy videos published on YouTube, we answer the following questions: a) How are dangers to women in India discussed in recent video campaigns? b) How is the topic objectified and anchored in multimodal narration? c) How is hegemonic womanhood constructed in the campaigns? The findings suggest that campaigns present two social representations of dangers with sexual harassment depicted as a danger for urban middle-class women and the issues of early marriage, lack of female education, and gender-biased sex selection as rural dangers. The primary solution suggested by the campaigns is to encourage women to actively claim their place in society, placing the main responsibility for changing the situation on women themselves. The secondary solution suggested is to encourage families to support girls and women. Thus, the analysis shows how social representations created by gender advocacy in India put responsibility on individuals and excuse social institutions from addressing inequality, while maintaining power relations and class disparities.Peer reviewe

The Freedom of Influencing

Social media stars and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) Act are clashing. Influencer marketing is a preferred way for entertainers, pundits, and everyday people to monetize their audiences and popularity. Manufacturers, service providers, retailers, and advertising agencies leverage influencers to reach into millions or even billions of consumer devices, capturing minutes or seconds of the market’s fleeting attention. FTC enforcement actions and private lawsuits have targeted influencers for failing to disclose the nature of a sponsorship relationship with a manufacturer, marketer, or service provider. Such a failure to disclose payments prominently is very common in Hollywood films and on radio and television, however. The Code of Federal Regulations, FTC notices, and press releases contain exemptions tailored to such legacy media. This Article addresses whether the disparate treatment of social media influencers and certain legacy media formats may amount to a content-based regulation of speech that violates the freedom of speech. Drawing on intellectual property law, consumer law, and securities law precedents, it argues that the more intense focus on disclosures by social media influencers infringes the freedom of influencing. It is irrational and discriminatory to impose greater obligations on influencers who are paid to mention or use products or services than on legacy media formats whose actors or directors mention or use similar products or services