Marketing Trends for 2012

In a fast-paced digital age, marketing is becoming more targeted through a variety of channels...but also more cluttered. With competitors vying for the same parts of the market share, it's becoming more difficult for companies to distinguish themselves and be successful at selling products.

Socialmediatoday.com recently posted an entry on how companies can set themselves apart in the coming year. They outline the top communications and PR strategies for 2012 and what they feel can be the most innovative ways to sell products.

5 tips are outlined for marketing success in the coming year:

1. Digital First
2. Decentralize Social Media
3. "I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends"
4. Customize This!
5. Brand News World

These 5 tactics will help companies get their part of the intended market share, according to Socialmediatoday.com's research.

They say that by getting content online first before any other medium is crucial. Potential customers look at the web first, so to appeal to these eager customers, companies need to post first and print later.

Secondly, companies need to decide if social media will give them return on their investments. Social media only works if the target audience is active on these platforms, otherwise the time is not well spent here.

Companies should also use buzz marketing and use their friend contacts to help get the word out about their products. Positive personal testimonials often go a lot farther than ads.

By using customizable advertising tactics, companies can appeal to customers who appreciate novelty. The less generic, the more products can stand out and appeal to potential buyers.

Lastly, companies should begin to think like journalists: tell stories instead of creating graphic adds. People are more socially inclined and are captivated by stories. No one wants to be conned into buying a product by coerced and manipulative ads. But people can relate to and be moved by stories.

Socialmediatoday argues that using these ideas rather than traditional marketing has a potentially higher affect than the tactics in the past. I in part agree. Eventually customers will be conditioned to old ways of advertising and will be less likely to buy. Companies need to be innovative if they are to survive in a dog-eat-dog market.

*Photo courtesy of Socialmediatoday.com

Domino's: Create Pizza on iPad and Order for Delivery

Domino's Facebook

Domino's Pizza Hero app virtually allows customers to make pizza on their iPads.

The Domino's Pizza Hero is an app for the iPad that is essentially a game that teaches you how to make pizzas. The app leads you through the steps of making a pizza such as kneading the dough, spreading the sauce, sprinkling the cheese etc. Go through pizza school, play through 11 levels and survive "the rush."

The game is great, but is there more to this than just making a virtual pizza to get the highest points? Actually, there is! The app also allows consumers to create their own pizza to be sent in and ordered for pickup or delivery.



For integrated marketing and communications, creativity and changing with the times is essential for a business to be successful. Domino's of an app on a device that is always growing such as the iPad, is very smart. Not only does the app intrigue the consumer to play the game and compete with others, but it entices them to order pizza as well.

This app is one of the first that has a game involved while still allowing the consumer to order a pizza in the middle of the fun.

Google Embraces Marketing

Google wants people to know that the company is no longer just a search engine.

With Google Plus, Google TV, Google Chrome, and Android software, Google now offers services that its users can enjoy and benefit from, hoping to maintain its position as the Internet-giant with most followers.

According to Advertising Age, Google has doubled its marketing spending as of August 2011 with a total of $103 million worth of TV, print and search advertising. In contrast with $53 million in marketing expenditure last year, Google has been taking a more drastic approach on the way it does marketing in 2011.One of its most recent marketing campaigns is dedicated to increase awareness of its web browser Chrome.



Google is developing its own particular style and it seems to be working. Google TV ads are unique in that they do not attempt to sell something, but rather tell a story.

"In an industry pushing the form to 15 seconds, they are going to counter with 90- and sometimes two-minute spots to tell an emotive story," said Peter Daboll, CEO of AceMetrics, which measures the effectiveness of video ads. "It's very low frequency and high impact."

Another significant aspect of Google's marketing strategy is that these videos only air once based on targeted audiences like the "It Gets Better" video, which aired in May during an episode of "Glee."

This is just one of the marketing strategies Goggle has implemented through traditional media in its efforts to increase usage of its products. In short, while web advertising is in the rise, web-only advertising is sometime snot enough.

Starbucks Uses QR Codes for Consumer Interaction

Starbucks is utilizing a QR program that allows consumers to learn more about various coffee products.

Photo: Inkhead http://bit.ly/gZhv7Z

QR codes are newer to the marketing world and haven't quite taking off as some other marketing endeavors have. Unfortunately these codes have an unappealing look to them, which causes them to be more of an eyesore rather than a benefit.

This is why the QR codes needs to be used sparingly but when done right, it can be very effective.

With the new program, Starbucks uses QR codes in their ads and stores to promote information in an interactive type manner. Because the consumer has to physically scan the QR code with their device, the motivation to actually read and take in the information about the coffee they are learning about is there.

Learning about the coffee consists of multiple interactive information pieces such as where the coffee came from, a video of production, what makes the coffee unique etc.

Taking advantage of QR codes early on in its incubation period of the marketing world is smart for Starbucks. Luckily this isn't the only attempt at using QR codes Starbucks has made. Last May the company released a "scavenger hunt" program in partnership with Lady Gaga.

Among these two programs, Starbucks even allows you to pay for you drinks with a mobile app. Allowing consumers to pay with their phone is just another way to simply and make the purchasing process easier and potentially more enjoyable.

Social Media Calls for a Change in Marketing Approachs

The innovation of social media has not only changed our social lives, but the way companies market their brand or product. Now social media acts as the interaction between the company and the consumer without road blocks.

Today companies, school organizations, artists, musicians and more all use social media as a marketing tool. This use of social media is going to be utilized more and more in the near future and has already had an apparent effect on even established brands.

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese decided to start a new campaign recently and use the newer free promotional tools social media has to offer.

The campaign is directed towards an older generation, which shares the notion that Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is not only loved by kids, but by adults as well. Kraft released a TV commercial with a new slogan "you know you love it," showing an adult's love for the product.



With the start of a new campaign underway, Kraft had to develop new ways to promote their product. They did this by aiming at Twitter because of the platforms popularity with more of the adult audience.

So far Kraft has done 3 programs in an effort to build social media engagement: Mac & Jinx, Mac & Cheese TV and Smile Tagging.

I think that campaigns such as these will become more prevalent with companies and integrating social media into the overall marketing plan will start to take hold as well. Businesses should take note that times are changing and social media is now taking a place in the marketing world.

All 3 of Kraft's programs call for Twitter users to tweet about mac & cheese or to be engaged in an activity to win something from the company. For more of an overview on Kraft's new campaign and the success they have had using Twitter, check out Todd Wasserman's blog that gives an overview of Kraft and it's new campaign and programs on Masable.