OUGD501 - Studio Brief 01 - Study Task 04: Triangulation

After researching into email marketing I used this triangulation worksheet to condense some of the points found into a triangulated section of the essay. Multiple for and against points were gathered so that there is an ongoing argument with the main focus - is email marketing beneficial to companies?

Triangulation:

In terms of marketing, the main benefit that technology has brought to companies is the ability to advertise to a much larger target audience. According to Eric Brantner, an online blogger, ‘46% of the world’s population is now online — 3.4 billion people’ (REF). Brantner’s graph highlights how there are over 3 billion users online today. This is a huge target audience for companies – one that was non-existent before the digital age. Without the Internet, companies would have previously had to advertise themselves through the use of printed media, such as newspapers, magazines, flyers, billboards etc. Whilst these methods of advertising were successful, it was much more difficult to find out about specific statistics and demographics. Meredith Davis strongly supports this point, highlighting that ‘it quickly became apparent that interactive media held the potential for bigger and better things’ (2012, p209).

Alongside the ability to create websites and use data, one aspect that has not been discussed is the effect that emails have had on the way companies market themselves. Before the digital age, companies had to notify their customers through the use of flyers, newpapers, paper ads, billboards and word-of-mouth. With email marketing, companies can now immediately contact their current customers, and also reach out to new potential customers, through the use of collected data. Renown email marketing company GetResponse emphasise that ‘regular email marketing to existing customers generates a 15 – 50% increase in total online business’ (p3). Fariborzi and Zahedifard support this point that email marketing has been hugely beneficial, as they explain that companies can ‘easily find the number of E-mails sent, number of E-mails that have been opened and that those who have opened up, the number of people who are not registered, and click rate’ (2012). Emails can be personalized to customers and are immediate to send out. In this sense, the advancements in technology have given companies a much more efficient, direct option to get in touch with their customer base.

Despite the clear positive impacts of email marketing, there are some identifiable disadvantages. The main negative associated with email marketing is spam, and the over-frequent saturation of emails sent to consumers. Companies that send out too many emails, or emails that are resultantly filtered, end up in spam folders – which are mostly deleted and never read by consumers. Abusing certain spam regulations can also result in legal trouble, which would impact a company’s reputation hugely (Forneris, 2011)

Whilst Fariborzi and Zahedifard earlier supported the use of email marketing, they do agree that email marketing can have a negative impact on companies. They explain that ‘when an E-mail gets through to the consumer, there is so much E-mail that needs to be looked at sometimes it is difficult for the individual to distinguish between solicited and unsolicited E-mail, as well as have time to read through’ (2012). In this aspect, the use of technology can have a negative impact on the success of companies, as traditional marketing methods were less frequent and more engaging as a result. It is therefore very clear that a fine balance must be made when using email marketing, so that a positive reaction is received by the consumer.

Despite advancements in technology affecting company marketing, the way in which companies brand themselves has stayed fairly consistent. Today, whilst logos and branding campaigns are almost entirely digital, the overall image of brands has not changed dramatically since the days of purely traditional media. To highlight this, the history of Coca Cola identities has been analysed as an exampled. As seen, the logo created in the 1900s is still used to this day. This is essentially because a consistent brand image is imperative to a successful company. Rama Moahana Rao makes a crucial point that ‘the key to creating a brand is the ability of a service company to choose attributes such as name or logo that identify the service and distinguish it from others’ (2011). As indicated by the development of the Coca Cola identity, consistency is key when keeping a brand trustworthy to consumers. Technology has had an impact on the way in which companies brand themselves; however, it has had much more of an impact on the strategies taken through company marketing.

OUGD501 - Studio Brief 02 - Study Task 03: Defining The Brief Page (Initial Idea)

Before settling on a question to answer in this module, various aspects need to be considered. A 3000 word essay must be produced, with a certain focus on one chosen theme -  the themes to pick from include politics, society, culture, history, technology and aesthetics. One specific aspect must be focussed on (e.g. "gender" being a specific aspect of Society), as well as one specific graphic discipline (typography, advertising, branding, print etc).

As an initial task, an A3 design sheet was produced to define and outline my chosen research question and design brief. Various questions were answered before starting question-related research.

1. Research Question -  As there is a wide possibility of avenues to take in terms of a research question, I have chosen an area that suits my developing practice and interest in terms of a career. For the essay last year I focused on the role of print media in the digital age, as print and editorial design was an area that I was really interested in further pursuing career wise. This year, I am still very much interested in this area; however, over the Summer break I spent some time doing design jobs that focused heavily on branding and advertising. This is one area that really interests me - especially the considerations that go into how brands advertise themselves. In this sense, I want to pick a question that links my two interests. Out of the CoP themes set, I feel that the most suitable topic to pick is technology, as it is one aspect that is becoming more and more important to understand in an age that is already heavily digital based. The main question that I want to consider and respond to is:

What role has technology had on the way companies brand themselves?

As the development of technology has created new forms of advertisement, such as through utilising social media, websites, online adverts, viral videos etc, a broader response to this question seems more appropriate. Print can be talked about too, as technology will have had an impact on how businesses and products are branded/advertised physically too.

2. Defining the design problem - When faced with branding and advertising a new business/product there are many challenges to overcome. Firstly, there is the target audience, where the design treatment taken must suit specific consumers identified. Furthermore, to be competitive with other companies, the branding and advertising must work with current technology and trends. 

Brief - By taking advantage of the technology available today, brand a new, start-up online company, utilising current marketing ploys to ensure that the company's campaign is successful.

3. 'Client' needs or requirements - The client in this brief would be the directors of the company that have employed me to brand and advertise their business/product. The client would most likely give a deadline date and would want to set up meetings to discuss stages in the process. A time-plan will be key to ensuring that the campaign is fully completed.

4. Audience - The audience will have to be considered with regards to what the start-up company will be producing/selling. As graphic design can encompass a wide range of age groups, the use of technology and marketing should be carefully considered. Younger people tend to be much more knowledgable with technology than elderly people; therefore, audience appreciation is crucial to ensure a successful outcome is reached.

5. Mandatory Requirements - The necessary outcomes for this brief will be inspired by the essay. Whilst it is too early to say at this stage, the outcome must clearly link to the essay title and a range of ideas should be made. In this sense, the outcome will most likely be entirely digital, as my essay focuses predominantly on Internet marketing and social media. A professional-looking outcome is a must.

As I am still quite early on in writing my essay, I am going to wait until I have completed more of it so that I can begin thinking about a practical piece that is very relevant to the argument being made. These basic points made will be considered however, when writing the essay, to begin the thought process of what my practical outcome could focus on.