Victoria's Secret... Marketing

Every mall in America has a staple store that every girl loves. This store, of course, is Victoria's Secret; a store that has a wide range of products that appeal to all different types of girls and women. Whether you're a pastel flower frills kind of girl or a punk rock princess, you'll be able to find something to fit your style. Not to mention the wide range of body products, makeup, and perfumes you will find there as well.

With sales over $5 billion, Victoria's Secret is a power player in the retail industry. However, it is interesting how Victoria's Secret got to that point with highly overpriced products. Each product is marked up by more than double its cost, and are not always made with the highest quality materials. However, like a cult following, customers repeatedly purchase $10 pieces of fabric and elastic bands.

I love walking into a Victoria's Secret store, no matter where I am. Being a girly girl, I'm immediately drawn in by the expanse of pink stripes and lace. I always know that when I step into a Victoria's Secret that I will quickly be greeted by someone and reminded that if I need any help that there is someone there for me. I always feel that sense of luxury and grandeur, even if I'm just in my local mall.

This is the bread and butter of Victoria's Secret's business strategy. The company relies on this prestige and has gathered a huge customer base that buys into it. Unlike many other huge retailers, Victoria's Secret lets the customer know that it is a designer brand. Each year the Victoria's Secret fashion show is broadcast on television and is a highly anticipated event. Both women and men gather to watch the hour long show featuring the Victoria's Secret Angels strutting their stuff down the runway. The outfits are outrageous and fun, sexy and gorgeous and appeal to both sexes. The funny part is, people are really just watching an hour long commercial. I think it's amazing that a marketing ploy is something that people all over the U.S. will watch while drinking wine and having a good time.



Both the stores and products appeal to women and men due to the atmosphere and attitude that they convey. Victoria's Secret is a brand that everyone can identify from the pink-striped shopping bags to the semi-annual sale. This yearly event is nothing crazy or new in the marketing world, but Victoria's Secret has almost branded the phrase "semi-annual sale" with their onslaught of commercials and social media strategies. I follow Victoria's Secret on Twitter, and was surprised to see that people were sending in photo's of their "haul" from shopping the semi-annual sale to the company. I would really like to meet the marketing genius to came up with
this idea because it helps the company in so many ways. Not only are they getting the customers to interact with the brand, but they're also sending these posts that their friends can see. I know that I get jealous of every post that I see and wish I had a better income so I could buy all of it (man am I materialistic).

I would be honored to work for the marketing department of Victoria's Secret because they are really masterminds when it comes to selling. I have yet to see a marketing tactic that Victoria's Secret has used that I haven't thought was brilliant!!

Taylor Swift is gorgeous!!

Enchanting Lady

My choices in music are not always considered cool or hip or original, but I don't care. I like what I like, and I don't care what other people think of my choices because music is a source for me to get lost. Whether I'm just driving in my car with the windows down or I'm listening to my iPod trying to fall asleep, music can make or break a mood. With that said, I'd like to discuss my favorite artist for years, Taylor Swift.

When looking at the iTunes top 100 there seems to be a common theme... A lot of artists are singing songs that were written by SOMEONE ELSE. I know that there are people with creative talent, and others with technical talent, but when you can find an artist that you can relate with that are both technically and creatively talented it's like "awwwww yeahhhhhh," and that's the reaction I have to Taylor Swift and her music.

I've been a fan from her first self-titled album. Like most people, I first heard of Taylor from hearing her song "Teardrops on my Guitar" on the radio, and from the first time I heard, I was hooked. I went onto iTunes to hear what her other music was like and I was very impressed. I had heard that Taylor Swift was 16 years old, and I expected that her music would be corny and pop crap. However, I found that her lyrics were refreshingly mature, but not fake. She writes about what she knows, and does not pretend that she is something else.

I quickly fell in love with "Our Song," and I have to admit that it's still one of my favorite songs. It's fun and original, and it's really something that I could picture coming from a 16 year old girl.



Not to mention, Taylor Swift is gorgeous in this video!

When Taylor came out with her Fearless album, I was itching for more. I could not wait to hear her as she grew, and experienced fame over a few years. I wondered if her fame would change her lyrics or sound, such has happened with many artists before. Happily, I found that her sound had changed but she still kept her style. Though Fearless was a great album, thus far it is my least favorite.

Speak Now, on the other hand, is my favorite album of any artist ever. (Sounds extreme, but it's actually true). There is not a single song on the album that I do not like, and I continually change my opinion on which song on the album is the best. I absolutely adore her newest single music video for "Mean."



I just can't get enough of Taylor Swift, and I'm very happy to say that I will be seeing her for the second time on June 25th at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. The only reason I would wish this summer to go by faster is so that we will be closer to another Taylor Swift album!! :)

Media Meditation #3 - Sam In Wonderland

Being a fan of Tim Burton, I decided to see Alice In Wonderland in theaters this past Saturday. From beginning to end, the movie was packed with digital perfection and of course an interesting and fun story. Overall, the movie was a good watch and I would rate it an eight out of ten.
Alice In Wonderland included many of the toolsets, which led to its success. Beginning with the music in the movie, one of the most powerful parts of the movie was its soundtrack.

GIVE IT A LISTEN!


As you can hear from this clip, the music is really mysterious and almost intriguing. This uses the Limbic brain, making the viewer feel emotions of fear, hesitation, and maybe even sadness. This is a good production technique used by Tim Burton from the seven principles.

Other production techniques are vital in making the movie more of an experience rather than just a movie. The colors and scenery in the movie are almost breathtaking. Though I didn't see the movie in 3D, I felt like the scenery almost popped out of the screen anyways. Like in the picture, many of the scenes included intricate details to create a fairytale forest that many couldn't even imagine. This adds to the film's overall mysterious feeling and creates a cinematic eye catcher.

Working with the shifts in media culture, Alice is really a perfect example of an epistemological shift. The story started out as a book, a story for children to work their imaginations. Now it is featured in nine different films, both cartoons and films featuring actors and actresses. Our culture brought the story from just word to images.

In order to draw an audience to this creative film, the creators also used many persuasive techniques. It all begins with nostalgia and warm fuzzies, because this is a movie that many people have seen in the past as a Disney cartoon. It brings back memories of the past with the lovable and crazy characters.

When looking back at the trailer, one can expect different things from the movie. They begin with humor and hyperbole. When Johnny Depp's character claims that the only way to survive is by being mad as a hatter, not only does it show that the movie may be funny, but it also exaggerates how crazy the fictional location can be.

Lastly, it uses beautiful people, though in a different way. Many of the actors and actresses are famous celebrities who many people look up to. Tim Burton, of course, put his spin on it and dressed them in crazy make up and costumes.

For the most part, I would encourage anyone to see this movie because even if the story isn't for you, the digital effects and Johnny Depp can appeal to just about anyone. If you don't take my word for it, however, you can look into these reviews by the Washington Post.

Media Meditation #2 - A Look Into the Olympic Games

The Olympic games have always been popular for viewers to watch around the world. But the question is: what is the main draw? In the United States of America, a wide array of sporting events are constantly being aired on the television, yet, typically they do not seem to have the same mass appeal that the Olympics do.

I have always watched different sports including baseball, basketball, football, and even gymnastics and sometimes hockey. However, none of these American sports appeal to me as much as the Olympics. The main reasons that I watch the Olympics are that usually the sports being played are unique and are not usually being aired, and I like watching as people's dreams come true. Every time an American athlete wins in any competition I feel a sense of pride. This does not really happen to me while watching American sports that are typically being aired.

So why do viewers get such a strong sense of pride and belonging when they watch the Olympics? I believe it is because the network that airs the Olympics, NBC, uses different techniques to really connect with their audience.

When thinking about the Olympics, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the image of the Olympic rings. The five rings are supposed to represent the five parts of the world that participate in the Olympic games. Since the rings have been used in every modern Olympic game, viewers all around the world can relate with the image and automatically associate it with the Olympics. NBC, knowing that the symbol is widely known, consistently shows it throughout showing the games. Not only is this a great production technique, but it is also a persuasive technique using "Idea-conveyances."

After viewing the same image over and over again, the audiences limbic brain has been conditioned to feel specific emotions when they see the image. Many feel pride and belonging, and some may even feel competitive feelings. Each of these feelings make the viewer feel like they are a part of the games, which is a crucial feeling that is missing with most sports that are typically aired on American television.

The same feelings can be felt after the games when the athletes accept their medals on the Olympic podium. Coca Cola even created a commercial focusing on this feeling.

The music in this commercial works the limbic brain and makes the viewer feel emotions that for the most part, would not be felt without it. Also, the montage of past Olympics brings up persuasive techniques of nostalgia and the quote, "If you've had a Coke in the last 80 years, you've had a hand in making every Olympic dream come true," brings up the persuasive technique bandwagon.

Many of the Olympic athletes are even on Twitter! I saw a story on Massachusetts local news that Lindsey Vonn had replied to a fan's tweet that stated, "My cousin bet me $50 you wouldn't respond," making the fan know that she actually read the things fans wrote to her. Knowing that the athletes, though they are almost celebrities, can also relate with plain folks. This adds to the feeling that fans are almost a part of the Olympic games.

Most Americans can relate with a moment when they were watching either the summer or winter Olympics in the past. I love the feeling I get when watching the Olympics, that I have a part in the games and I can be proud of the American athletes that represent my country.

Media Meditation #1 - Superbowl Commercials; Are They Really Effective?

$2.8 million. A huge amount of money at any time, let alone during a time when the economy is at a major low. This is the average cost for one 30 second slot during the 2010 Superbowl.

So it leaves one wondering; Is it worth it?

I believe for some companies it was. There are 3 commercials that I believe were a success in the 2010 Superbowl, not only because they were memorable, but because they also created an effect of word-of-mouth advertising because they were popular.

These 3 commercials are:
- Doritos Kid Slaps Man
- Bud Light Auto Tune (With T-Pain)
- Snickers Betty White Commercial

All three of these commercials really hit the main target market of the Superbowl, which is men, and they displayed mass appeal using the different tool sets we have used in class. Below, I will describe why each of these commercials were, indeed, worth the money.

Doritos Kid Slaps Man

Doritos, being the sponsor of the Superbowl halftime, placed multiple advertisements throughout the game. The most effective, however, was this commercial, where the young boy slaps the man that is dating his mother.
Beginning with the 7 principles of media education, this commercial really uses many different production techniques. The camera angles are constantly changing, keeping the viewer on edge, and the editing is unique to the other commercials during the Superbowl because there are many different scenes within the one commercial. Additionally, Doritos makes sure that viewers can relate the brand to the commercial. Not only do they show the product, but they have the actors interact with the product. Additionally, they include their logo at the end of the commercial so that there is an image in the viewers mind.
A lot of this applies also to the commercial's interaction with the triune brain. Because the commercial is humorous, it stimulates the Limbic brain, making the viewer feel different emotions while watching. Later, when the logo and writing appear, the Neocortex is being stimulated. All of which, encourages the viewer to remember the product because it is relating in their brain.
This commercial also uses one main persuasive technique to get the viewers to become customers. Humor is the biggest persuasive technique, being repeated all throughout the commercial. This is what the viewers remember from the commercial and talk about with their friends. But what is important, however, is that the customer can also relate it with Doritos because the product name is in the "punch line" of the commercial.
Overall, the thought process that went into making this commercial really hit the mark, making this commercial worth the expense. This was my personal favorite commercial during the Superbowl, and I have heard many different people talking about the infamous Doritos Superbowl slap.

Bud Light Auto Tune (With T-Pain)

The commercial that I believed to be second best was Bud Light's Auto Tune commercial featuring T-Pain. Lately, a lot of hip-hop music has been featuring synthesized voice overs. Taking advantage of this new trend, Bud Light really connected with the main audience watching the Superbowl.
Like the Doritos commercial, Bud Light relied mostly on humor to sell their product. However, they did something that Doritos did not do; They included a popular celebrity to endorse their product. T-Pain is a celebrity that many people in the target audience know of and appreciate. Therefore, Bud Light did well in incorporating T-Pain into their advertisement.
Additionally, Bud Light used the plain folks persuasive technique in including normal people in the advertisement going throughout their day with the same style as T-Pain. This is the exaggeration that made the advertisement humorous and enjoyable.
Like the Doritos ad, the Bud Light ad also stimulated the Limbic and Neocortex parts of the brain. Because Bud Light had multiple ads, many of which were humorous and ones that the audience could relate with, the brand will be remembered for a while after the Superbowl. Therefore, Bud Light's commercials were also worth the investment.

Snickers Betty White Commercial

The last commercial that I believe was worth the money was the Snickers commercial featuring Betty White. As locals played football, Snickers compared an unenergized man who had not yet had Snickers to playing football like he was Betty White. After he eats a Snickers, however, he is back to playing like normal, making the throws he is supposed to.
This ad is mostly effective because of its humor, but it is also something that the viewers can relate with. Because the viewer most likely likes football, there are a lot that they can relate with watching some neighborhood football in the commercial. Some of the persuasive techniques that Snickers used were big lie, hyperbole, simple solution, humor, testimonial, plain folks, nostalgia, and warm fuzzies. Being packed with persuasive techniques, Snickers really encourages viewers to buy their product. This is the main reason that I believe that this one commercial is worth the huge cost. I think that enough people can relate with the product from this commercial, and that it is memorable enough for people to actually go out and buy the product.


So there you have it. These are the only 3 commercials that I believed to be worth the huge cost. Making the right decision is crucial for companies during this time, and I truly do believe that some companies made the wrong decision in putting out less than perfect commercials during the Superbowl. If a commercial is not up to par, not only can it be detrimental to a company to waste money on it, but it might even put a negative label on it in the viewers mind for wasting a spot in the Superbowl.

People expect perfection from commercials placed during the Superbowl, and at $2.8 million, perfection doesn't seem like too much to ask for.