After reading Chapter 1 of our textbook, Practices of Looking, I was especially
interested in the section titled, “How We Negotiate the Meaning of Images.” It
discussed how a person ‘interprets images and creates a certain meaning with
them’ sometimes even without noticing that he or she is doing so. Though the text
only discussed this idea of interpreting an image in many different ways based
on the background information and context, I thought this idea could also be applied
to videos: specifically a clip from the recent Golden Globe Awards.
George Clooney Honored at Golden Globes
[Skip to 1:55 seconds]
At this year’s Golden Globes, George Clooney was honored
with a Lifetime Achievement Award. As two actors opened for Clooney’s award,
the camera shows Amal Clooney, George’s wife, apparently chatting during his
tribute. Though I am a huge fan of Amal and personally did not see any big
deal, she was subject to much criticism. This criticism was due to how people
interpret the video of her looking the other way and chatting, while George is
sincerely watching as he was honored. Some viewed her action as rude and disrespectful,
while others thought she was just saying a few words about George to someone
sitting near them. Either way, “media semiotics focus exactly on the message
understood as sign transmitted through different media, their meanings and how
they are decoded by the public” (Serban). Though we will never truly know what
Amal was signifying as the camera flashed on her during her husbands tribute,
it is very interesting to see how such a simple image can be interpreted in so
many ways, both negative and positive.
Serban, Silviu. 2012. "The Conative Function of Language and Media Semiotics." Contemporary Readings in Law and Social Justice 4 (2): 838-847. http://ezproxy.rollins.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/
Make-A-Wish Foundation is a non-profit organization that grants wishes to children whom are suffering life-threatening medical conditions. Because this organization is non-profit, Make-A-Wish relies on donations from the public to grant wishes to these deserving children, on average, every 38 minutes. In a recent video campaign titled “The Arc of the Journey,”Make-A-Wish shows the struggles and hardships that thousands of children and parents face everyday, because of life-threatening medical conditions.
This video campaign uses many unique, yet
subtle strategies to appeal to the public in hope for their donations and support. The entire video incorporates different stories families face while
dealing with the hardships and fear of the unknown, due to the life-threatening
medical condition of a child. Not only does it show the negative aspects of
these awful conditions, but also it emphasizes the incredible positive impact a
wish can make. As you hear the voices and stories from different people, the
video flashes important words on the screen to truly convey the difference that
Make-A-Wish has on these children.
The words go from, ‘Treatment, Life Support and Devastating,’ to ‘A Wish,
Opportunity and Alive.’ The uplifting background music also stresses the importance
of “a wish.” Towards the end of the video, the voice-overs say, “We are the
best we’ve ever been health wise,” and “Here’s this little boy – so
determined.” It is truly an uplifting experience and game-changer for thousands
of children. The “life-span” line shown at the end of the video exemplifies the
significance of one wish. One wish gives a child determination to keep fighting
for survival.
In comparison to an American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) video campaign, both of these non-profit organizations have
similar goals. Slight differences in the video are that the ASPCA actually shows the horrible
conditions that the animals are living in, rather than just voice-overs with
descriptive words highlighted throughout the video. I think that this type of
approach is needed for this organization, simply because humans prioritize
humans lives as more important than animals. However, when this video campaign
is showed, the public truly sees that these animals need their help just as
much as humans do.
ASPCA and Make-A-Wish Video Campaigns
Though they are very different to the naked eye, both video campaigns
share common strategies and, in fact, the exact same goals. They must convey to
the public that these children and animals need our help – through support and
donations. Without public support, these organizations would deteriorate and
fail. Video is extremely necessary for
both of these non-profit organizations, simply because it is the most effective
way to gain support from the public. From a personal perspective, I would not
know anything about either of these organizations without their video
campaigns. Through ethos, pathos and logos, both campaigns are able to get
people involved. The credibility of the organizations is shown through the
celebrity support in many of their other video campaigns as well. If the public sees their favorite celebrities helping this organization, then they want to do the same. These videos
appeal to our emotions through the heart wrenching stories and pictures;
meaning that we feel as though it is our responsibility to help others, through
whatever donation we are able to give. Lastly, is extremely logical for us to
help by donating. If 1 dollar a day can change the life of a human or animal,
why wouldn’t we want to help?
Make-A-Wish Quote from Child
Looking back at the Make-A-Wish
video campaign, it is extremely evident that video is effective to promote
their organization. With video being their largest outlet for public relations,
Make-A-Wish relies on these campaigns
to fund their organization; and it does – granting a wish every 38 seconds. Because
these life-threatening medical conditions are many of times incurable, Make-A-Wish allows to us to help these
children the only way we’re able to. Every donation, no matter how small or large, is put toward helping a child fight for their life.
When first looking at C. Wonder’s Facebook, it is evident
that their strategy to sell and promote their products is based on
communicating to their demographic on a personal level and in a fun “fashionista”
way. Their cover photo, along with many other photos, shows customers how to
wear C. Wonder items. This is also a way for C. Wonder to make sure that everyone
knows how to wear or use their items in a flattering way – making C. Wonder
look good in return. With every single status update, C. Wonder also uploads a
picture with the status. Having a picture with every update is important,
because our minds naturally go to pictures rather than words. As we scroll through
our news feeds, we are much more likely to look at something if it has an appealing
picture to go along with it. For example, C. Wonder added cute shoes, a pillow
and two shirts to one of their updates. This immediately catches the attention
of someone who would normally just scroll by it. This update also pertains to
another strategy their PR team uses: personal communication. By using words
such as, “Just for you!” and “Thanks to YOU!” they effectively promote sales to
their customers. This makes customers feel important and relevant to C. Wonder.
They also use contests, such as the Sorority House Makeover, to relate to their
young yet professional demographic. By personally asking in a status update,
“Have you entered the Sorority House Makeover???” along with an appealing
photo, C. Wonder is able to relate to their demographic in a fun and effective
way. What girl wouldn’t want to win this makeover!
C. Wonder Tweets
C. Wonder’s Twitter is very similar to their Facebook;
however, it is unique by incorporating both the strategies used on Facebook and
also new strategies that pertain solely to Twitter. Similar strategies are
those such as relating to their customers by directly replying and re-tweeting.
This, once again, allows customers to feel important. By tweeting every few
hours and hash-tagging certain words, C. Wonder is able to stay relevant by
appearing all over Twitter. Because Twitter is so face-paced, sending out
advertisements all the time would get very annoying to customers – ultimately ending
in people un-following C. Wonder. With this being said, C. Wonder uses the
strategy of humor and light-heartedness in the majority of their tweets. For
example, C. Wonder sends tweets out on a regular basis that have nothing to do
with the brand. I believe that this is a very effective way to relate to their
demographics without constantly advertising product. In fact, this is
camouflaged advertising, because C. Wonder is still able to connect with their
customers in a laid back and fun way.
C. Wonder Facebook photo update
Overall, I believe that C. Wonder uses both Facebook and
Twitter in an effective manner to advertise and connect with their customers.
By using strategies such as personal communication, rewards and sales, and
non-advertising relatable updates, C. Wonder is able to successfully promote
their brand. Because both of C. Wonder’s social networks are fun and appealing,
no one gets annoyed of their updates. Rather, customers can’t wait for the next
update. It could be anything: From a cute dog wearing C. Wonder glasses to a
30% off sale – Now that’s what I call fun!
We all know that every woman is unique and different, but if
there’s one thing we all have in common, it’s that we love to shop! In this day
and age, going to the mall always seems to be a hassle, due to either the
massive amounts of tourists or being away at college. Therefore, many women
have turned to online shopping. One of my favorite designers is Tory Burch.
When going on to Tory’s website, it is very easy to get carried away. Clothing
and Accessories are all organized neatly in sections, so it is very easy to
find exactly what you’re looking for. Once you find what you like, you are even
able to put it in your “Online Shopping Bag!” Here, I have created a site map to easily view every category offered through Tory Burch's main website.
Tory Burch Website Main Page
Tory’s website is organized to successfully promote and sell
her products to and for women. This website is easy to navigate around and find
what you’re looking for. The main sections are shown as soon as you reach the
website, and as you hover over each section, it shows each drop-down
subsection. This way, you are able to go directly to what you’re looking for.
Tory’s main page also introduces her new “Beauty Line,” where you are able to
click on and immediately shop the new collection. The website is able to
successfully promote and sell things that you may not originally be going to
the website for. Because Tory’s new Beauty Line is promoted all over the main
page, it is hard for costumers not click on and browse the new collection. As
customers browse the new line, they may even like it so much to buy it along
with or in place of what they were originally shopping for.
Tory Burch Sub-Sections
Tory Burch’s top demographic would definitely be women,
however, this website is also easy for men to navigate around. Because Tory
Burch has become such a successful and hip designer, men have started to
purchase Tory Burch gifts for their wives, sisters, daughters, etc. The website
even has a subsection under “Accessories” titles “Gifts.” So men, if you’re
completely clueless on what to get your special someone for her birthday, Tory
Burch makes it pretty easy for you! This website also supplies to men whom are
embarrassed to go to the mall and God forbid, have to carry around a Tory Burch
bag! But anyways, let’s get back to Tory’s main demographic- women. This
website effectively sells to all women, from teenagers to grandmothers! It
reaches all women, from those who barely know who Tory Burch is, to those who
love her and religiously read her blog. It easily displays the New Arrivals,
Tory’s Must-Haves, and The Tory Blog to avid customers, while also displaying Clothing,
Handbags and Sale items to those who only know her for that. Each section has “Tory’s PersonalGuide,” meaning, if you
have no clue what you’re looking for, the guide will show you into the right
direction. As you scroll down through the main page, you are even able to “Stay
Connected” through Facebook, Pinterest, emails, etc. Though the bottom of the
main page has a lot of extra tabs, such as Customer Care and the Tory Burch Foundation, they are out of the way of what most people go to the site for. However,
if you need to find any of these resources, they are easily accessible through
the main page.
Tory Burch Wearing Personal Brand
Overall, I believe that this website is so successful
because of the perfect balance between organization and promotion. Tory is able
to easily sell her go-to items while also promoting her new collections,
without causing any confusion or chaos for each shopper. The effectiveness of
this website is shown directly through devoted customers who wear her designs
daily, and the website itself which always seems to have new arrivals. What
more can I say? Everyone loves Tory!
Chick-fil-A has come to be known as
one of the yummiest and healthiest fast-food restaurants in America, and its
public relations team is widely to thank for this. Chick-fil-A was founded in
Georgia in 1946. With its founder possessing evangelical Christian beliefs,
Chick-fil-A is one of the only restaurants closed for business on Sunday. Though
these harsh Christian beliefs enforced into an American restaurant company may
seem like be a turn-off for customers, Chick-fil-A’s public relations team has
made sure that none of this would happen; in-fact, it has made people love Chick-fil-A even more!
Chick-fil-A billboard
Traditional media is one of the
most well-known and successful types of PR that Chick-fil-A has. Everyone
recognizes the humorous and light-hearted billboards of a cow holding up somesort of sign (incorrectly spelled of course) as Chick-fil-A’s. As customers, we
often look forward to seeing new ones because of how comical they are. This
example of traditional media also relates to the 4 p’s of marketing strategy.
The billboards affectively promote the product by using their catch phrase “Eat Mor Chikin.” Their billboards also often show where the closest Chick-fil-A
is, such as “Next Exit. 1.5 Miles.” Having incorrect grammar is also a big PR
stunt that Chick-fil-A uses. Playing into the idea that the cows wrote the
billboard, Chick-fil-A is able to affectively promote their low-priced food to
a wide variety of consumers. Another extremely successful type of traditional
media that Chick-fil-A uses is the “Trade in your toy for ice cream” idea for
kid’s meals. This concept plays into a positive message for children, meaning
you can’t have both your toy and ice cream, but you can trade in your toy for
ice cream if you want to do so. This shows children that you can’t always have
everything you want in life, and sometimes you have to pick one thing over
another, even if you want both. This type of traditional media is extremely
effective, because no other fast-food restaurant does this, separating
Chick-fil-A apart from and above the rest. Chick-fil-A also has "Cow Appreciation Day"
once every year, where customers dress up like cows and come to Chick-fil-A for
a free chicken sandwich. The PR team has actually made their customers walking
advertisements for Chick-fil-A!
Chick-fil-A Cow Appreciation Day
Though traditional media has done
wonders for the Chick-fil-A franchise, their public relations team is also very
successful at staying up-to-date on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Chick-fil-A’s Facebook has constant updates, which keep them connected to their
consumers. The statuses often interact with the public, saying “ ‘Like’ if you’re celebrating Labor Day with friends, family and Chick-fil-A! #HappyLaborDay.” Adding to this, Chick-fil-A’s Twitter account is constantly tweeting and hash
tagging about the abundant love, and quite frankly obsession, everyone has for Chick-fil-A
breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Twitter account also re-tweets other accounts that
tweet about and tag Chick-fil-A, which is an incredibly smart way to
interact and please the public. Also, since Instagram is the entire craze these
days, the Chick-fil-A Instagram account uploads both delicious pictures of
Chick-fil-A food and creative pictures that incorporate
Chick-fil-A. Lastly, Chick-fil-A’s YouTube channel is booming with thousands of
hits, not only because of humorous videos about Chick-fil-A, but also in-depth documentaries on how Chick-fil-A’s Junior Achievement Foundation works to help
children who are less fortunate. All the different types of Chick-fil-A’s new media
successfully uses the 4 p’s of marketing by affectively promoting Chick-fil-A
restaurants with locations and prices that are easily accessibly for all different
demographics.
All in all, Chick-fil-a has become
one of the most successful businesses due to their PR team. They have stayed consistent
with every type of media advertisement they have used and also stayed
consistent with the founder’s beliefs. Because
they have not abandoned any traditional media with the place of new media, but
rather incorporate both into their overall company, Chick-fil-A has become more and
more successful each day. Chick-fil-A is able to effectively use the 4 p’s of
marketing, product, price, place and promotion, and therefore will continue to
thrive with the incredible support and love from their customers.
