In “Branding in the Digital Age”, David Edelman discusses how the digital age has transformed the way marketers reach consumers. Marketers’ old methods of connecting with consumers and creating campaigns that result in an increase in sales have given way to new methods that are more aligned with the way consumers today are spending their time: with technology. When I thought about this, I found it to be very true. I thought about the top 3 brands that I think about on a regular basis, and all three of them are a part of my everyday life via social media platforms. They aren’t solely promoting their products, but establishing a brand connection with me and millions of other users. One of my favorite brands, lululemon, is in my Facebook/Twitter newsfeed at least 3 times a day. Few of the posts they make are about the products they sell (I get those to my email…), but instead about the “lifestyle” of someone who would buy their products. I think the attempt to connect with consumers on a different level is working, because I definitely don’t think of the brand as someone trying to sell me something. I think of it more as a part of my life.

He mentions that a lot of marketing online can cause issues because of web design: links can be broken causing inconsistency across sites and consumer confusion. On a bigger scale, this can lead to a decrease in sales or negative attitudes toward a brand or product. He then mentions how Apple and Nike have used technology to solve problems and promote their brand. Apple made everything simple, created continuity across all products, and used digital media to create cool videos and commercials. From a branding perspective, all of these were great decisions. Apple is a brand most people are familiar with. The visuals provided in advertisements as well as the software let us know that Apple is distinct from all other brands. The ease with which it is designed makes it so knowing how to use one Apple product allows you to know how to use them all. Nike also used technology to promote their brand and their slogan, by creating products and applications to track workouts and using video and audio to make some cool videos. The message I took from this portion of the article is that technology is a great tool for marketing and branding, but not every brand should use it in the same way. It should not be that marketers are finding ways to fit their brand into technology. Instead, they should challenge themselves to make technology work for their brand and their products. Technology can be incorporated into almost every brand, but it does not have to be used in the same way by all.

In response to the Social Media Strategy article, I feel as though social media is too big a part of the business world and personal connections to NOT be a part of. As a Social Computing Informatics major, I cringe when I hear (on rare occasion) that a college student isn’t on Facebook or Twitter. I feel that these platforms are tools that we can use to our advantage so long as we are careful about and conscious of the content we provide through them. In the same way that someone without Microsoft Word or PowerPoint skills would have a hard time succeeding in a professional role (or in college!), I think that knowledge of social media platforms and how to leverage them in your favor is another skill that is useful to have. I found an very interesting article in the New York Times that touches on how important social media presence is becoming.