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New Media Age – What Is New Media?
In years past, products were sold personally. They were marketed through cajoling, persuasion,
and to some extent even manipulation. This is somewhat humiliating on the part of the
seller, especially if he is not born as a natural salesperson. This is also usually
annoying to the targeted customer. Such marketing strategy wastes a lot of time and effort,
both on the part of the seller and the buyer. With the advent of new production and development
technologies, new products and services were invented. This gives rise to the evolution
of the New Media Age of marketing.
Today, there are many different forms of media used in marketing:
• Newspapers, magazines, radios, and televisions are now deluged with advertisements.
• Posters, leaflets, flyers, and banners are also used as advertising tools.
• Business cards and brochures are handed personally to people or sent through snail
mail.
A Little History Of the New Media Age of Marketing
During the industrial age, mass production became very efficient. More products were
produced at a lesser cost and with fewer man hours used. This gave rise to more product
variants such as toothpaste and shampoo, as well as more models of machines like automobiles.
More luxury products were also developed such as facial wash, nail cream, hair colorant,
foot moisturizer, and many others!
To market these non-basic or not-so-essential products, the psychological psyche of the
individual was targeted. Specifically targeted was the self esteem of a person, which was
identified by Abraham Maslow, a renowned psychologist, as one of the needs of individuals. Very popular
celebrities in the field of entertainment and sports were employed as commercial models.
The ads were very costly, although very effective, because the customers liked to be identified
with their favorite celebrities, though indirectly, by using the products that they were endorsing.
This part in the evolution of the New Media age of marketing is responsible for making
Today, more sensible businessmen use other forms of new media age marketing strategies
• New media age example #1: Giving product samples, free trials of products and services,
• New media age example #2: Hiring staff to promote products through demos in supermarkets,
schools, and other places where there are a greater number of potential customers.
• New media age example #3: Showing testimonies of satisfied product users on TV, newspapers,
and magazines.
• New media age example #4: Providing before- and after-sale services like free deliveries
and installation, warranties and free spare parts replacement, and toll-free twenty-four
hour call center services that accommodate customer inquiries and requests.
All these new media age methods effectively attract buyers, and even the most discriminating
customers. More importantly, they have specific appeal to practical individuals.
In today's high-tech world, advertisements are becoming subliminal. Articles are written
by regular columnists in tabloids, newspapers, and magazines discretely, mentioning a particular
brand of a product. Photos of popular celebrities wearing a particular product, in which brands
are conspicuously shown, are seen in tabloids and magazines. These types of new media age
techniques are effective for customers because many have the tendency to think that the product
is really good, believing that the photograph and its publication is just coincidental.
The creative evolution of New Media Age marketing strategies provides a great relief to both
the customer and the seller. For one, the buyer no longer needs to be directly pressured
by persistent salesmen to buy a product or service – no longer wasting time and energy.
And more importantly, New Media Age marketing liberalizes the entire marketing process.