Stereotypes and Social Media
After watching Johanna Blakley’s TED talk, I started thinking about how social media, and for that matter, the internet, have begun to essentially “learn” about the individual when it comes to marketing/advertising rather than merely looking at one’s demographic.
Being the daughter of two parents whom both worked in the Adversting, Marketing, and Consulting departments at Proctor and Gamble, I have grown up with the word “demographic.” Superbowl Sunday actually IS about watching the commercials in my house. At a young age, I was taught how targeting a certain demographic can increase your profit margin.
But what happen’s if the word “demographic” falls into oblivion?
Nowadays each internet user is creating their own customized demographic everytime they type something into a Google, buy a product on Amazon, or “like” a page on Facebook. The internet has allowed advertisers to ”get to know you” as an individual. My guess is that their hope is to provide you with products and services you are more likely to buy because they are of interest to you specifically.
As we make this shift from “demographic” to “individual consumer” maybe the generalizations about certain genders, races, ages will disinigrate as well. Maybe 14-year-old girls will start getting ads that don’t have to do with Twilight, and older men will stop having to exit out of the pop-up Viagra ads they’re getting.
Just a thought. Do you think social media could help de-stereotype our society?
Check out Johanna Blakley’s TED Talk here:
http://www.ted.com/talks/johanna_blakley_social_media_and_the_end_of_gender.html
