MARKETING
Ms. Ward has worked in Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing and Sales in many organizations. Here are a few recent examples:
Ms. ward employs anthropological techniques to identify the cultural essence of the organization to focus, communicate, differentiate and develop brands. She conducts ethnographic analyses to determine what people are thinking about the company, the industry, the product, and the competitors. Her integrated marketing approach supports the sales efforts and focuses on revenue. Her approach includes traditional bricks and mortar, as well as e-commerce and social media strategies.
Anthropologists focus on storytelling, which is at the core of strong brand, advertising, marketing and sales initiatives. An anthropological approach improves the effectiveness of marketing by relying less on focus groups and surveys, and more on direct observation of consumer behavior at home, work and play. Brands and trends monitoring can be conducted through ethnography. The anthropologist observes and talks to users in their natural habitats, plays video games with consumers, eats at restaurants with friends, talks with teenagers in shopping malls, and watches system interactions in an attempt to discover brand and product perceptions. Ms. Ward has observed people in the following situations:
Not only does she conduct the observations, she has encouraged the executives to embrace the role of corporate ethnographer. At Chase Bank of Texas, she implemented Front Line Fridays. One Friday each month, the corporate executives spent the day performing front line tasks. They worked in call centers, as tellers, personal bankers, data entry clerks, collectors, and accountants. From this hands-on experience, the executives are better able to develop actionable items for change. They leave their offices regularly, so they can experience the operations, see the problems and product flaws, and identify improvements that satisfy customer needs.
The importance of observation to marketing and advertising is that people say one thing and then do another. Focus groups and survey instruments often yield answers that are inconsistent with consumer behavior. People will say one thing, yet do another, without intending to deceive, and the gap between talk and behavior widens in group discussions. There is a dissonance between what people say and how they behave. The consumers may declare their preference for brand A on surveys but actually buy brand B because of price or other reason.
Market localization is also conducted by anthropologists using demographic analysis techniques and qualitative research. Anthropologists can share the consumer behavior that businesses need to be successful; they can predict product market reception. For example, to improve the acceptance of Oreo cookies in China, they were manufactured to look like a wafer. Understanding consumer behavior is vital.
All phases of marketing, design, finding a target market, product localization, and advertising, benefits from anthropology.
Ms. Ward has worked in Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing and Sales in many organizations. Here are a few recent examples:
- Developed more than 200 annual advertising campaigns, marketing strategies and events, both online and offline.
- Developed branding strategies for products, services and education, including the recent re-branding of the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts.
- Led a national consulting sales team, establishing new clients, reinforcing relationships, and driving revenue.
- Created revenue strategies for insurance agency that transformed it to the largest commercial agencies in Nevada.
- Developed a telemarketing call center to support the sales of multiple products and services.
Ms. ward employs anthropological techniques to identify the cultural essence of the organization to focus, communicate, differentiate and develop brands. She conducts ethnographic analyses to determine what people are thinking about the company, the industry, the product, and the competitors. Her integrated marketing approach supports the sales efforts and focuses on revenue. Her approach includes traditional bricks and mortar, as well as e-commerce and social media strategies.
Anthropologists focus on storytelling, which is at the core of strong brand, advertising, marketing and sales initiatives. An anthropological approach improves the effectiveness of marketing by relying less on focus groups and surveys, and more on direct observation of consumer behavior at home, work and play. Brands and trends monitoring can be conducted through ethnography. The anthropologist observes and talks to users in their natural habitats, plays video games with consumers, eats at restaurants with friends, talks with teenagers in shopping malls, and watches system interactions in an attempt to discover brand and product perceptions. Ms. Ward has observed people in the following situations:
- Using ATM's
- Shopping online
- Shopping for groceries
- Sending email
- Banking
- Teaching
- Using systems
- Buying insurance
- Selecting travel destinations
- Dining
Not only does she conduct the observations, she has encouraged the executives to embrace the role of corporate ethnographer. At Chase Bank of Texas, she implemented Front Line Fridays. One Friday each month, the corporate executives spent the day performing front line tasks. They worked in call centers, as tellers, personal bankers, data entry clerks, collectors, and accountants. From this hands-on experience, the executives are better able to develop actionable items for change. They leave their offices regularly, so they can experience the operations, see the problems and product flaws, and identify improvements that satisfy customer needs.
The importance of observation to marketing and advertising is that people say one thing and then do another. Focus groups and survey instruments often yield answers that are inconsistent with consumer behavior. People will say one thing, yet do another, without intending to deceive, and the gap between talk and behavior widens in group discussions. There is a dissonance between what people say and how they behave. The consumers may declare their preference for brand A on surveys but actually buy brand B because of price or other reason.
Market localization is also conducted by anthropologists using demographic analysis techniques and qualitative research. Anthropologists can share the consumer behavior that businesses need to be successful; they can predict product market reception. For example, to improve the acceptance of Oreo cookies in China, they were manufactured to look like a wafer. Understanding consumer behavior is vital.
All phases of marketing, design, finding a target market, product localization, and advertising, benefits from anthropology.