“Power Does Lie in the Hands of Beholder”

Power, Usage and Impact of Digital Marketing in today’s world

An Independent writing project charted by Puneet Kohli.

Synopsis:
While Rajnikanth gets his southern fame by mystically flipping a flying cigarette straight into his mouth and
frustrated Chanda of Dev D smells coke and becomes the style icon for more than 10 millions, its time now to
analyze what, and how much, digital marketing can do to transform this cultural conglomerate. My project is
a short spotlight on this veiled ball of glamour, power and lifestyle that modifies modern life’s (especially
teenagers) and how its powerful use can transform the modern world for good or for worse. The project also
highlights how Digital Marketing has actually unfolded itself to every possible area of our lives, be it social
networking sites to bollywood and further to an irresistible peer pressure, presented with accurate research
and its further implications.

Concept:

What exactly is marketing?

Marketing is a persuasive phenomenon in the present era. Everyday, we are exposed to marketing of goods,
services and ideas by various brands around us.

For example : when salesperson sells a television ,a doctor treats a patient or a state government asks the
people to get their vehicles checked for pollution ,each is marketing something to the targets.

According to Cundiff and Still (1972)

Marketing is a business process by which products are matched with the markets through which transfers of
ownerships are affected.”
 Broadly speaking, there are two interpretations of marketing which are:-

Marketing

Product Customer

However, in modern world, product oriented definition of Marketing is considered to be a narrow

interpretation which does not hold good anymore .Whereas consumer oriented approach to marketing is
widely accepted and even practiced by the dynamic business firms.

In today’s era consumer is the most important person to persuade by the seller, knowing the consumer’s
demand and satisfying its need is the main aim of a true marketer.

However ,in the modern world ,product oriented definition of Marketing is considered to be a narrow
interpretation which does not hold good anymore .Whereas consumer oriented approach to marketing is
widely accepted and even practiced by the dynamic business firms.

In today’s era consumer is the most important person to persuade by the seller, knowing the consumer’s
demand and satisfying its need is the main aim of a true marketer.

What is Digital Marketing?

Advertising has become an important function of marketing in this competitive world. It helps to spread
message about a product or service or an idea and promote its sale. It facilitates creation of a non-personal
link between the advertiser and the receiver of the message.

The importance of advertising has increased in the modern era of large scale production and tough
competition in the market. Business firms use several media for promoting their products, services and
ideas .Before they used media like newspaper, magazines, hoardings, window display etc., but now they
are spending a major part of their revenue on digital media.

Digital media is promoting of brands using all forms of digital advertising. This now includes television,
radio, internet, mobiles, digital outdoors, banners/ads, digital display and other forms of digital Medias so
as to reach the consumers in a timely, relevant, personal and cost effective manner. Blend of both
powerful tools makes Digital Marketing effective.
What is Social Marketing?
Kotler and Zaltman (1971), stated that “Social Marketing refers to the solution of social and health
problems.”

The fundamental aim of my review essay is to put an effort to make the youth realize that we are harming
ourselves by driving rashly, alcohol overdose, smoking, drugs intake, gambling, sex etc. These factors
amongst the youth are just too casual but will affect them in the future. I want to make the youth aware of
certain facts with the help of social marketing awareness and use of versatile theories like triadic influence
and protection motivation in cognitive effect with respect to fear as numerous accidents have taken place
and to know opinion of the youth. Also to recommend the ways by which people can overcome this
problem. Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) can be a useful tool to reduce all the problems faced by the
youth through coping and threat appraisal. PMT states that behavior and attitude can be changed through
cognitive process .The consumption of alcohol, smoking, drugs etc. have been very high around the world
among the youth and its advertising has also been criticized. I will be using qualitative methodology for
my research which includes a focus group which will be conducted to get the key findings and conclusion
taking the opinions of around 15 respondents from age group of 15 – 30 years.

The concept of social marketing was first coined by Philip Kotler in 1971 .According to Kotler and
Roberto (1971) social marketing is a concept of using different techniques of marketing to sell a kind of
idea or a behavioral change without selling any kind of a product or a commodity. Social marketing is
basically consists of six different concepts which are necessary to understand social marketing. These are:

• Customer Orientation
• Behavior goals
• Marketing mix
• Audience segmentation
• Competition
• Exchange
 Marketing
Mix

Audience
Exchange Segmentation

Social
Marketing

Customer
Orientation Competition

Behavioral
goals

Social marketing has a single approach which is to use the marketing concepts in order to improve their
target audience’s personal welfare and that of their society.

Around the world, the era between First and Second World War, youth between the age group of 18-24
year old were supposed to be least likely drinkers, smokers, druggists’ etc. Children below the age of 18
were extremely distant from this social epidemic. After the growth and slowly as nations began to develop
and luxuries gain importance in every common man’s life, then the scenario completely changed. After
1960’s as drinking flourished all over as it became necessity for people to get relaxed from their routine
lifestyle .From 1960’s, as the growth of pubs and restaurants started, drinking, smoking etc. then became
an essential ingredient of youth culture. After 1980’s, youth people belonging to age group of 14-18
years ,who were the one who were least interested in drinking, became the heaviest drinkers, smokers etc,
and started drinking, smoking, consuming drugs almost regularly. Especially youth belonging from age
group of 15-18 years of age are highest rated among all international league for drinking, smoking and
consumption of drugs (Hibell et al, 1997. Youth communities are generally addicted to smoking,
gambling and followed by drinking.

Motor vehicles accidents is common cause in countries like CANADA (Beirness, Simpson, Mayhew &
Desmond, 2005). Adlaf, Mann & Paglia, (2003) added saying 15.1% students were found driving after
two hours of drinking. According to Institute of Alcohol Studies (2000) conveys that young people
between age group of 14 -15 years drink regularly or frequently in London.

\According to national survey “(Goddard, 2000) conducted in 1999 found approximately 28% of 14
year olds had used alcohol at least once in the previous week. This figure rose to 48% for boys and 40%
for girls at age 15. In a survey of drug use, smoking and drinking among young teenagers in England
2001, 54% of boys aged 15 had drunk alcohol in the last week, and 50% of girls of the same age had
also drunk alcohol in the last week (National Centre for Social Research, 2001)”.

Consumption of alcohol is very usual thing around the world as it is part of our culture. According to
(Global Magazine,2001), “alcohol policies directed at young people should be part of a broader societal
response, since drinking among young people to a large extent reflects the attitudes and practices of
wider adult society”.

Youths are unaware about potential risks which may occur because of inappropriate consumption of
alcohol as compares to adults (Commission of the European Communities, 2000). Youths belonging from
age of 16 should not be neglected and should given the opportunity to participate in the survey as they are
more likely to consume alcohol (Health Education Board for Scotland, 2000). There is high prevalence of
alcohol consumption on United Kingdom among youths (Meashem, 2007). The consumption of alcohol
has augmented rapidly from 39 to 46 percent in 2007 among youths (Fuller, 2008).

Excessive consumption of alcohol leads to health troubles in future like liver cirrhosis and also affects
studies of youths and later on leads to involvements illegal proceedings (Viner & Taylor, 2007).
Consumption of alcohol among youth leads to disruptive attitude, anxiety and eating disorders, suicidal
tendencies (Newbury-Birch, 2009). According to Standerwick et.al (2007), founded that large number of
persons in south of England who suffered from sexual infections was because on binge drinking and were
consequence of having unprotected sex.

Protection motivation theory [PMT] expresses that human behavior can be changed. PMT aims up in
understanding human behavior and it focuses on responses and self effectiveness which helps to
understand individual’s behavior, cost in implementing the response along with fundamental and outside
behaviors on persons (Rogers, 1983). PMT act as helpful tool to understand alcohol consumption as its
core potential is calculated by examining intentions to accept particular behavior. Vulnerability and cost-
benefit analysis should be undertaken precisely as they are basic principles of Protection Motivation
Theory in adherence which will facilitate to cope up with problem of drinkers (Bardsley and Beckman,
1988). Triadic Influence Theory is mixture of many theories conducted on past which influences human
behavior. Triadic Influence Theory involves 7 tiers of causes of human behavior. These 7tiers are
different perceptions and influences on human behavior. The 7tiers includes cultural and
environmental analysis influences on human behavior. Social and Interpersonal influences on social
bonding, social beliefs, self determination leading to self efficacy. This theory can be intended on
direct, indirect, old, and new behavior of individuals.

“Children belonging to the age group from 15 – 25 wants to try everything from drinking to smoking.
From drugs to sex etc.” says Ms. Aditi Misra [principal of DPS, Gurgaon].Due to which they they pick up
such habits without realizing the after-effects of it. Most of the children get into such bad habits because
of the peer-pressure. She also says smoking, drinking, drugs etc. are increasing with time.
 LITERATURE REVIEW

From drinking to excessive consumption of tobacco and drugs has been a major social problem in the
society because of which various problems have cropped up resulting to dangerous consequences and
which can even lead to sudden death.
Many forms of digital marketing is trying to make the youth aware of the effects of excessive drinking and
consumption of tobacco and drugs.

“With a cigarette in your hand you feel like a man” (a song by Gary lawyer).

This is the mindset which is hardest to beat as tobacco brands have find various means to support its ultra
cool image through fashion and culture as a result Indians have started to smoke young as early as in
school. Studies show now more girls are lighting up, in the metros and in our smallest cities.

 “Indians future is going up in smoke.” If experts are to be believed. A recent report of

140 countries by the US centre of disease control and prevention shows that globally smokers are
getting younger. If supported by the World Health Organization estimate that the number of
youth especially girls smoking and drinking have become very high. Therefore in the of 13-15
nearly 9.7% girls surveyed are smokers whereas 17.3% are males (source WHO). And
compare this to the age group of 18-49 years in which around 1.4% women smoke and 3.2%
males smoke.

 Dr.Vinay hazare [Dean, Nagpur Dental College] says “we get 2000 patients per month
out of which about 600 patients are having tobacco related diseases which even includes
school going children.”

 Youngsters in Nagpur say that “smoking gives us a bold look and makes us feel really
better.”

 People in Chennai say that “looking in movies as to how our role models smoke or
drink inspires us. Celebrities like John Abraham in no smoking to Rajnikanth, if these people
can smoke then why we can’t.”

 In India tobacco advertisements are banned so the largest tool to promote their products
by tobacco companies has become cinema where your role models are lighting up. Then there is
surrogate branding ITC for instance discontinued selling tobacco under the Wills brand and
started selling clothes and accessories and even sponsoring fashion shows.

 Dr. Narasimhan (senior respiratory physician, Apollo hospital) says “youngsters in India
are trying to follow some of their ideals due to which the number of chain smokers and
drinkers are increasing.”
Methodology:
To be written in bullets.