Introduction
Modern information technology operations had made it easier for humans to become more involved in getting access to the newest and most interesting information about particular matters that affect them. In the field of marketing, information is an important element to take into account. Practically, people have become more interested in information that specifically responds to matters that reflect their values and their understanding of the society. Through determinable observation, it has been found out that even though human individuals from different cultures and different backgrounds have different interests, there is one thing that gets their attention altogether; and this is notably the existence of rumor.
What is ‘hot’, what is ‘new’, and what is ‘controversial’; this is what rumors are made up of. Being considered as information that creates a distinct point of interest among the listeners, rumors have been agreed to be among the most effective elements that help develop the evolution of marketing, especially in line with serving the needs and the condition of interest of the new society. In the discussion that follows, a definite presentation on what rumor is and how it has revolutionized the concept of marketing shall be given specific attention to.
The Psychology behind Rumor
Rumors are defined as information passed on from one person to another that might or might not be true. Labeling it as true or not looses the identification of a specific data as a rumor. It is the unidentified status of the information that makes it a rumor. The concept of knowing whether or not an information is true keeps the height of interest of listeners or conversationalists on that particular topic specifically prolonged up to the point when it is already proven true or not.
It is a common factor among humans to be interested in something new, something practically controversial. This is especially true if the information is directed towards a person or a topic that is close to their interest. The most controversial type of rumor includes the involvement of famous individuals or institutions into something scrupulous or uncommon for their kind. For instance, artists are expected to be role models; given the position that they take in the society and the kind of attention they get from the public, they are indeed the news makers in the society. People who look up to them are willing to do anything to build them up as well as that of their career. However, there is always two sides in a coin; if there are those who support them, there are also those who despise them. With such understanding, it could be expected that apart from the recognition they get, artists are also bound to be ridiculed and bombarded by several aspects of bashing from the public and from the industry as well.
At some point, such comments affect the personal being of the artists. Most of the time, their career is also affected at some point; nevertheless, there are managers of these artists who believe that ‘publicity is publicity, no matter how good or how bad it is’. This belief specifically entails to prove the idea that artists [being the product of the industry] need to be marketed. There are instances when some of the artists are not given enough projects for them to be seen by the public as often as needed. As a result to this, the ‘luster’ of that artist’s star in the industry begins to diminish. Managers need to take into account that the name of such artists should be back in circulation. When it comes to drastic measures, creating stories of controversy make the path towards rekindling the interest of the people on a specific person. Would they go for the good stories? Notably, through time of observing media and the entertainment industry, it is most often than not that the not-so-good news get the immediate attention of the public rather than the good and consistently common ones. Hence, to make a mark or at some point a grand re-entry into the world of entertainment, managers use the bashers’ comments to establish a story about their artists and make sure that such story would capture the attention of the public. The rumors need not be true, some of them, mostly baseless. Nevertheless, they make the necessary noise needed for someone or something to be noticed by the people.
Knowing that people would be interested in something new and something extraordinary, marketers feel the need to utilize rumors to their best advantage. This is how rumors work as an element of marketing that is used at present especially in treating information portals that could immediately capture the attention of the population they hope to target. What would make their news exciting? What would make their news practically hot and especially inviting for the people to view, read and appreciate? These are important questions that marketers keep in mind especially if they decide to make use of humor as a referential patter of advertising their products [including the people who are managed in the entertainment industry].
Huge organizations are also utilizing the same concept to make a mark in the market. To be able to create a distinct mark on the industry they are aiming to penetrate, these organizations hope to manage the operation of their business under the concept of making a distinct mark, something that will specifically make it easier for them to get the attention of their target clients. Most often than not, the organizations include both good and bad rumors into such options of making a name. For instance, good rumors specifically make it easier for organizations to make a name; on the other hand, bad rumors are able to get the attention of the market immediately. Although the reactions may be negative at first, the organizations are able to turn things around to make sure that such negative issues would work well for them.
How Effective Advertising with Rumor has become
Utilizing the psychology behind the interest that determines the real worth of how rumor affects the thinking and the attention that people put forward towards a particular product, person or organization creates a high value for the evolutionary marketing process that it supports. With the ideal process of understanding what makes rumors more effectively inviting compared to regular news reports, marketers are able to make use of the benefits of such approach to social influence to make sure that their products [both material and human] get as much attention from the market they hope to attract.
Understanding the fact that people would go for controversial stories, marketers intend to make sure that even though the rumors they have created have already passed its height of popularity, they would still leave a mark on the minds of the people, to make sure that their interest would not immediately die down along with the passing-off of the news. Rumors need not be bashing nor practically evasive of the personality of the individuals and/or organizations, or even towards the reputation of the products being sold in the market. Nevertheless, they need to be interesting enough to make sure that the people would ask questions such as ‘why’, ‘how’ and other inquiries that would keep them involved in the aspect of affecting the thinking and the perception of the public.
Conclusion
The way humans communicate undergoes a specific quality that makes a definite impact on how people intend to give attention to matters that are specifically important to them. Commercial organizations are practically giving attention to this particular fact especially that they intend to catch the attention of the public given the intense competition they are facing in the market.
Rumor is only among the most important elements that determine the capacity of a marketer to make a mark on the thoughts of the people they hope to affect. The influence that the marketers make on the thinking of the public strongly makes a distinct impact on how they aim to make a mark on the community as well. Utilizing the psychology behind the interest that rumors create makes a particular impact on how the people respond to issues that are presented to them not particularly giving attention to the concept of truth; in this case, it is important to give attention to the fact that people ought to manifest the practical understanding of what is the importance of truth for them especially in relation to the manner by which they let themselves be affected by rumors created by marketers.
References:
Behrens, L., & Rosen, L. (2013). Writing and reading across the curriculum. (12 Ed.). Pearson CH 11.
Kotler, Philip & Keller, L. Kevin (2012). Marketing Management 14e. Pearson Education Limited 2012
Adcock, Dennis; Al Halborg, Caroline Ross (2001). "Introduction". Marketing: principles and practice. p. 16. ISBN 9780273646778. Retrieved 2009-10-23.
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