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Consumerism culture has changed our way of life, especially ever since we’ve entered the 21st century – seeing as the internet, T.V., and social media never gives us a break from seeing all of the new merchandise our peers keep persuading us to buy.
Mass marketing refers to the practice and notion of advertising and selling as many of the same product as possible for maximum exposure and profit.
However, in the midst of shortening attention spans and difficulty concentrating on or desiring a single item or task for long periods of time – it is viable to wonder if mass marketing can sustain itself in our changing world.
In this article, we’ll explain what mass marketing is, why companies often opt for mass marketing, the downsides of mass marketing, and whether it is the right approach for your organization and product.
Mass marketing, sometimes called shotgun marketing, is an approach to marketing where the primary goal is to sell as much of the product or service as possible – often in an impersonal fashion, such as through short advertisements instead of utilizing personalised email campaigns.
Some common characteristics of mass marketing include:
Think of the last time you were standing in the checkout line at a store, and came across a low-priced product while waiting to purchase what you initially came to the store for – such as at CVS or T.J. Maxx. These could be daily essentials, or non-essential items, such as a nifty lip balm or new iPhone charger.
👉 Regardless of the type of item being sold, this merchandise is typically a perfect example of mass marketing – as these items could appeal to anyone at the store and entice them to buy it without the need for careful consideration or commitment to buying future products from that brand again.
The most popular examples of mass marketing include advertisements seen on social media, apps, and on the internet or T.V – but mass marketing has continued to evolve alongside the age of digital media.
Therefore, it is important to note that niche items will not work well under mass marketing – such as specialised mattresses for a back back, kitchen utensils and gadgets which could speed up cooking time, or new medicine for a rare disease.
👉 Mass marketing works best when it is used for a product or service that are considered necessities and can be used amongst the majority of people.
Other less common, but still used methods of mass marketing may include:
👉 In 2024, the most common method used for mass marketing will undoubtedly be on social media – seeing as companies have the best bet at gaining people’s attention with short-form content.
There are several benefits to mass marketing, but the overarching advantage to mass marketing amongst many is that it provides the opportunity for a rapid and sizable increase in profits.
Mass marketing is effective for companies that want to follow a “traditional” business model, seeing as the steps for curating, promoting, and selling a product or service under mass marketing does not require the same personal efforts that other marketing approaches demand.
The steps and requirements for mass marketing are usually as follows:
👉 Therefore, many companies will opt to use mass marketing over other forms of advertising seeing as it is easier to produce more advertisements, numerically, than it is to take the time to develop higher quality and creative campaigns – hence the word “mass” in mass marketing.
Although mass marketing may seem like a “get-rich-quick” scheme for your company, there are several downsides to mass marketing – such as lower profit margins, standard products that lack a unique quality, and little to no chances of returning customers.
Think of when someone commits to going to the gym or eating vegan every single day during the month of January in order to kick off the new year. While good for your health, working out daily or avoiding meat forever may not be sustainable practices for everyone to follow. The same goes for mass marketing, seeing as while it may be effective in the short-term – it may prove difficult to sustain the consistency of how often those ads are shown.
Other cons to mass marketing include:
However, one of the biggest problems with mass marketing is that it continues to promote a consumerism based culture – which is contributing to more climate change as people will throw away their fast fashion, old pieces of technology, and more before the product has reached the end of its life-cycle.
👉 It is important to note that given the current climate change crisis, mass marketing could prove dangerous to the future of our planet – seeing as mass marketing encourages rapid sales and consumption.
Ultimately, mass marketing is not conducive for companies who want to build brands with long-term value or a loyal customer base. Therefore, one of the solutions for companies that prefer to not take the bolder route associated with mass marketing may want to opt for its counterpart – niche marketing.
Known as the opposite of mass marketing, niche marketing centers around creating a product with low prices that can appeal to everyone – such as the merchandise found at a wholesale store such as Marshalls, Ross, or T.J. Maxx.
👉 Niche marketing is usually best for companies looking to cultivate greater brand loyalty, seeing as this type of marketing is most successful when catering to a specific demographic or audience.
At the end of the day, choosing the route of mass marketing, niche marketing, or an approach in-between will all depend on your company’s personal and professional goals – such as if you value loyal customers or increased sales revenue.
For example, if your company is in dire need of immediate funds – mass marketing may be a way to collect the financial resources needed, and then provides the opportunity to transition to a more sustainable model for business growth.
Therefore, choosing mass marketing is not a good or bad choice – but company’s opting for this route must remain aware of the consequences, and how mass marketing might continue to habitually benefit or hinder their company in the long-run.
If reading this article about mass marketing and its longevity has made you interested in reducing your carbon emissions to further fight against climate change – Greenly can help you!
Keeping track of all the necessary business tactics that could impact the longevity of your company’s marketing tactics can be challenging in the midst of climate change, but don’t worry – Greenly is here to help. Click here to schedule a demo to see how Greenly can help you comply with all of the upcoming regulations relevant to your company.
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