Each day, reflect how you encounter (or generate) examples of buzz about products, services, brands or companies.
Buzz marketing is a strategic marketing approach that aims to generate excitement, interest, and conversation around a product, service, brand, or company. It involves creating a buzz or hype through various channels and tactics to capture the attention of the target audience and create a sense of anticipation or curiosity. Buzz marketing relies on word-of-mouth recommendations, social media, influencer endorsements, viral content, and other creative strategies to engage consumers and generate organic buzz. The goal is to create a buzzworthy experience or story that captures the imagination of consumers, sparks conversations, and ultimately drives awareness, interest, and sales. By leveraging the power of social influence and consumer engagement, buzz marketing seeks to create a positive buzz that spreads rapidly and amplifies the reach and impact of marketing efforts (SendPulse, 2023).
My daily encounters with buzz about products, services, brands, or companies would vary throughout the week. Here’s a reflection of how I might encounter or generate examples of buzz from Monday to Sunday:
Monday: On Monday, I usually catch up with the latest news and trends by browsing social media platforms like Weibo or WeChat. These platforms are popular in China and are buzzing with discussions about new products, services, or current events. Monday and Tuesday are my days off, so I generally look for some fun to have outdoors or games to play in shopping malls. This Monday I found a video of a Harry Potter-themed Escape Room on my WeChat moments: some of my friends went there recently and were sharing their experience, which made me want to try it, as well.
Tuesday: On Tuesdays, I usually have some rest after Mondays, so they are often reserved for shopping or browsing online marketplaces like Taobao or JD.com. While looking for products or reading reviews, I frequently encounter advertisements, sponsored posts, or recommendations for various brands or services. These platforms are known for their extensive advertising campaigns, leading to buzz about specific products or deals. This week I was looking for the winter coat, and reading public opinions about different coats helped me to shape my choice.
Wednesday: This is my first day of the working week. I see my colleagues at work after two days off in a row, and they share their news (and there are always some because our days off do not match – I am the only one who rests on Tuesdays). This week my colleague and friend bought a new hair dye and showed how good it was and that it did not destroy her hair, just like it was promised in the ad and one of the local influencer’s videos. I started thinking about buying the same hair dye next time.
Thursday: While watching TV in the evening, I came across commercials featuring catchy jingles that created a buzz around the new flavor of potato chips. In fact, there are already so many weird tastes around me (wasabi-flavored chips, honey-flavored, seaweed-flavored, Szechuan chicken flavored, etc.) that I was not too surprised, but now I’m thinking about giving it a try.
Friday: On Fridays, I’m not very busy at work so I have plenty of time to watch videos on platforms like Bilibili or Douyin (Chinese Tiktok). These platforms are brimming with content creators who review products, discuss popular brands, or share their thoughts on consumer trends. By tuning in, I learned about the new section in a local shopping mall where I can take many cool photos as soon as that section is well-decorated and looks unusual.
Saturday: The weekends are always very busy days at work, and last week (which was just before Halloween) we organized a big celebration for kids in the shopping mall (and the aim was to create a buzz about our services). During some short breaks I could walk around and see the retail stores; I witnessed in-store promotions of my favorite brand, OPPO, which was demonstrating the new model of the phone, which created a buzz among shoppers and made me willing to buy this model soon (especially because I was thinking about changing my phone to a newer one recently).
Sunday: Living very far from my family for so many years can be challenging, so generally on Sundays we have some kind of online family gatherings. This Sunday I managed to create the buzz myself by telling my family about different places I visited this week and sharing how excited I was. It made my brother want to come this summer and he asked for several details about those services I mentioned. He also wanted me to send some photos and videos, and send them to him so that he could also advertise them to his wife.
Throughout the week, my interactions with social media, online communities, in-person gatherings, podcasts, physical stores, and online content helped me encounter and generate examples of buzz about products, services, brands, or companies in China. It’s exciting to be part of the buzz and stay up-to-date with the ever-evolving landscape of consumer trends and innovations, and this is one of the reasons I’m happy to live in the 21st century.
References
SendPulse. (2023, May 7). Buzz Marketing. Retrieved from https://sendpulse.com/support/glossary/buzz-marketing