Blog Post #1: Pandemic Marketing Reflections

Technology is constantly evolving. In 2007, I immigrated to the United States from Karachi, Pakistan, and was introduced to a completely new way of living through developing technologies. It seems like only yesterday that I was inserting my Snow White Movie VHS tape into my VCR TV. Only a few years later, the Smart TV with online streaming was introduced.

From 2009 to 2014, I always watched commercials on morning TV before heading to school. Because I didn't grow up with a phone at the time, the majority of the advertisements I saw from companies came from television. As technology has advanced, so have the opportunities for businesses too diversify their advertising techniques. I now view advertisements through social media, apps, and emails. As someone who had experienced a pandemic, Covid-19 has had an influence on numerous businesses and their approaches to marketing. Many businesses switched to products that contributed to a more sustainable ecological environment.

In today's world, I look for advertisements that are eye-catching and relevant to my interests. The primary purpose of advertisements is for businesses to cater for people's wants and needs and that can be done through visual context. When determining if a company is appealing to me, I consider how its economic, technological, and environmental factors intrigue my curiosity.

A recent advertisement that I viewed was Gymshark's collaboration with Leana Deeb. Leana is a Muslim woman who works as a personal trainer and posts fitness-related videos on her social media platforms. I came upon this collaborative post while browsing through Instagram. It jumped out to me because, for example, I don't wear gymshark and was surprised why I was being recommended it. However, as a Muslim woman who enjoys athletic apparel, I can see how Instagram's algorithm recommended that advertisement to me. This shows how today's technology influences how businesses might utilize marketing strategies using social media's algorithm.