Many people hardly realize how much they are exposed to the media or how it impacts their everyday lives until it is actually identified.

Today’s society is a world in which citizens have become dependent on being fed information to keep them moving in the right direction.  Everything from work, education, relationships, traveling, entertainment and health concerns are influenced by what the media dictates through the use of advertisements, magazines, newspapers and the television.

“After seeing thousands of persuasive advertising messages, we make buying decisions based on what we saw in newspaper and magazine ads, saw and heard in television and radio ads, and saw and heard in ads on websites. Those ads tell us we can trust a product or service and that many people we know are buying the product or service and liking it,” says Dr. Anthony R Curtis, professor of the Mass Media Department at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, in a recent study.

One of the first things many people do when they wake up in the morning is turn on the computer and go online to check the weather. Doing this determines what clothes will be appropriate for the work day and the style of dress chosen is usually influenced, by others or from latest fashion trends seen on the TV or in magazines.

When getting ready to start the day, take notice of the items you use: toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, make-up etc. They are most likely popular brands that were either advertised in a commercial or from a magazine.

According to The Media Comparisons Study, from TVB with Knowledge Networks, consumers credit TV ads as most influential in making a purchase decision. It is also a key source of information that consumers are most likely to learn about products and brands they would like to try or buy. The internet was next followed by newspapers and magazines.

According to Bill Harvey, a long-time media thought leader and vice-chairman of TRA, a New York sales data provider, “Ad quality is, itself, a behaviorist measure, since it’s based on data from set-top boxes and frequent-shopper cards that tells them that higher-quality ads are relatively more likely to be watched than skipped over.” Moreover, he has found that quality ads cause positive changes in brand purchase and greater return of investment. Since these quality ads are watched and bring a greater ROI that further proves that the media does influence people’s decisions.

From a marketing perspective, an individual’s decisions are based on what is inherent from their own cultures, from outside social references or their personal experiences. In work and school people know what has to be done based on their learned experiences and studies, but in daily life they rely on media to get the current news, facts and trends concerning what is important and what they should be aware of.

If people did not watch TV or glance through magazines how would they know what to buy to support needs and wants? Society needs the media to make so many decisions in life thus making it hard to determine how they can live without it now that it so widespread.

The current generation of young people has grown up in this environment with technology present in almost every aspect and their lives are consumed by it.

“Today’s huge merged companies have the power to shape our opinions and beliefs and influence our decisions. This is why it’s important to be aware of what we are exposed to every day, so we can look at things from different perspectives and not just from the perspective of a medium,” Curtis said.

Although people appreciate the media for all the positive things that come from it, the influential implications result in a society of individuals unable to make independent decisions.

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Pennsylvania, U.S.A. — As college students return to campus to begin the new academic year, Insurance Commissioner Mike Consedine reminds families to create a “dorm room inventory” for insurance purposes.

“Many college students head to campus hauling a costly array of personal possessions,” said Consedine. “You need to itemize what they are taking with them. Also, while homeowners insurance coverage for some valuables does travel with the student, policies may limit coverage for a student’s off-premises belongings. It is important to learn your policy’s specific coverages.”

Having an up-to-date inventory will help determine how much insurance is necessary and may also help in settling the claim if there is a loss. Expensive computer and electronic equipment may also be subject to coverage limits. If the limits seem too low, parents may consider buying a special personal property floater, or an endorsement, for these items.

The student’s possessions would be covered for the same disasters that are found in a standard homeowners policy. This would include fire, theft, vandalism and natural disasters such as a hurricane. The student would not be covered for typical college mishaps such as accidentally spilling coffee on an expensive electronic device.

Parents may want to look into stand-alone policies for desktop computers, laptops, tablets and iPads, and other electronics. These policies may provide coverage against accidental damage, liquid spills and other events not included under a standard homeowners policy.

Also, students who live in off-campus housing may not be covered by their parents’ homeowners policy and may need to purchase separate renters insurance. Parents should contact their insurance agent or company representative to see if their homeowners or renters policy extends to off-campus living situations.

Consumers with questions should visit the Insurance Department online at www.insurance.pa.gov.

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London, UK – As the UK economy slides back into recession a significant 61% of consumers buying premium products and services say they will not reduce their online spending in 2012, as revealed by a survey conducted by Leapfrogg, the online retail marketing agency.

This is great news for premium and high-end brands in light of gloomy economic reports for Q1 of 2012, especially as 30% of respondents say they will purchase more online due to good service and increased confidence in using online channels.

This is even more surprising considering that the average household salary of respondents is just GBP23K per annum. To take advantage, retailers need to prioritise customer service during the online shopping experience and should include consumer research as part of their digital marketing strategy.

The survey reveals the significance of understanding the online shopping journey, with over a third of consumers using the web to compare and check prices. For 20% of respondents, online search is used for product inspiration and research. Surprisingly, only 14% use online to search for offers or vouchers, emphasizing the need for premium retailers to provide quality products, competitive pricing, useful information and great service over quick-win approaches such as voucher codes.

Naturally, 39% of respondents say that lower prices would encourage them to shop with a premium brand but refreshingly, for 21% of consumers quality of product and great service is enough of a pull to encourage a luxury spend. To remain competitive, premium brands will need to ensure that the communication of product information and an excellent shopping experience is provided.

Rosie Freshwater, managing director of Leapfrogg comments, “Premium and high-end brands shouldn’t be tempted to undersell themselves by overusing voucher codes and heavy discounting. Consumers are willing to commit to higher prices as long as the shopping experience and customer service is as good as their purchase.”

In relation to the importance of the shopping experience, Freshwater continues, “Considering customer needs and optimizing the online shopping journey at every stage is paramount for increasing customer acquisition and sales. Premium brands need to know their customers inside out and consider every angle of the shopping experience from the perspective of the consumer; this should be a core aspect of retail marketing strategy for high end brands.

Premium retailers need to make the whole consumer journey easy, from start to finish, not overlooking the importance of offline interactions such as delivery options and of course post-purchase customer care.”

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Chester, England – Brits running out of cash before pay day could be stacking up high interest by misjudging the way they use their credit cards and overdrafts as a backup, according to an Opinium Research from MoneySupermarket.com.

The UK’s number one comparison site asked consumers where they turn when they run out of money, and found savings, authorized overdrafts and credits cards are the top three ‘go-to’ resorts for backup cash. Over a third (38%) dipped into their savings when they ran out of money, and 29% used an authorized overdraft to boost their cash flow.

In addition, a quarter (25%) used a credit card to tide them over until the next payday. The results also found 20% borrowed money from friends or family and eleven per cent extended an overdraft limit. Four per cent used a pay day loan when running out of money.

MoneySupermarket also calculated the additional amount in interest those turning to credit cards and overdrafts would pay, and found someone using their authorised overdraft (after introductory offers) of GBP500 for one day with Halifax would accrue interest of GBP4 in a month or GBP48 in a year.

The amount of interest rises to a huge GBP300 if the same debt is left for 30 days, over half the original amount ‘borrowed’. However, compared to an average credit card rate of 17 %( once introductory offers had expired) spending GBP500 would incur a charge of GBP6.70 of interest over a month or GBP75.46 in a year if only minimum repayments each month were made.

Kevin Mountford, head of banking at MoneySupermarket.com said: “Many consumers are struggling to keep their heads above the water due to the high cost of living. The high number of people turning to their savings pots as a backup for extra cash is reassuring, given times really are tough. However, for those relying on credit cards or their overdraft as a fall back until pay day, as our findings show, it really does pay to research your options and think about the additional interest you could end up forking out beforehand.

A balance transfer credit card could be a good option for those with existing debt on other cards, for example a zero per cent card such as Barclaycard’s Platinum Credit Card with extended balance transfer offers 22 months interest free on transfers.”

Women are more likely to fall back on their savings pot than men, with 40% they have done so in the past compared to 35%of males. Those unemployed said they have borrowed from friends and family first (35%).

Kevin Mountford continued: “For those who are continually struggling to stay out of the red before pay day each month, I would advise spending a few minutes to check through all outgoings, in order to work out where savings can be made. Reviewing your personal finances to see where savings can be made can help you release vital cash which can help alleviate the financial pressure.”

Image Courtesy of   David Burrows / Shutterstock.com

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Zendesk, the cloud-based help desk support platform, released an early look at its new Customer Satisfaction Index, showing that UK customers are the fifth happiest globally and second European-wide with the service they receive, with an 83 percent satisfaction rating. The index measured customer happiness across 65 million consumers in 137 countries.

Zendesk creates the Customer Satisfaction Index by analyzing data from 65 million customers via the Zendesk ‘Customer Satisfaction Rating’ feature. After a customer service request is solved, Zendesk enables companies to automatically contact their customers to collect feedback on the service that was provided.

Not only is this a quick and easy way to track customer satisfaction and reduce customer churn, it also provides tremendous insight into comprehensive customer satisfaction.

Considering countries with high gross domestic product, Australians and Canadians jointly share first place as the most satisfied customers in the world, coming in at a high 93 percent. This is followed by Germany at 88 percent, the United States at 87 percent, and the UK finishing off the top five at 83 percent.

From a European stand-point, the UK is second only to Germany in happy customers, while Spain and Italy follow close behind the UK at 81 percent each. France, however, trails behind, coming in the bottom of the table at 57 percent.

“The UK is an important vocal market for consumers. The proliferation of smartphone and tablet users has seen an increasing number turn to social media as the main means of customer support. As such, offering good customer service to this very public audience is imperative,” notes Mikkel Svane, Zendesk’s CEO.

This listing provides an early look at the type of information that readers can expect from Zendesk’s Customer Satisfaction Index. The full document will be published on a quarterly basis and will report on additional data, such as customer service efficiency and quality in various industries, geographies, and company size.

Kamira / Shutterstock.com

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Many non-financial benefits of smart grid upgrades are as compelling as those that can save consumers money, according to second-wave findings of the SGCC Consumer Pulse Study, a national survey of U.S. energy consumers conducted for the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC) by Market Strategies International.

The Wave II survey, a follow-up to the initial study begun in August, was conducted with live interviewers by telephone from November 12 to December 6, 2011. A national RDD (random digit dialed) landline and cell phone sample was used. To qualify, a respondent had to be over the age of 18 and a head of household.

The sample design included an oversample of key ethnic and age groups to ensure full representation of the population. Data were weighted by age, ethnicity, gender and region to align with the US national population. The margin of error for the total sample size of 1,003 is +/- 3.1 percentage points at a confidence level of 95%.

Survey participants were asked to rate the importance of seven potential benefits of smart grid and smart meters, including ease of connecting renewable energy sources to the electric grid, reduced outages, new cost-saving rate plans, fewer new power plant investments, increased quality of power delivery, availability of near real-time energy use information and more accurate billing. Critically, each benefit was found to be important to 80% or more of respondents.

“We found that the most commonly-discussed benefits like cost saving and greater power reliability, while important, represent only a part of a broader spectrum of smart grid and smart meter benefits that are appealing to the average consumer,” said SGCC Executive Director Patty Durand. “To achieve greater impact upon a diverse customer base, utilities should take care to bring these other benefits into their marketing messages.”

Consumer education about smart grid remains vital, results show, as awareness and understanding are still lacking. 51% of consumers, a number unchanged since September 2011, say they have never heard the term smart grid, and another 21% say that they have heard the term but don’t know much about what it means.

The majority of consumers who are familiar with smart grid concepts have positive feelings about it. Consumers become increasingly favorable toward the technology after receiving more information about it.

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Club Med – the world’s leading all-inclusive brand with more than 80 resorts worldwide – proudly launches its innovative application for the iPhone and iPad, allowing consumers to discover, share and book their ideal Club Med vacation from anywhere in the world.

The iPad application features an original 360-degree virtual tour of Club Med resorts by holding your iPad in front of you and moving it left and right as if you were walking through the property. Providing views from the over-water suites at Club Med Kani in the Maldives and the ski school at Club Med Peisey Vallandry in the French Alps to the circus trapeze at Club Med Ixtapa Pacific in Mexico and the international tennis academy at Club Med Sandpiper Bay in Florida, Club Med offers the perfect getaway at your fingertips.

“The team is excited to bring the Club Med application suite to market as it’s the most interactive way to display our resorts and immerses potential guests into the unique Club Med experience,” said Jerome Hiquet, Vice President of Marketing and Digital for Club Med North America. “Our objective was to develop the most user friendly iPad and iPhone applications that appeals to all potential and past guests.

With these apps they can discover the best of Club Med spirit wherever, whenever. As a new structural ecosystem, it’s important for Club Med to launch into the mobile space now, and to integrate mobile as a key and consistent component in our global marketing strategy to better accommodate today’s consumers in the digital space.”

Club Med collaborated with Phonevalley, a leading mobile communication agency and part of Publicis Group, to develop these user-friendly apps. ”We were enthusiastic about this opportunity to work with a brand like Club Med on this application,” said Alexandre Mars, CEO of Phonevalley. ”We were able to create a quality experience for shoppers to discover the Club Med resorts in a unique capacity much different from the standard vacation booking apps.”

Consumers can discover their dream Club Med vacation in just a few scrolls by exploring more than 80 resorts through photos, videos, descriptions and 360-degree virtual tours. The comparison function helps potential guests choose between resorts based on their personal preferences, from luxury to golf and eco-friendly to winter sports. Guests are then able to share what they like with family and friends while also planning and booking a trip.

The “Click to Call” button quickly connects consumers to an experienced Club Med travel advisor for over the phone booking. For those that can’t make up their mind, the “Shake and Escape” function allows you to shake your iPhone for destination ideas complete with sound.

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Hitting the treadmill to work off the festive pounds traditionally tops the New Year resolutions list, but according to research by moneysupermarket.com, Brits are shunning the gym this year.

Research by Britain’s number one comparison site found over two thirds of consumers (68%) won’t be joining or renewing their membership as they believe the gym is an unnecessary cost, and they keep fit and healthy in other ways. This is compared to 46% of respondents in 2009.

One in ten Brits (12%) are concerned about the cost implications with 5% not planning to renew their membership as they rarely used it this year and need to cut costs. A further 6% are unsure about signing up due to the current economic climate and needing to rethink their spending.

The research also found the younger generation favour the gym with almost one in five (18%) of 18-34 year olds stating they already regularly exercise and plan to renew their membership in the new year compared to just 6% of those aged over 55. Instead an overwhelming 81% of this age group stated the gym is a waste of money and find alternative ways to keep fit and healthy rather than signing up to a fitness club.

James Clarke, Head of Protection at MoneySupermarket.com said: “Despite the indulgence of Christmas it seems gym membership is not high on the priority list for a New Year health kick as Brits look to cut costs. Joining a gym can be a huge financial commitment, and with many gym-goers admitting to rarely using their membership, it’s important to consider whether their hard-earned cash can be used more effectively.”

Quitting smoking is also another resolution many vow to take as part of leading a healthier lifestyle. A recent poll run of MoneySupermarket site users found over 13% of respondents successfully quit last year, and a further 5% have vowed to kick the habit in 2012.

James Clarke continued: “For those exercise fanatics who commit to the gym and work out on a regular basis it is worth knowing there are life insurance and critical illness policies that reward a healthy lifestyle. The same also applies for smokers who quit the habit, as there is a huge price difference between policies for smokers and non-smokers. Brits could see average savings of GBP4,347 over the term of the policy – a significant sum of money!”

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