PROMOTING  PRODUCTS,  CUTTING  COSTS:  ADVERTISING  INDUSTRY  STRATEGIES  AND  TACTICS  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES,  1973-­‐1976  Sapna  Mistry,  Dr.  James  Hamilton,  Dept.  Adver8sing  and  Public  Rela8ons,  Grady  College  

Overview:  Examina8on  of  105  randomly  selected  issues  of  Adver&sing  Age  1973-­‐1976,  a  period  of  general  economic  slowdown.  Explores  correla8on  of  adver8sing  strategies  to  periods  of  economic  downturn.    

Key  ques.ons:  Did  tac8cs  of  greater  industry  interest  in  a  period  of  economic  downturn  emphasize  greater  consumer  work?  In  what  ways  were  consumers  directly  involved  in  marke8ng  communica8on  prior  to  the  rise  of  the  Internet  and  user-­‐generated  content?  

0%  

10%  

20%  

30%  

40%  

50%  

60%  

70%  

80%  

90%  

100%  

1973  Q1   1973  Q2   1973  Q3   1973  Q4   1974  Q1   1974  Q2   1974  Q3   1974  Q4   1975  Q1   1975  Q2  

A>en.on  to  User-­‐Centered  Marke.ng  Tac.cs,  By  Quarter,  1973-­‐1975  

Supplier  

Source  

Premium  incen.ve  

Contestant  

0  

2  

4  

6  

8  

10  

12  

14  

16  

1973  Q1   1973  Q2   1973  Q3   1973  Q4   1974  Q1   1974  Q2   1974  Q3   1974  Q4   1975  Q1   1975  Q2  

Num

ber  o

f  ar.cles  or  e

xamples  

A>en.on  Paid  to  Marke.ng  Tac.cs,  By  Quarter,  1973-­‐1975  

Contestant  

Premium  incen.ve  

Source  

Supplier  

Conclusions:  Interest  in  premium  incen8ves  increased  drama8cally  through  the  1970s  economic  recession.  They  were  a  non-­‐digital  form  of  direct  consumer  involvement  in  marke8ng  communica8ons  that  predated  digital  UGC.    

Data  collec.on:  105  randomly  selected  issues,  spanning  period  of  economic  downturn  pre-­‐digital  era.      Coding  categories  for  consumer  involvement:  Source,  contestant,  freelancer,  newbie,  supplier,  premium  incen8ve,  buyer