Mass Marketing Is Dead Versus Mass Marketing Is Still A Viable Way To Build A Profitable Brand?

Mass marketing will never die - as long as there are international brands with mass appeal, this type of advertising and promotion will continue to exist.

Those who argue that "mass marketing is dead" are probably getting better marketing results by targeting niche market segments with a defined demographic. This type of marketing is common on the Internet, where search engine keywords are used to attract potential buyers who are looking for a particular product or service.

Mass marketing requires lots of money, a cohesive marketing plan and access to mass media, such as magazines, popular websites, national or international radio, and cable television networks. Those who argue that mass marketing is dead will probably not have access to the type of multi-million dollar budgets that mass marketing requires.

Instead, they will do smaller marketing campaigns, using Internet websites, blogs, social networking, and word-of-mouth advertising. While mass marketing may be on the wane, companies such as Coca-Cola and Nike use it extensively to retain their brand's appeal throughout the world. Here are some known benefits of mass marketing:

• Uses mass media to build brands

• Reinforces a company's mission statement

• Creates an image, or lifestyle, associated with a brand name

• Gets attention from millions of people

Mass marketing also has it drawbacks. This may include:

• Expenses - mass marketing costs a lot of money

• The money spent on ads may not be recouped through sales

• This marketing doesn't connect with niche audiences

Smaller marketing initiatives can be low-cost or free; often, creative or "guerilla" advertising is used to attract attention without access to radio, TV, etc. For those who believe that mass marketing is dead, finding a niche market and targeting that market segment in ads is preferred over spending a lot of money on a mass marketing campaign.