Movie Theater Releases Case Sample Essay

Introduction

The case report analyzed a hundred films released in 2016 by major studios. The top hundred films of 2016 are provided together with their opening and total gross sales, the number of theaters exhibiting them, and the number of weeks they stayed in theaters. Tabular and graphical illustrations accompany the discussion of these data. Correlations are made between the data sets to show how opening gross sales, number of theaters, and weeks in theater release relate to total gross sales.

Tabular Summary

The table below shows a summary of movies and their outcomes after being released, including opening and total gross sales, number of theaters aired, and number of weeks they could be viewed in the theaters. The movies with the most grossing sales are part of movie franchises like Marvel, DC Universe, and Star Wars, producing movies like Captain America: Civil War, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, respectively. The pattern indicates that the film series concept is a lucrative formula for producing the most influential cinema and the market in the world. A survey found that more than half (55%) of adults would like to see another installed of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) or Star Wars on the big screen (Statista, 2023).

Movie Title Opening Gross Sales ($ millions) Total Gross Sales ($ millions) Number of Theaters Weeks in release
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 155.08 532.18 4,157 20
Finding Dory 135.06 486.3 4,305 25
Captain America: Civil War 179.14 408.08 4,226 20
The Secret Life of Pets 104.35 368.38 4,381 25
The Jungle Book (2016) 103.26 364 4,144 24
Deadpool 132.43 363.07 3,856 18
Zootopia 75.06 341.27 3,959 22
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 166.01 330.36 4,256 12
Suicide Squad 133.68 325.1 4,255 14
Sing 35.26 270.4 4,029 20
Moana 56.63 248.76 3,875 22
Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them 74.4 234.04 4,144 19
Doctor Strange 85.06 232.64 3,882 19
Hidden Figures 0.52 169.61 3,416 46
Jason Bourne 59.22 162.43 4,039 21
Star Trek Beyond 59.25 158.85 3,928 13
X-Men: Apocalypse 65.77 155.44 4,153 9
Trolls 46.58 153.71 4,066 21
La La Land 0.88 151.1 3,236 20
Kung Fu Panda 3 41.28 143.53 3,987 25
Ghostbusters (2016) 46.02 128.35 3,963 17
Central Intelligence 35.54 127.44 3,508 11
The Legend of Tarzan 38.53 126.64 3,591 11
Sully 35.03 125.07 3,955 20
Bad Moms 23.82 113.26 3,215 13
The Angry Birds Movie 38.16 107.51 3,932 17
Independence Day: Resurgence 41.04 103.14 4,130 12
The Conjuring 2 40.41 102.47 3,356 11
Arrival 24.07 100.55 3,115 17
Passengers (2016) 14.87 100.01 3,478 17
Sausage Party 34.26 97.69 3,135 19
The Magnificent Seven (2016) 34.7 93.43 3,696 15
Ride Along 2 35.24 91.22 3,192 22
Don’t Breathe 26.41 89.22 3,384 17
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children 28.87 87.24 3,835 19
The Accountant 24.71 86.26 3,402 13
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows 35.32 82.05 4,071 14
The Purge: Election Year 31.52 79.21 2,821 15
Alice Through the Looking Glass 26.86 77.04 3,763 14
Pete’s Dragon (2016) 21.51 76.23 3,702 18
The Girl on the Train (2016) 24.54 75.4 3,241 12
Boo! A Madea Halloween 28.5 73.21 2,299 9
Storks 21.31 72.68 3,922 16
10 Cloverfield Lane 24.73 72.08 3,427 12
Lights Out 21.69 67.27 2,835 10
Hacksaw Ridge 15.19 67.21 2,971 18
The Divergent Series: Allegiant 29.03 66.18 3,740 11
Now You See Me 2 22.38 65.08 3,232 11
Ice Age: Collision Course 21.37 64.06 3,997 15
The Boss 23.59 63.29 3,495 17
London Has Fallen 21.64 62.68 3,492 13
Miracles from Heaven 14.81 61.71 3,155 18
Deepwater Horizon 20.22 61.43 3,403 11
Why Him? 11 60.32 3,008 13
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 17.86 59.69 3,179 9
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back 22.87 58.7 3,780 12
Fences 0.13 57.68 2,368 15
Me Before You 18.72 56.25 2,762 11
The BFG 18.78 55.48 3,392 15
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising 21.76 55.46 3,416 8
The Shallows 16.8 55.12 2,962 14
Office Christmas Party 16.89 54.77 3,210 7
Assassin’s Creed 10.28 54.65 2,996 11
Barbershop: The Next Cut 20.24 54.03 2,676 13
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi 16.19 52.85 2,917 10
Lion 0.12 51.74 1,802 24
The Huntsman: Winter’s War 19.45 48.39 3,802 15
Kubo and the Two Strings 12.61 48.02 3,279 15
Manchester by the Sea 0.26 47.7 1,213 23
Warcraft 24.17 47.37 3,406 13
How to Be Single 17.88 46.84 3,357 9
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates 16.63 46.01 3,008 14
War Dogs 14.69 43.03 3,258 9
Almost Christmas 15.13 42.16 2,379 9
Money Monster 14.79 41.01 3,104 12
Allied 12.7 40.1 3,160 9
Nerve 9.45 38.58 2,538 10
Risen 11.8 36.88 2,915 13
The Nice Guys 11.2 36.26 2,865 11
The Boy (2016) 10.78 35.82 2,671 10
Dirty Grandpa 11.11 35.59 2,912 8
Ouija: Origin of Evil 14.07 35.14 3,168 10
The 5th Wave 10.33 34.92 2,908 18
Inferno 14.86 34.34 3,576 12
Mother’s Day 8.37 32.49 3,291 7
Patriots Day 0.16 31.89 3,120 11
Gods of Egypt 14.12 31.15 3,117 11
Collateral Beauty 7.1 31.02 3,028 8
Hail Caesar! 11.36 30.5 2,248 21
When the Bough Breaks 14.2 29.75 2,246 10
Zoolander 2 13.84 28.85 3,418 7
Moonlight (2016) 0.4 27.85 1,564 28
The Finest Hours 10.29 27.57 3,143 10
Florence Foster Jenkins 6.6 27.38 1,528 11
Hell or High Water 0.62 27.01 1,505 14
The Forest 12.74 26.59 2,509 10
Ben-Hur (2016) 11.2 26.41 3,084 7
The Witch 8.8 25.14 2,204 14
Bridget Jones’s Baby 8.57 24.25 2,930 13
Kevin Hart: What Now? 11.77 23.59 2,567 9

Data from Box Office Mojo (2016).

Table: Summary of Movie Outcomes

Graphical Summary

Opening gross sales are essential for studios since each additional week their movie is in theaters, they earn a proportion of the ticket sales for the film. In general, studios and exhibitors share the opening sales at a ratio of 60% and 40%, respectively. Each additional week the film is displayed in theaters reduces the studio’s earning share by ten percent (Sivadas, 2018). The phenomenon explains why some studios only like displaying films in theaters for a month.

However, this trend mostly applies in blockbuster movies since other films can earn a larger share of their gross sales in consecutive weeks apart from week one. Some movies start with small earnings margins in the first week but grow over time (Stephen Follows, 2018).

Movies’ opening gross sales in $ millions
Graph 1: Movies’ opening gross sales in $ millions

Most films make at least a third of their whole domestic box office gross sales in the opening weekend (Turner, 2015). The implication is that a bad opening gross means a movie did not break even or made losses for the studios, which is not a good result for filmmakers. However, a movie may have lower-than-expected opening gross sales but earn more total sales. Larry Gerbrandt, a movie research analyst, claims that the second weekend of a film’s release is a better indicator of long-term success (Turner, 2015). If a film can manage a decrease in ticket sales by about 30% to 40% from the first to the second week, the movie is likely to have box office success for a longer time than one that breaks box office records in the first weekend, only to earn less a month later (Turner, 2015).

Apart from both domestic and international theater releases and ticket sales, movies earn from DVD sales, TV and cable deals, and streaming services (Turner, 2015). These other mediums contribute to the increase in total gross sales. Thus, film sales may be significantly contributed by other mediums of distribution.

Movies’ total gross sales in $ millions
Graph 2: Movies’ total gross sales in $ millions

Studios try to exhibit their films in as many theaters as possible to earn ticket sales. With over 3,000 theatres showing a film, studios are assured of reaching directly to customers as closely as possible. Movies with higher demand are showcased in more theaters.

Movies’ number of theaters
Graph 3: Movies’ number of theaters

Recently, studios have shortened their theatrical windows to 45 days, down from 75 to 90 days before the pandemic (Clark, 2022). Some studios have exclusive theatrical windows before releasing the movies to home entertainment, while others simultaneously release them in theatres and streaming services. The opening weekend releases and gross sales still remain relevant, but studios are open to other avenues (Pallotta, 2022). However, the recorded films from 2016 – as illustrated in Graph 4 – could stay longer in theaters since they were the studios’ primary revenue sources.

Movies’ weeks in release
Graph 4: Movies’ weeks in release

Sivadas (2018) found that opening gross sales correlate significantly with total gross sales. Opening gross sales is a strong indicator of total gross sales (Fowle, 2020). As observed in the graphs and table, the higher the opening gross sales, the more the total gross sales when controlling for the number of weeks in release. The movie Hidden Figures is an exception to this correlation conclusion since it has the most weeks in release.

Scatter graph of total gross sales vs. opening gross sales
Graph 5: Scatter graph of total gross sales vs. opening gross sales

Total gross sales are also influenced by the number of theatres airing the film. Since studios earn from ticket price revenues, theater attendance will affect gross sales (Zipin, 2021). The more the attendance, the higher the ticket sales, hence the need to release and exhibit movies in as many theaters as possible.

Scatter diagram of total gross sales vs. number of theaters
Graph 6: Scatter diagram of total gross sales vs. number of theaters

A slightly significant correlation exists between total gross sales and weeks in release. Most films earn a larger percentage of their gross sales in the first few weeks of release (Stephen Follows, 2018). Blockbusters like superhero movies follow this first-week trend. However, others may stay for long in theatres and earn at least half of their gross sales after the first month or two, depending on the type of film (Stephen Follows, 2018).

Release dates are also important for films as they predict gross sales. Most studios aim to release their films during the holidays since they are guaranteed a larger audience in theaters, including children (Pangarker & Smit, 2013). Thus appropriate timing of release dates is relevant to target breaking the bank for the first-weekend ticket sales.

Scatter diagram of total gross sales vs. weeks in release
Graph 7: Scatter diagram of total gross sales vs. weeks in release

Conclusion

The opening gross sales are indicated to predict the gross sales volume for most blockbuster films. However, other films may still earn more than the ticket sales of the first week if they stay longer in theaters. The more theaters a film is exhibited in, the higher the audience reached and ticket sales which contribute to more total gross sales. Although opening gross sales have a significant correlation with total gross sales, studios are now considering other avenues of distribution and earnings, like streaming services. The 2016 datasets do not reflect this emerging trend.

References

Box Office Mojo. (2016). Domestic box office for 2016. Box Office Mojo by IMDb Pro. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/2016/

Clark, T. (2022, May 11). How major Hollywood studios are shifting their streaming strategies as the theater industry stages a comeback. Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/how-long-movies-play-in-theaters-before-streaming-2022-5?r=US&IR=T

Fowle, B. (2020, April 19). Determining the relationship between opening weekend results, critical reviews, and box office success. Medium. https://medium.com/@befowle/determining-the-relationship-between-opening-weekend-results-critical-reviews-and-box-office-2e05bbb8f592

Pallotta, F. (2022, July 29). Why do movie theaters show so few films now. CNN Business. https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/29/media/movie-box-office-year/index.html

Pangarker, N. A., & Smit, E. (2013). The determinants of box office performance in the film industry revisited. South African Journal of Business Management44(3), 47-58. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/sajbm.v44i3.162

Sivadas, N. (2018, October 19). Boom or bust? Factors that influence box office revenue. Medium. https://nealsivadas.medium.com/boom-or-bust-factors-that-influence-box-office-revenue-c8e4442d141f

Statista Research Department. (2023, January 5). Top opening weekends at the box office in the U.S. & Canada 2022. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/188498/biggest-opening-weekends-at-the-north-american-box-office/

Stephen Follows. (2018, June 11). How important is the opening week to a movie’s total box office? Stephen Follows. https://stephenfollows.com/how-important-is-the-opening-week-to-a-movies-total-box-office/

Turner, B. (2015, April 24). Why is a movie’s first week box office so important? HowStuffWorks.com. https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/why-is-movie-first-week-box-office-important.htm

Zipin, D. (2021, October 18). How exactly do movies make money? Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/093015/how-exactly-do-movies-make-money.asp

Emotional Intelligence & Empathy Sample Essay

The term “emotional intelligence” (EI) is used to describe a person’s ability to identify, understand, and manage their own emotions and the emotions of others (McCormack, 2023). On the other hand, empathy is taking another person’s perspective and understanding their feelings and emotions. The ability to understand and manage our emotions and those of others is an essential skill for success in any field. Emotional intelligence (EI) and empathy are two of the most important skills to help us become emotionally intelligent individuals. They are essential for success in many areas of life, from relationships to careers. However, it can be challenging to understand how these two concepts interact and how to cultivate them. This synthesis paper examines the literature on emotional intelligence and empathy, exploring how the two concepts are related and how one can develop these important skills.

A Reflection on My ESCI-U Results

In order to measure my emotional intelligence, I recently took the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory-University (ESCI-U) test. It measures emotional intelligence on four scales: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, and Relationship Management. According to my test results, I have high self-awareness, with an above-average score on the scale. This means I can identify my emotions accurately and use them to inform my decisions and behaviors. In terms of self-management, I scored slightly below average. This means that while I can identify and understand my emotions, I may have difficulty managing them effectively in certain situations. On the social awareness scale, I scored below average on understanding reasons for other people’s actions (McCormack, 2023). This suggests that I may need to be more attuned to the emotions and needs of others. Finally, on the relationship management scale, I scored average. This means that while I can create meaningful connections with people and understand how our interactions impact one another, I can still improve in this area. Overall, my ESCI-U results indicate that I have an above-average level of self-awareness and can use this to further enhance my skills in managing relationships and understanding the emotions of others.

Taking this assessment was a daunting task, as I knew it would give me an honest assessment of my emotional intelligence. It was challenging to face the possibility that I may not be as emotionally intelligent as I am or that I may need to work on certain areas of my emotional skillset. At the same time, it was also empowering to see how accurately the test pinpointed areas of strength and weaknesses in my emotional intelligence. Overall, the assessment gave me valuable insights into my emotional capabilities and a better understanding of what areas I can work on to become more emotionally aware.

My self-reported results from the ESCI-U survey were quite different from the raters’ results. According to my self-reported results, I scored very high in terms of interpersonal, intrapersonal, stress management, adaptability, and general mood. However, according to the raters’ results, I scored low in interpersonal, intrapersonal, and stress management (McCormack, 2023). This indicates that I may not be aware of how I come across to others in certain situations and how my emotions affect my relationships. At the same time, I scored higher than average in terms of empathy and emotional intelligence. This indicates that I can understand how other people are feeling in different contexts and respond with appropriate emotions. This skill can help me build better relationships and communicate more effectively with others. Reflecting on these differences, I realized I might have been too self-assured in my self-reported results. I underestimated the effects of my emotions and the way others perceive them. This is a lesson I can take with me moving forward as I strive to become more aware of my emotions and their impact on my interactions with others. I can better communicate with others, build better relationships, and increase my overall emotional intelligence by being mindful of my emotions.

According to Hall and Hocker et al. survey from Module 1, my personal conflict style preference is integration. This means I prefer to resolve conflicts by understanding and to accommodate both sides of an issue. The results of my ESCI-U test suggest that I can identify and understand my emotions accurately and use them to inform my decisions and behaviors. In terms of self-management, I scored slightly below average. This may mean that I am only sometimes successfully managing my emotions effectively when facing a conflict.

On the social awareness scale, I scored below average. This suggests that I may need to be more attuned to the emotions and needs of others. As a result, this may make it more difficult for me to reach an integration outcome about any given conflict. Lastly, on the relationship management scale, I scored average. This means that while I can create meaningful connections with people and understand how our interactions impact one another, I can still improve in this area to resolve conflicts better. Emotional intelligence plays an important role in how we respond to conflicts. People with high levels of emotional intelligence are better able to recognize, understand, and manage their emotions and those of others (Goleman, 1997). This self-awareness helps them to be more aware of the impact of their words and actions, which can help them to navigate conflicts better. They are also better equipped to assess the context of a situation and consider alternative perspectives, which can lead to more effective problem-solving and resolution.

Furthermore, people with higher levels of emotional intelligence tend to be more empathetic and compassionate, which can help to reduce the intensity of conflicts by creating an atmosphere of understanding and respect. They can better recognize and address the needs of all parties involved, leading to more constructive conversations and successful outcomes.

My low score on the social awareness scale surprised me most about my ESCI-U results. I was not expecting to score so low in this area as I usually think of myself as a compassionate and caring person. The area from the assessment that is most important for me to try to improve as I work to become a peacemaker is my social awareness. Understanding the emotions and needs of others is essential in order to navigate difficult conversations and find peaceful resolutions. It is important to be aware of the emotions and needs of others because it allows us to make fair and considerate decisions. It also helps us develop meaningful relationships and create an atmosphere of trust and understanding.

My action plan for improving my social awareness includes reading books on emotional intelligence, practicing active listening, and engaging in self-reflection. I will also practice being more mindful of the people around me and their feelings. I will also take time to recognize my emotions to better empathize with others. Lastly, I will strive to build stronger relationships with those around me by actively working on communication, respect, and collaboration. As I continue to work towards becoming a peacemaker, these practices and improvements will lead to greater success in my relationships and interactions with others. As my emotional intelligence level increases, so does my capacity for empathy and understanding, which leads to deeper connections and healthier relationships. With this newfound understanding, I can be a more patient and kinder person who is better equipped to address conflicts and disagreements peacefully (Shapiro, 2002). Ultimately, by increasing my ability to understand others, I can put myself in someone else’s shoes and see the world through their perspective, which is essential if we want to create a culture of peace and understanding.

What Are My Feelings on Brown’s Definitions of These Words? Do I Agree or Disagree with Her?

I agree with Brené Brown’s definitions of empathy and sympathy. Empathy involves understanding another person’s feelings and emotions and connecting with them on a deeper level (TEDtalksDirector, 2011). It is about taking the time to try to understand someone’s experience from their point of view and show them support. On the other hand, sympathy involves feeling sorry for someone and trying to make them feel better but not necessarily making an effort to understand their experience (TEDtalksDirector, 2011). It can often be experienced as distant or unhelpful, leaving the other person feeling isolated and misunderstood. I believe that empathy is key to connecting people and building meaningful relationships. When you take the time to empathize with someone, it helps create a sense of understanding and trust. It also allows people to build meaningful connections, even with different experiences or perspectives.

On the other hand, sympathy can be damaging because it implies that someone else’s experience is less important than ours. It can lead to judgment and disconnection. Therefore, empathy fuels connection, while sympathy drives disconnection. This concept of empathy is a cornerstone of successful relationship dynamics and can be seen in social sciences such as psychology and sociology. For example, research has found that when employees are provided with emotional intelligence training (which focuses on developing skills such as self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills), they tend to perform better at work, have increased job satisfaction, and form stronger relationships with their co-workers (Behm & Carter, 2021). This demonstrates how crucial it is for individuals to possess strong emotional intelligence skills (which include empathy towards others) to achieve success in personal and professional relationships (Hoffman, n.d). Furthermore, studies suggest that these benefits are seen at work and extend into our everyday lives, improving our ability to navigate complex social situations such as difficult conversations and conflicts.

My opinion on this statement is that empathy is an essential factor in resolving conflicts. With empathy, it is easier for two parties to understand each other’s point of view, which can lead to misunderstandings and escalate the situation. For example, in a recent workplace conflict between an employee and a manager, the manager failed to empathize with the employee and responded angrily, which only worsened the situation. Without empathy, both parties in a conflict cannot find common ground and come to a resolution.

Hocker et al. (2021) state, “Transformation of conflict depends on empathy” (p. 194). What are my feelings on this statement?

The statement is right because the importance of empathy in resolving conflicts has been supported by research, and empathy is related to conflict-handling styles that facilitate constructive outcomes. Additionally, Lewis et al. (2010) found that individuals with higher emotional intelligence are more successful in managing interpersonal conflicts. This suggests that having a high level of emotional intelligence and the ability to empathize with another person can play a crucial role in resolving conflicts. Therefore, empathy is a key component for resolving interpersonal conflicts. In order to foster positive relationships and communication, one must develop empathy skills and create a safe environment where others can express their feelings without fear of judgment or retribution (Shapiro, 2010). Additionally, individuals should strive to stay calm in tense situations and focus on understanding rather than trying to prove their point. In order to better manage their emotions during a disagreement, individuals should practice self-awareness and self-regulation strategies such as deep breathing or counting to ten before speaking (Guerrero, 2013). Finally, being open to listening and engaging in dialogue is important when resolving conflicts. When discussing issues or disagreements, we must keep an open mind and focus on finding solutions that satisfy everyone’s needs while staying true to our values.

Hoffman’s Assertion, Christian Teachings, and Influence of a Higher Level of Empathy

Hoffman asserts that the ability to empathize is the foundation of all morality and is powerful (Hoffman, n.d). It speaks to our innate need to connect with and understand each other and our capacity for compassion. The teachings of Christianity and the Apostle Paul, in particular, also support this idea by emphasizing that people should be able to both celebrate and sorrow with those around them (Neely, 2020). Empathy for another person can profoundly influence any interpersonal conflict, as it allows you to see things from the other person’s perspective and try to understand their motivations. By having a higher level of empathy for the other person involved in the conflict, you can better express your needs and desires in a way that can foster understanding and resolution.

Additionally, by showing empathy, you are demonstrating respect for the other person, which can help create an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect that is necessary for any successful negotiation. This can lead to more productive conversations about the dispute since each party will feel understood and valued. Moreover, being empathetic does not mean you agree with or condone what the other person has done; rather, it means one is trying to put themself in their shoes and understand where they are coming from. This practice of active listening can then move towards a more collaborative solution where everyone feels heard and respected. Finally, empathy enables us to feel connected to others, which can inspire us to act kindlier towards them even if we have disagreements. Ultimately, empathy has great potential to provide insight and healing during times of conflict.

In conclusion, success in any social life and career requires the capacity to comprehend and control one’s emotions and those of others. People with higher emotional intelligence better handle interpersonal conflicts. With empathy, it can be easier for two sides to comprehend one another’s points of view, which can cause misunderstandings and escalate the situation. This viewpoint is also supported by Christian teachings, particularly those of the Apostle Paul, who emphasize that people ought to be able to rejoice and grieve with others around them. Empathy allows people to see things from the other person’s perspective and attempt to understand their intentions, which can significantly impact any interpersonal issue.

References

Behm, D. G., & Carter, T. B. (2021). Empathetic factors and influences on physical performance: a topical review. Frontiers in Psychology12, 686262.

Goleman, D. (1997). Emotional intelligence: Issues in paradigm building. Bantam Books. Uploaded Material

Guerrero, L. (2013). Emotion and communication in conflict interaction. In The SAGE handbook of conflict communication: Integrating theory, research, and practice (pp. 105-131). SAGE Publications Inc. Uploaded Material

Hoffman, D. (n.d). Feeling List. When You Are Jealousy About Change. Uploaded Material

Lewis, M., Haviland-Jones, J. M., & Barrett, L. F. (Eds.). (2010). Handbook of emotions. Guilford Press. Uploaded Material

McCormack, D. (2023). Emotional and Social Competency Inventory – University Edition Name: Client: Abilene Christian University. Uploaded Material

Neely, A. (2020). Christian Mission. Wipf & Stock Publishers.

Shapiro, D. L. (2002). Negotiating emotions. Conflict Resolution Quarterly20(1), 67-82. Uploaded Material

Shapiro, D. L. (2010). Relational identity theory: a systematic approach for transforming the emotional dimension of conflict. American Psychologist65(7), 634. Uploaded Material

TEDtalksDirector. (2011, January 3). The power of vulnerability | Brené Brown. YouTube. Retrieved January 28, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o

Online Marketing Strategies Sample College Essay

Introduction

Online marketing, also known as internet marketing, involves using interactive, intelligent, and virtual components to promote and advance business ventures and commodities on the internet. Organizations have increasingly incorporated technology in their marketing strategies to make strategic changes to client-focused marketing, integrative innovative marketing activities, and utilize digital marketing to achieve the primary marketing essentials. With a wide array of online marketing strategies, companies need to review the available options and select the appropriate ones for their business models. The project focuses on the various online marketing strategies and how they help companies to reach their target audiences to determine the effectiveness of internet marketing as a promotional solution.

Internet Marketing Techniques

The expansion of the internet has resulted in a tremendous and meaningful impact on commodity marketing. Market research reveals a direct and significant correlation between technology and marketing (Gibson, 2018). Some internet marketing techniques include social media marketing, e-mail marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), digital public relations, search engine marketing (SEM), online advertising, affiliate marketing, and display advertising.

Website

Organizations’ marketing efforts will benefit from having a website where they can post information relevant to customer knowledge. The website will also help the organization market its commodities at a low or free price. Enhanced websites with professional looks raise the company’s reputation to the public and customers’ trust in the brand promise (Gibson, 2018).

Social Media Marketing

Numerous sources indicate that social media marketing is a potent marketing tool due to the social networking that enables online communities and users to interact and communicate with one another. Social networking platforms facilitate organizations’ and individuals’ marketing through online information messaging and posts. Some of the regularly used and well-known social media platforms include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram. Baltes (2016) mentions that seventy-nine percent of consumers like or follow their favorite brands on social media. These consumers can motivate others within their social networks to try out commodities from these brands, which would increase company sales. Social media influencers also have a significant effect on the brand. Conducting marketing through social media helps create brand awareness and influences consumers’ purchase intentions as it enables two-way communication between organizations and potential customers (Putri, 2021). Companies can reach their target market and many customers through social media marketing at low costs. Also, firms can benefit from putting aside a budget for social media marketing to finance premium services provided on social media platforms.

Social Engine Optimization

An innovative strategy to improve the websites’ visibility on the internet is Social Engine Optimization (SEO) which focuses on search engines. SEO is defined as the process of augmenting the possibility that a company’s website will be visible and listed in the search result of online searches (Gibson, 2018). Some noted SEO strategies include promoting the uniqueness of site content, appropriate website indexing, keyword addition, and website content adjustments. A study reveals that 88% of all website accesses are done through the Google search engine (Gibson, 2018). Organizations use SEO to increase their traffic and website visitations by attaining high-ranking placement on search results and search engines. More customers are likely to visit company websites if they have been augmented with SEO. The marketing tool makes the firms actively contribute to creating brand awareness, and customers become interactive in the marketing process, thus raising brand awareness, image, loyalty, equity, and commitment (Baltes, 2016). Therefore, SEO is a necessary tool for online marketing.

E-mail Marketing

E-mail marketing is an online system that uses electronic mail to disseminate commercial announcements and information. The strategy allows organizations to reach a large pool of consumers by distributing messages and information using an electronic messaging tool (Gibson, 2018). Businesses can send advertising material, promotional events, online newsletters, and coupons using e-mail marketing. A study by Mang’era et al. (2021) on the use of e-mails by retail businesses indicated that the marketing tool helps to boost profitability.

Social Engine Marketing (SEM)

SEM is an internet marketing avenue that targets prospective consumers entering specific keywords in their web search. The strategy utilizes keywords to direct online users to access business or organization websites or content (Putri, 2021). Organizations and individuals use banner ads and hyperlinks to maximize their marketing. Companies can also purchase online advertisements to market their products for short durations. Popular SEM tools include Bing Ads and Google AdWords, which help advertise organizations and generate traffic to businesses’ websites (Gibson, 2018).

Display Advertising

Display advertising is effective and influential strategy organizations use to reach target audiences. The technique entails utilizing text, logos, pictures, graphics, and video to convey a business’ message. Also, the method uses cookies as unique identifiers of users’ specific devices to track the number of visits to a site (Putri, 2021). Companies will utilize user visitation data to understand the number of users accessing the sites and making or not making purchases (Gibson, 2018). The data provides valuable insights on how the company can retarget the customers not making purchases. The visual banner ads also help create brand awareness.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing can help any business generate online revenue regardless of its size. The marketing strategy rewards affiliates for advertising company products and each purchase is made due to the affiliates’ efforts. Affiliate programs can include Pay Per Click (PPC) systems, which most organizations commonly use in online affiliate networks (Baltes, 2016).

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a trusted and widely-accepted digital marketing tool. Blogs are the leading platforms where content marketing activities are conducted online. Content posted on the organization’s websites helps promote the company image (Putri, 2021). The marketing practice works by keeping online users engaged with the visual content, spending more time on the company websites, and interacting with the brand. Businesses can post videos, pictures, live streams, presentations, and articles on their blogs and websites to promote their brand and commodities (Gibson, 2018).

Digital Public Relations

Digital public relations is a dependable and well-rounded marketing avenue that helps distribute information concerning an organization or corporation. Public relations are formal communications that promote public acceptance and deliver relevant information to the public through online tools (Baltes, 2016). Digital public relations supersedes conventional public relations since it utilizes digital technologies to reach a vast and diverse population of online users. Organizations use marketing to disseminate company information, organization history, investor information, management officials’ names, and product information (Gibson, 2018).

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems

CRM systems are utilized to improve company relationships with clients. The systems utilize digital technologies to reach current and potential customers and improve relationships through consistent feedback, follow-ups, and providing necessary information. CRM systems ensure that digital marketing activities are client-centered and promote customer satisfaction (Gibson, 2018). The applications also provide necessary data to inform how companies can relate better with their customers.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the latest technology that is utilized in organizations for digital marketing practices. AI can be integrated into marketing communications and perform activities several employees would do, thus saving the company’s marketing costs. The technology can collect consumer data from social media, blogs, and comments to analyze customer behavior (Dharmappa, 2019). Chatbots are one form of AI technology that helps communicate with customers and answers clients’ inquiries and complaints in the same ways humans would in real-time. An added advantage of Chatbots is that they can communicate with customers all day and night. Companies would not need to hire employees from different countries to work as customer services during odd hours due to daytime differences, thus saving on human labor costs (Dharmappa, 2019). AI would use customers’ online behavior to provide better advertisement targeting.

Metrics of Effectiveness of Online Marketing Strategies

Online marketing strategies effectively enable the automation of marketing activities, easy management, and integration, enhancing consumer satisfaction and increasing brand awareness. Organizations can measure the success of using online marketing techniques through metrics like the number of visitors, the visitors’ behavior on site, the post interactions (comments numbers), the number of customers’ e-mails received, the number of minutes spent on a website visit, and the number of repeated visits (Dharmappa, 2019). Other measures include how the online promotional activities increase the company’s income and sales, impact profitability and cost savings, and enhance customers’ purchase intentions.

Customers who find a website that fulfills their needs are likely to visit the website repeatedly to solve their needs again. Visitors staying for a longer duration on the online platforms have the opportunity to create a better and stronger relationship with the brand over time (Dharmappa, 2019). Accumulated traffic or a high number of visitors to a website orMa an organization’s online platform will help the advertising information significantly impact the customers, boosting the awareness or sales of services or products. Companies would be interested to understand the visitors’ behavior to assess whether the intended purposes of the advertising effort have been achieved (Dharmappa, 2019). The data collected on visitors’ behavior would help the organizations make informed decisions on the adjustments needed to achieve promotional purposes. Also, communications provided by the customers on online posts and platforms are relevant to better understanding the customer needs and strengthening the relationships with the customers.

Conclusion

Several online marketing strategies exist, and organizations can choose the most applicable ones based on their business models. Internet marketing tools can be used in unison; thus, companies can integrate various tools and techniques to enhance their marketing efforts. The online marketing strategies and tools would help organizations to enhance customer relationships, create brand awareness, foster customer satisfaction, save on marketing and labor costs, create brand loyalty, and increase sales, income, and profitability. Companies can use various metrics to test the effectiveness of internet marketing tools, like the number of visitors, repeat visitors, user interactions, and feedback received. Firms would also evaluate whether the strategies have achieved their intended promotional purposes. Continuous technological advances will make online marketing a mainstay in advertising and promotional efforts.

References

Baltes, L. P. (2016). Digital marketing mix specific to the IT Field. Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Brasov. Economic Sciences. Series V9(1), 33. http://webbut2.unitbv.ro/bu2015/seriesv/2016/BULETINIPDF/SERIA-V_1-2016.pdf#page=41

Dharmappa, S. (2019). Study of the effectiveness of online marketing on integrated marketing communication. Doctoral Dissertation, Sellinus University of Sciences and Literature. https://www.uniselinus.education/sites/default/files/2021-06/TesiDharmappa.pdf

Gibson, C. (2018). The most effective digital marketing strategies & approaches: A review of literature. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 8(2), 12–16. https://www.ijsrp.org/research-paper-0218/ijsrp-p7404.pdf

Mang’era, R., Munga, J., Mbebe J. (2021). Internet marketing strategies and profitability of retail industry in Kenya. International Academic Journal of Innovation, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship, 2(2), 118-128. https://iajournals.org/articles/iajile_v2_i2_118_128.pdf

Putri, D. R. (2021). Digital marketing strategy to increase brand awareness and customer purchase intention (case study: Ailesh green consulting). European Journal of Business and Management Research6(5), 87–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.24018/ejbmr.2021.6.5.1063