Looking at the science behind marketing

Joanna Karpen, a business marketing major in the Verrazano Honors Class of 2018, is intrigued by the intersection of psychology, technology, and marketing.

Joanna Karpen earns Honors in her major!

My name is Joanna Karpen, I am a fourth year Verrazano student, from the Class of 2018. Upon starting my capstone, I was confident I knew exactly where my research would lead me. It seemed so simple. Psychology of Advertising? There was a whole class dedicated to it only a couple years ago! I figured it would be straight forward and a piece of cake. Then I started researching. Then I was lucky enough to take the Verrazano Capstone class. This is where my research really began to develop and change into what it has finally become. Within the class, the other students would share ideas in their respective majors. I, being a business major, am not as computer savvy or knowledgeable in science as some of my peers are. I learned so many new things I never even thought about before. Together, we learned about the “Internet of Things” from a fellow Verrazano student, I didn’t know it at the time, but by learning about this new form of technology, would help shape and move my research into a direction that can influence and change the way the advertising industry functions. My faculty mentor is a seasoned professor as well as professional in the marketing industry. The advantages of having him as a mentor led to insight on the workings of an advertiser and how an advertisement is really made. The amazing thing is how little advertising has changed in the last couple of decades. Have you ever watched Mad Men? That show encapsulates the true renaissance of modern day advertising. Today’s Era is beginning to change all that we as advertisers have learned and mastered. The Internet of Things is what is transforming advertising! It takes someone who understands this complicated new technology to understand how it will affect advertising. If it weren’t for learning about the Internet of Things from my fellow Verrazano students, I would have overlooked this great development. Products that are now becoming common in the American household such as Amazon’s Alexa, are having a huge impact on how company’s reach their consumer as well as how a consumer purchases products. This will create a whole new approach for advertisers.

It is so important, as a marketer, to understand these devices and how they are used. By being on the cutting edge along with the Internet of Things, the advertiser whom develops with the technology will hold the upper hand, for the consumer won’t even know what hit them. It’s amazing how everyday a new piece of technology is released with such great impact on our lives. To be honest, after doing my research technology scares me a little, it’s wild how much these devices learn about us in such short periods of time and without our conscious knowledge of it! My advice from all this: technology is good; as long as you understand it! Learn about it! It’s pretty interesting what you will find out when you do.