Generation Like: The Impact of Social Media on Consumer Behavior

This article explores the impact of social media on consumer behavior, as depicted in the documentary Generation Like. It discusses how firms are marketing their brands to teenagers and how consumers have become marketers. It also examines the concept of selling out, word-of-mouth marketing, and the influence of social media on identity.

Running head: GENERATION LIKE 1
Generation Like
Student’s Name
Institution

GENERATION LIKE 2
Generation Like
` Reaction to the Film
I found the documentary generation like interesting and educative. The documentary
represents the real picture of the discussions going on in both media 1 and media 2 classes. The
generation like documentary involves the teenagers who represent generation like, explains how
firms are advertising and marketing their brands to them. Most of the firms today are ensuring
that their brands are strongly connected with their consumers. Nowadays, people enjoy brands
that are much more than a purchase as a lifestyle. Most of the people develop an interest in a
brand because of the influence of their celebrities. For example, I do not like Nike products but
when I saw Christiano Ronaldo as the ambassador of Nike, I started liking them. I even bought a
Nike sneaker. The brand has changed my lifestyle and I feel like Christiano Ronaldo when I
bought the Nike sneaker.
The consumer is now the marketer
The current transformations in the social media have made consumers become marketers.
Most of the firms produce their brands' advertisements targeting the social networks. The
companies make advertisements which are more liked and shared by their customers on social
media (Oliver, 2014). This enables people to like and share the brands on their social networks
and almost all their friends will be attracted to similar advertisements. When people share the
advertisements, they appear in their timelines which are visited by their friends on social media.
An example is the Oreo Propaganda that encourages gay marriage using ''rainbow oreo'' in the
United States. This brand has captured the youths’ attention on the social media who supports
any kind of love including gay marriage. The Oreo brand aimed at proving that they support gay

GENERATION LIKE 3
relationships which will make some people feel that they share something common with it. The
company wanted to sell a lifetime which is more than the cookie that the company sells.
Selling Out
With the current nature of consumers, I think selling out does not exist. Most of the
consumers want to engage with different brands at the right time when they need them
(Nishihara, 2017). Today, when individuals want to purchase a product or service, they search
for them online and talk to the individuals who know them. The selling out existence is reduced
by the evolution and growth of the marketing communication means. Most of the firms think that
using the online means to reach to customers is better than selling out. The companies now reach
a wide number of customers and find new people who are looking for their brands online. The
use of the online media has enabled the companies to access more customers and boost their
sales. The use of online marketing rather than selling out has enabled the companies which
brands their consumers like and makes it easier for them to respond to their needs.
Word-of-mouth
The word-of-mouth marketing was used the time social networks were not introduced not
present in everyday life. The word-of-mouth involves people carrying information to others
through talking or writing (King, Racherla & Bush, 2014). The social media helps people to
carry messages to others but they do not necessarily talk or write. Now, people like or share what
they think pleases them which makes their social media friends to know about it. The use of
social media is like word-of-mouth but does not use mouth. The key play in transferring the
information is the social media account or platform.
Access to the internet/smartphones

GENERATION LIKE 4
Sincerely speaking, I have never stayed out of the internet for 48 hours. What I have tried
is to reduce my internet consumption hours especially when I am having some time with my
friends or family. During this time, I try my best to live a real life which is far much different
from the internet life. I think what I will miss most when I do not access the internet for 48 hours
is my friends on the social media platform. I like to see what my social media friends’ post, share
and like daily because they make me feel close to them and be part of their life. Also, the
internet encourages the video calls which enable a person to interact with another face-face in
real time. Without the internet for 48 hours, I will not be able to see my friends and family
members because I have developed the habit of communicating with them before going to sleep.
I think I cannot try to go without the internet for 48 hours because it will affect my lively living.
Impact of Social Media my Identity
Social media helps individuals shape their identity through what they like or hate. I think
the social media is developing an unusual ways of building people’s identities including mine.
When I joined the Facebook as a social media platform, I wanted to create a public identity of
myself. I do not think that my real identity is 100% similar to that of my life on the social media.
Most of the people including myself live a perfect live on the social media. Most of my friends
think that I live a perfect life when they see me post pictures of celebrities such as Chris Brown
and Christiano Ronaldo. What most of my social media friend do not know is my real life. My
friends just understand the good life I post on the social media because I never post my issues on
the social media. I have problems but online I live a perfect life.

GENERATION LIKE 5
References
King, R. A., Racherla, P., & Bush, V. D. (2014). What we know and don't know about online
word-of-mouth: A review and synthesis of the literature. Journal of Interactive
Marketing, 28(3), 167-183.
Nishihara, M. (2017). Selling out or going public? A real options signaling approach. Finance
Research Letters, 22, 146-152.
Oliver, R. L. (2014). Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer. Routledge.