Media Behind My Screen

Exploring digital media and online culture through a student's lense.

[dudleydigital]

Research Like A Pro

Walking into a new client situation while having zero background information can be both stressful and exciting. No discovery sheet, no notes, no research, just a brand name, website, and open mind. If I started working at an agency and on day one got assigned a brand like Fitlife Foods, I would start with research. Without this first step any strategy I’d be able to come up with would simply be built off of assumptions.

A website is almost like a brand’s “home base”, this is where you can start to learn a lot about a brand. I would begin by paying attention to how the brand describes themselves, what their mission/goal is, what values they have, and how they talk to their audience. I would pay attention to details like the tone they use, is it more serious and health focused, or playful and lifestyle driven? Then I would navigate to the products and services being offered and how these are positioned to viewers. For a brand that’s similar to Fitlife Foods this could mean understanding how they are balancing convenience, nutrition, and overall lifestyle appeal. Next, I would analyze the brand’s identity. What visuals, colors, fonts, and imagery are they using? The branding plays more of a role than just for aesthetic purposes, it is how the company wants their brand to be perceived. If all of this feels and looks cohesive it would mean they’re on the right track. However, if not, this could mean they have a branding issue that would need to be reevaluated.

After the website analysis I’d move to observing their social media pages. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc. can be huge for promoting brands in health and lifestyle. I’d pay attention to the type of content they are posting and how people are engaging with it. Is their content getting likes, comments, and shares? Are they using trend driven formats like influencer collaborations and short-form videos? And more so, which content type is receiving the most positive reaction from their audience? All of this will help me to identify what’s working and what isn’t.

Now I’m at the stage of research where I have a decent understanding of the brands values, goals, and communication style. Using this I would now do a competitor analysis and find a few other brands that offer similar products/services targeting a similar audience and compare them. What are these brands doing differently? Is their content or advertising more engaging? Are their products more affordable? Do they have better incentives? This step is extremely important because it shows where there can be room for growth or differentiation.

I would also use Google Trends to understand what people are actually plugging into their search engines and which keywords are driving the most and least interest over a specific time period. This will give me more insight into the consumer behavior. According to Google Trends, tracking search data over time can reveal patterns in consumer interest, which can prove itself useful when you’re trying to figure out what people care about before building the brand campaign (https://newsinitiative.withgoogle.com/resources/trainings/google-trends-lesson/).

For my last step in researching, I would look at customer feedback. Using tools like Google reviews, Yelp, comments on social platforms, and other platforms can tell me a lot about how people are actually feeling about the brand. Here I can see real customer experiences, what was positive or negative with their brand experience. This is important because it highlights strengths and weaknesses from a real audience perspective, not just what the brand claims.

From here I can now start identifying the true target audience and building the ICP and buyer persona profiles. Having this solidified is key because every strategic decision from messaging to platform choices depend on knowing and understanding your audience.

Overall, research is what sets the foundation for everything else. Before you can create a campaign or recommend changes you need to fully understand the brand, their audience, and position in the market. Skipping this step would be equivalent to operating blindly which almost never leads to an effective outcome.

[dudleydigital]

Bake More Pies Field Trip

The version of the marketing industry that lives in textbooks is full of clean campaign funnels, structured timelines, and predictable deliverables. Then there’s the real thing. The guest lecture given to our digital media class by Mike Curia, Chief Operating Officer at the advertising agency Bake More Pies, brought the second version to light. There were no polished incentives, just straight honesty about what it actually takes to build a career in marketing and advertising today. What struck me most wasn’t any single piece of advice, but more so the big picture. An industry being reshaped by AI, drowning with misleading job listings, and still fundamentally built on human relationships and how you carry yourself. These are my three big takeaways from the lecture.

No Two Days Are the Same, and That’s the Point

One of the first things Curia made clear to us is that no day at an ad agency looks like the one before it. Client priorities shift, campaigns pivot, and new problems will land on your desk before you have time to solve the first one. For someone like me entering the field, this isn’t the warning, but more so the appeal. This means that being able to adapt to situations is a core job requirement. In my first marketing role, I imagine I’ll be pulled across several projects at once. Knowing this now allows me to begin building habits like clear communication with others, managing my time, and getting comfortable being uncomfortable.

AI Is Reshaping the Field

Curia was also repetitive on a topic a lot of professionals seem to dance around. I’m used to people saying that AI lacks emotional connection and creativity and for this reason it won’t replace jobs within the industry, however this is not what he told us. He shared how AI is already replacing roles, even positions at Bake More Pies. His point wasn’t to scare us but instead to challenge us. We need to learn how to use AI so it makes us better, not so it can replace us. The marketers who thrive are not the ones who ignore these tools but the ones who take the time and effort to understand them well enough to use them strategically. According to HubSpot’s marketing research, AI adoption in marketing is increasing fast. Tools for content generations, campaign analysis and audience segmentation are now strong factors used in agencies (https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics). As a Senior in college, AI is something I need to focus on navigating and exploring, not something I wait to be taught. Within my first role I plan to bridge my creative work and AI efficiency in order to bring a valuable contribution to the company.

Finding a Job Is Harder Than It Looks

Curia also shed light on ghost job listings, something that effects every single graduating student in our class. This is when companies post listings on LinkedIn or Indeed that showcase an already filled or non-existent position at a company. Hearing about this wasn’t the best, but knowing does help me. A Fortune investigation into ghost job listings found that around 70% of companies admitted to posting at least one ghost job in 2024, and that networking directly with people inside a company remains the most reliable way to bypass fake listings and reach real opportunities (https://fortune.com/2025/01/28/how-to-spot-ghost-job-listings/). As I continue to look for jobs, I plan to use networking and forming connections as an advantage. This will allow me to get in front of people and have face-to-face conversations about what I’m passionate about. Another factor within the job hunt that Curia mentioned was internships. He felt strongly about looking for paid opportunities and staying far away from the unpaid ones. If a company isn’t willing to compensate your time and work that will tell you about how they value, the people who work there. Your effort has worth, it’s just about finding the place that is the right fit.

Presentation Matters

The final big takeaway I had from Curia’s lecture was professionalism. How you show up and present yourself matters. Business attire for interviews weather they are in person or on a zoom call, a follow-up thank you email after every interview is a must and having volunteer work experience on your resume. These are three things he mentioned that employers will not just always notice but can also be deciding factors on your continuation throughout an interview process. Hearing this advice better prepares me for the interview process as a explore opportunities. Before I graduate this summer, I plan to complete at least one meaningful volunteer role, specifically with the Tampa Bay Humane Society. Right now, my resume lacks volunteer experience and it’s something I’d like to focus on.

Mike Curia’s lecture gave me a realistic view of the marketing and advertising world. It’s fast, uneven, and constantly changing due to technology. But it’s also full of opportunity for people willing to adapt and show up professionally at every stage. The three things I’m walking away with are things I can begin utilizing now instead of saving for after graduation.

[dudleydigital]

Mastering AI Interaction: Why Prompting Is Not Enough

Artificial Intelligence is becoming such a normal part of schools and workplaces making it hard to believe we ever lived in a world without it, especially in the fields of marketing, advertising, communications, and business strategy. Tools like AI writing assistants can help employees and students brainstorm ideas, organize their research, and quickly draft content. However, there is a big difference between casually asking AI for assistance and using it strategically. As a future marketing/advertising professional, understanding how to guide AI, evaluate its output, and use it responsibly is something that will be essential to me and my career.

When working with AI platforms, one of the first things to understand is the difference between prompting and priming. During this week’s lecture I learned that prompting is the most basic interaction with AI. It’s simply the instructions you type into the chat box asking the platform to complete a task. For example, a prompt I wrote into ChatGPT earlier this week was, “Create a fun name for the recipe of a spicy tomato cream sauce Cajun pasta with sausage, that my college roommate and I came up with”. While this did produce responses, the output was not what I was looking for because I didn’t include enough context to tailor the generation to my expectations. On the other hand, priming provides the AI with the background information before it generates the response. It helps to guide the AI platform towards a more relevant and useful answer. Instead of asking a simple question, the user will provide context, define the roles it wants the AI program to take, and explain what the final result should look like. Priming is a huge part of learning how to use AI strategically, it helps the AI understand the situation better and produce responses that are more useful and relevant to your task.

A structured way to effectively prime AI is through the use of a framework known as the CRAFT model. This stands for Context, Role, Action, Format, and Target. Context explains the situations, role tells the AI who it should be acting as, actions describe the task, format specifies how the output should be structured, and target defines the intended audience. When all of these elements are clearly defined the AI is able to generate a response that the user is looking for. According to the Ethan Mollick, organizations are starting to recognize that the quality of AI results depends more on the quality of the instructions it was given rather than the technology itself (https://www.oneusefulthing.org/p/working-with-ai-two-paths-to-prompting).

Another important step in using AI effectively is clearly defining your goal before using the tool. If I were to ask AI a vague question without a clear objective, then the response I’ll receive will likely be very broad. But, if I were to define a goal first, then the AI and help generate ideas that align with a strategy and match up with the intended audience. Even when AI is being used properly there are still problems that users need to be familiar with. One of these is known as AI sycophancy, this occurs when AI systems easily change their answers as they become challenged. If I ask AI a question, and then follow up with “are you sure this is correct”, AI may respond by changing its generation. This happens because AI models are designed to output reasonable language rather than defend a position with certainty. Another known issue is model collapse, occurring when AI reputedly produces a predictable or commonly accepted response. When users ask for creativity and innovation the AI program defaults to safe, textbook responses. This limits creativity if users don’t push the system to generate multiple responses.

Due to all of these limitations, it is extremely important to validate and verify AI output, especially in a professional business setting. AI can sound confident even of the information is wrong. If businesses blindly put their trust in AI-generated content it could lead to inaccurate reports, misleading messaging, or poor strategic decisions. According to MIT Technology Review, AI systems can generate convincing but false informati9on, meaning human oversight it critical when these tools are used in decision-making processes (https://arxiv.org/pdf/2305.17493v3).

I’ve had multiple experiences of AI generating me false responses or content like photos with text that was jumbled up or misspelled. This just shows how failing to validate AI output can result in consequences. Ultimately, what separates strategic AI users from casual users is their mindset. Casual users treat AI as a shortcut and accept whatever answer it gives them. Strategic users approach AI as a tool that still requires their human guidance and critical thinking. They use a method like CRAFT and make sure the output aligns with their objectives. For future marketing professionals, the biggest takeaway is that AI should be used to enhance the thinking process but not replace it. The people who succeed in a business will not be the ones who rely on AI the most, but the ones who know how to guide it effectively and evaluate the output. Learning how to interact with AI responsibly is just as important as learning how to develop a campaign, communicate with clients, and analyze targets.

AI Disclosure Sentence: ChatGPT was used to help outline this blog post. All writing, analysis, editing, and organization were completed by the author, Siarah Dudley.

[dudleydigital]

Using AI For Website Content

We live in a world where AI is only evolving, if you had told me years ago that what started through consumer products like Siri, Amazon Alexa, and many other tools I would never have believed that artificial intelligence would grow to that level in that short of time. AI is not only anywhere and everywhere in people’s personal lives but also those of their careers. It is literally reshaping how websites are written, published, and ranked making it a major tool but also threat to content marketing. Even more so, it’s forcing us to rethink what quality even means online. There’s this tempting narrative that AI is either the ultimate productivity hero or the villain responsible for destroying the human creativity factor. However, the truth seems to lie somewhere between the two, and strategically speaking, this is where the real challenges and opportunities are.

The obvious upside is that AI tools have the ability to produce website and creative content fast. Like ridiculously fast, but the problem here is when AI users mistake the fast results for a strategic response. If you chose to strictly rely on AI without entering or writing a prompt of your own for some human input, then you may be unintentionally pushing your brand into the corner. A lot of experts are warning that low-quality, AI-produced content can actually hurt you’re a company’s SEO. This is because search engines like Google don’t punish content simply for being made through or by AI tools. Instead, they punish uninspired content that doesn’t help users. According to a digital marketing analysis, AI-generated copy can lack originality, emotional nuance, and the unique insights that humans bring to the table. When content starts sounding the same everywhere, it loses both search value and audience engagement ( https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-generated-content-vs-human-written-hottest-most-debate-natarajan-1mnac/).

So, given all of this, what is the actual SEO risk? It’s not necessarily AI, but it is bad AI use. If your website is filled with generic text that has no depth or brand perspective, search engines will downgrade your pages just like they downgrade spam and shallow content, this would be an occurring factor weather or not AI were involved. Another vital factor of brands and businesses AI use is transparency. Both ethically and legally, brands should be upfront about using AI in their content strategy. In fact, new laws like California AI Transparency Act requires companies to disclose when content is AI-generated, and international regulations are moving in this direction as well. More specifically, research shows that people are more likely to trust brands when they know what tools were used to create the content, they’re taking in (https://www.prtimes.org/technology/6185 ).

If a website presents AI-generated content as purely human without the indication or credit given that AI was utilized, it feels deceptive. Transparency is what builds credibility and without credibility you risk running into problems down the road.

In reality we all know that AI is not going anywhere. But however, you chose to utilize it to get whatever value out of it depends on oneself. An approach that actually works is as follows:

Use AI for idea generation and drafts, not for final publishing.

Layer In text on human experience and expertise, things that AI literally cannot replicate.

Review everything for accuracy, tone, and alignment with your message.

Be transparent when AI plays a significant role in creating content.

At a time when consumes are extremely skeptical and search algorithms are more sophisticated, authenticity is one of the only real differentiators left. If AI helps you produce insightful content faster, then that’s great. But if it just replaces your own thoughts without human input than that’s the real SEO mistake. Personally, I have mixed feelings on using AI to create website content. For sure, it’s super helpful when it’s being used in the right ways and dangerous if its skills are being taken advantage of. AI won’t replace marketers, but lazy marketers will be replaced. Not by machines, but by the brands who figure out how to perfectly combine human strategy with AI efficiency.

[dudleydigital]

Improving AEO Visibility for Fitlife Foods

After this week’s lecture it became clear to me that search behavior is shifting, and this shift is happening fast. Instead of scrolling through link options of a Google search, users are choosing to receive their answers directly through AI Overviews or other answer engines. These zero-click searches satisfy the need for an immediate response, which reduces traffic to websites. For brands like Fitlife Foods, the new goal is no longer just search ranking, but more so being chosen and cited by AI as a trusted source. Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) responds to this shift by prioritizing clear and structured answers that AI systems can extract, summarize, and reference. Applying AEO strategically allows Fitlife Foods to remain visible at the top of the funnel while capturing high-intent users who still choose to click.

Strategy #1: Answer Specific Questions

Fitlife Foods already has a strong, dedicated frequently asked questions (FAQ) page on its website. This page is clearly separated from the other content on the site, and the questions are organized using helpful subheadings that include General Fitlife Foods Questions, Delivery Questions, In-Store Wellness Coaching, and Managing Your Account (https://eatfitlifefoods.com/faq ). This structure shows that Fitlife already understands how users search for information. In order to further optimize this page for AEO, Fitlife should focus on tightening and prioritizing a smaller set of high-intent questions that AI systems are most likely to display. An example of this follows.

Ordering and Account Management

How many meals can I order per week?

How do I place my order and apply a promo or referral code?

Delivery and Convenience

Where does Fitlife Foods deliver, and do I need to be home?

What do I do with the cooler bag I’m given after the delivery?

Food Quality and Safety

How long are Fitlife Foods meals good for?

Can I freeze my meals without affecting the quality?

Nutrition and Wellness

Where can I find nutritional information for Fitlife Foods meals?

What is in-store wellness coaching and how much does it cost?

Rather than Fitlife Foods doing a complete 360 and changing its FAQ approach, they should instead enhance their existing FAQ page by making sure each question appears as a clear H2 subheading with a short, self-contained answer given directly underneath. Answers should be concise and factual before they expand into optional details. This aligns with how AI Overviews extract information, and it increases the likelihood that Fitlife’s answers are selected and cited over others.

Strategy #2: Build Visible Authority

Even while having a strong on-site FAQ page, AI systems still look for information beyond a brand’s website. Fitlife should reinforce its expertise across multiple trusted external platforms, especially those where we see a heavy presence of cited domains. To many peoples surprise, the top three platforms for this include Reddit, LinkedIn, and Wikipedia. In a Press Gazette piece by Alice Brooker, it was stated, “Reddit said its content is “essential for training” LLMs and AI search engines, as well as the “backbone of building AI”. This means its data will play a role in how AI answers questions… However, information and opinions are not fact-checked before being published, meaning information being cited by AI models might not be accurate” (https://pressgazette.co.uk/news/reddit-claims-top-spot-as-most-cited-domain-in-ai-generated-answers/ ). Given this information I feel it’s important for Fitlife Foods to strengthen their existing Reddit page and other relevant communities, including subreddits on local health, fitness, and food focused threads where users already ask detailed questions about meal-prep and nutrition. Rather than coming off in a promotional way they can be transparent. Another platform Fitlife should build visibility on is its Google Business Profile. Many people rely on this for a quick answer regarding delivery areas, store locations, pickup, etc. Searching for these things mostly result in zero-click interactions, which is what we are trying to avoid. Fitlife can improve AEO by factually answering customer questions through the Q&A feature. This content frequently appears in AI Overviews therefore increases the likelihood that Fitlife is treated as a trusted source when AI generates its responses.

Strategy #3: Optimize The Website For AI

Fitlife Foods existing FAQ structure gives it a head start, but technical optimization through platforms like Reddit and Google Business Profile will strengthen AEO performance. Key improvements include prioritizing the depth and clarity in FAQ answers, using consistent headings and short paragraphs, and internally linking related questions such as, freezing meals, shelf life, and food safety will make it easier for AI systems to extract, summarize, and trust Fitlife’s content. This will hopefully allow them to make the shift from simply answering customer questions to becoming an AI-chosen source.

AI Disclosure Statement

ChatGPT was used for brainstorming ways I can build a visible authority for a brand on external platforms. All writing, analysis, and application to Fitlife Foods were completed independently by Siarah Dudley.

[dudleydigital]

Measurement Before Marketing

Measuring What's Easy vs. What Matters

After this week’s digital media lecture, I learned that a measurement model is essential in digital marketing, as it ensures the advertising efforts are aligned with the business objectives. This is evaluated using meaningful and constantly updated data based off of evidence rather than assumptions. In the world of digital marketing, it can be tempting to start the process early by posting content and creating advertisements. But without having a measurement model in place even the most creative digital strategies can lose their direction.

Metrics, KPIs, and Real Outcomes

One of the most common challenges we see businesses face is prioritizing metrics that are easy to collect rather than prioritizing the metrics that actually matter to their marketing plan. Tools like Google Analytics make it easy to track page view, clicks, impressions, and sessions. While it does provide us with useful numbers it shouldn’t be looked at as success of its own. These numbers are indicators of other factors that we need to dive deeper into.

As Seth Godin said, “Measurement is fabulous. Unless you’re busy measuring what’s easy to measure as opposed to what’s important”. This quote perfectly sums up the issue. A brand might celebrate high traffic to their website or content that is going viral, but if none of those numbers are converting into sales, leads, or loyalty than it’s all just noise. Without context easy metrics can distract marketers from their real business goals.

Better Decisions, Not Just Reports

Being able to understand the differences between metrics, KPIs, and business outcomes is essential for effective measurement. Metrics are basic data points that describe activity, this is seen in the form of users, sessions, or video views. KPIs, known as key performance indicators, are the selected metrics that directly reflect progress towards specific goals. And lastly, business outcomes represent the actual impact on the organization, seen through an increase in sales, more retention, brand loyalty, etc. Measurement models are what connect everyday metrics to KPIs and then to outcomes so that marketers are able to explain the impact rather than just report the numbers. In a piece published by the Harvard Business School, Kate Gibson stated, “It’s crucial to note that if you don’t monitor KPIs early in the marketing funnel, it can be hard to determine if your efforts contributed to your campaign’s success or failure” (https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/marketing-kpis ). If you don’t know where you went right/wrong within your campaign, then moving forward will be done blindly.

Why Measurement Comes First

Clear measurement models force marketers to ask the right questions before launching a campaign. Why does the business exist? What problem are we trying to solve? What does success actually look like? After having the answers to these marketers can choose KPIs that guide in their decision making. This matters because data is only valuable if it leads to action. As W. Edwards Deming said, “Without data, you’re just another person with an opinion”. With a strong model teams can analyze performance, adjust their tactics, and continuously improve until they get their desired results. It’s best said in an article posted by the Agile Brand Guide, “Without a sound marketing measurement framework, businesses risk marketing in the dark, entangling themselves in complex, multi-channel operations without measurable results. However, with MMF, businesses can confidently and efficiently position themselves for success” (https://agilebrandguide.com/the-importance-of-a-marketing-measurement-framework/?srsltid=AfmBOorx6VzQdaRKTH-5r51aSF0Lput_pFwor0_Y0j9hIzUCDbNeatmL ).

At the end of the day, a measurement model is essential because it makes marketing intentional. It ensures that every dollar spent is connecting back to the business objective. It ensures data is being used for improvement, not just reporting. In a digital world with endless numbers the brands that "win" are the ones that measure with purpose, not convenience.

[dudleydigital]

Strategy, Awareness, and Digital Media

Before this week’s lecture I thought of digital strategy as mostly picking the “right” platforms, examples being the choice of Instagram or TikTok, paid search or social, influencers or display ads. This assumption means digital strategy lives in the tools, and while that is important it’s not the case. After the lecture I realized that digital strategy is existent before any of this, starting with the people, not the platforms. And more specifically, it has to do with what people are aware of at any given time.

One of the biggest takeaways for me was the idea that marketing isn’t about technology, but instead people. Technology, as we all know, evolves quickly, but human behavior and decision-making patterns stay relatively consistent. This is why frameworks like Eugene Schwartz’s Breakthrough Advertising and the five levels of awareness are still relevant in today’s digital world. My understanding of digital strategy has changed in the way that I now see it as a plan of action based on limited resources, a clearly defined business goal, and research/information. Strategies exist because of the lack of a straightforward clear and direct solution. If one existed every campaign would succeed, and we know this isn’t the case. Digital strategy focuses on answering the “how” not so much the “where”, channels, tactics, and tools are all important decisions to be made but they come into play after, they aren’t the strategy themselves.

This is where awareness matters more than the channels. The five levels being unaware, problem, aware, solution aware, product aware, and most aware. These levels simply explain why one message is impossible to work for everyone. For unaware audiences of a new product the goal is not conversion/purchase, but rather education and engagement. At this stage content should spark curiosity with people using short/brief social content that introduces a problem without exactly selling it at that moment. This idea also connects to how the customer journey is not linear. Harvard Business Review explains that consumers move fluidly between stages of consideration, research, and decision making rather than following a straight funnel (https://hbr.org/data-visuals/2010/12/the-customer-decision-journey ).

As consumers move into problem/solution aware stages the messaging should shift to emphasize problems, benefits, and proof. This is important during the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT) stage, this is when people research, read reviews, and compare online options. According to Jim Lecinski, 78% of the U.S. internet users search online for product or service information before they make a purchase, making visibility and relevance during this phase critical (https://business.google.com/uk/think/marketing-strategies/zmot-why-it-matters-now-more-than-ever/ ).

A brand that I regularly interact with that also aligns well with awareness-based messaging in Starbucks. They rarely lead with aggressive selling, especially to broad audiences. Instead, most of their digital content focuses on lifestyle, routine, and emotional connection. Think about their cozy visuals, seasonal drinks and menu items, and the messaging focused on a daily ritual. This kind of content appeals to unaware or problem-aware consumers by associating Starbucks with comfort, productivity, and a small moment of joy rather than immediately pushing a purchase.

As consumers become more product-aware like downloading and using the Starbucks app the messaging becomes more direct and personalized. App users receive targeted offers, rewards reminders, and limited time promotions. These features are clearly designed for the most-aware customers who already know the brand and just need a reason to act. Starbucks uses channels like email, push notifications, and in-app messaging strategically to match the message to the consumers awareness level instead of relying on one size fits all advertising. This example reinforces my thoughts that strategy isn’t about being everywhere but instead saying the right thing at the right time.

Overall, this lecture helped me understand that digital strategy is not about chasing the trends and mastering every platform. It’s about intention, timing, and empathy. In today’s digital world awareness matters more than channels because it determines what brands should say, where they should say it, and when it actually makes sense to sell.

[dudleydigital]

ICP, Awareness, and Messaging in Digital Advertising

When people think about “digital advertising” their first thought is often about platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Google search. But one of the biggest points I’ve learned so far is that digital advertising is not a channel list. These platforms are tools, and all the strategic action happens behind the scenes before an advertisement is put out. This is where Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs), awareness stages, and messaging come into play.

At a basic level, digital advertising is about understanding your current or target audience. There are billions of people online from all over the world, each differing in their own ways. Trying to connect and create relationships with all of them at once is how brands end up with generic messaging that doesn’t show results. This is where ICPs and personas become essential. An Ideal Customer Profile defines not only who should buy from a brand but why these people would be the best long-term customers. Research is put into the profile to determine the type of person who would align with the brands values and actually benefit from the product. While a buyer persona helps to humanize the ICP by describing what this person’s life would look like, what they care about, and how they make their decisions.

This difference matters because ICPs help brands make decisions while personas help brands visualize people / potential customers. It’s much more than simply listing out the demographics, while this does play a part, knowing someone is a 25-year-old man from Florida doesn’t tell you why they would care about your product or how you should be framing your message. Without a clear ICP messaging is vague, lacks creativity, and therefore inconsistent. Having a clear ICP makes messaging feel intentional.

Once the ICP is determined the next layer is the awareness continuum. Not all people who see and click on an advertisement are ready to purchase that product then and there, and assuming that they are is a common mistake made in digital advertising. The awareness continuum explains where someone’s mindset is at and ultimately decides what should be communicated. According to John Cole, the five levels of customer awareness are unaware, problem aware, solution aware, product aware, and most aware. These form a continuum that breaks up your target audience into segments, each having different needs and desires (https://copyengineer.com/post_five_levels_customer_awareness/ ). Understanding these needs matter because it determines what kind of message will actually resonate and show results. When brands align messaging with consumers stage, they can increase relevance. Research by Knowledge at Wharton staff explain that by mapping a customer’s journey marketers are able to understand how consumers process information, emotions, and choices at each stage of decision -making, which is crucial for creating effective messaging (https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/customer-journey-mapping-is-at-the-heart-of-digital-transformation/ ).

And this is why messaging comes before channels. This includes the hook, emotional angle, and call to action. The channel is there to influence how the message is delivered, not whether or not it’s successful. However, it is still an important decision to make, a brand must ask themselves if this platform is the most efficient way to deliver their message to the right person.

At the end of the day, effective digital advertising follows a clear strategic flow from ICP to awareness stage to messaging and lastly to channels. Brands that understand and utilize this communicate to their prospects with a purpose, build trust over a period of time, and create campaigns that not only make sense but actually work.

[dudleydigital]

Digital Media Reflection

Digital media is something I find myself using and interacting with every day, most times without even thinking. From waking up and checking my social media platforms for new messages from friends to the infamous “doom scrolling” on TikTok, all while engaging with branded online content. It’s more than obvious that digital media shapes the way I receive information, communicate with others, and form opinions. As a college student majoring in IPRA I’ve taken many classes that touch on digital media, and I’ve realized that being good at using digital platforms is not the same thing as understanding how they work and how they influence users.

What I Know

From my experience as a user and the knowledge I’ve learned so far, digital media includes content that is created and shared through social media platforms, websites, online advertisements, streaming sites, and more. It’s extremely interactive through likes, comments, reposts, shares, and saves while also maintaining its personalization. Digital platforms track their users to create tailored content for that specific user.

Algorithms play a massive role in digital media, apps like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube all decide our suggested content based on our behavior. Have you even been talking to your friends about a specific product, place, or any random topic and open your Instagram account where ironically there’s an Ad for that product, or your for you page is filled with creators talking about situations that you feel yourself relating to at that time. This is all part of the algorithm, as data is collected on you your feed begins to reflect your interests and even influence them. Digital media also plays a big role in branding and marketing. Social media influencers and companies create their online presence to appear relatable, authentic, and reflect their own values trying to create a sense of uniqueness. Paid partnerships and Advertisements are carefully blended into normal posts making them harder to spot. Someone you follow may post a TikTok where they briefly talk about or show themselves using a product to which you didn’t even realize was an Ad until you saw the caption at the bottom of the video. According to Erik Rudolph, paid advertising is used to target specific demographics, behaviors, and interests boosting specific content to users who would be interested (https://marketingcommunications.wvu.edu/professional-development/marketing-communications-today/marketing-communications-today-blog/2025/03/10/the-impact-of-social-media-algorithms-on-marketing ). Without even noticing you just became interested in a new product and find yourself adding it to your cart after a quick google search.

Questions I Still Have

As we all know, the use of AI especially in the digital media and media advertisement field has been on a rise, but I question how this will affect communication, emotional connection, and privacy concerns in the future. Just how much of our personal information is being sold and used by companies when we press “I agree to the terms and conditions”. Is there a line being crossed or has the line just continuously been pushed further and further. This increase in AI is new and exciting but also scary to online users. Will the human emotional connection within Ads be lost and replaced with automated content? I question if digital media is strengthening relationships or rather slowly just replacing genuine human communication with AI algorithm driven posts. According to the Pew Research Center, young adults feel as though the increase of AI use will make people worse at thinking creatively and forming meaningful human relationships (https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2025/09/17/how-americans-view-ai-and-its-impact-on-people-and-society/ ).

Final Thoughts

I know that digital media is deeply rooted in everyone’s lives across the globe, and I know that these platforms are used as outlets for communication and advertising, However I still question the long-term boundaries and future of digital media as a whole with new technology emerging. As I learn more about digital media this semester, I want to understand how data is used and processed behind the scenes, and more importantly how to do it in a way that doesn’t lead to loss of trust amongst users.