Marketing in Context

 Updating Hackley’s Argument for the Age of Big Data & Algorithmic Culture

Hackley’s notion of marketing as a means of priming culture aligns well with the rise of big data and algorithmic culture, where marketing is no longer just about shaping culture through media, but about constantly adapting to and predicting consumer behavior based on data-driven insights. In this era, companies use algorithms to personalize marketing efforts in real-time, making marketing not just a response to culture but a proactive force in shaping it.

Rather than simply influencing cultural discourse through branding and messaging, marketing today operates as an invisible force embedded in digital interactions—using predictive analytics, recommendation engines, and personalized content feeds to mold consumer experiences. In this way, marketing doesn’t just prime culture externally through campaigns but internally by curating what we see, read, and engage with.

Examples of ‘Marketing in Context’ in Algorithmic Culture

1. TikTok’s Algorithmic Virality & Trend Creation

• Example: Brands like Ocean Spray benefited from user-generated viral moments—e.g., Nathan Apodaca’s skateboarding video set to Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams, which led to a sales surge in Ocean Spray cranberry juice.

• Why It’s ‘Marketing in Context’: Rather than a traditional marketing push, the brand adapted to a spontaneous cultural moment, leveraging TikTok’s algorithm to extend the trend with its own content and influencer partnerships.

• Algorithmic Role: TikTok’s algorithm detects engagement patterns and pushes viral content to wider audiences, allowing brands to capitalize on trends as they emerge in real time.


2. Spotify Wrapped & Personalized Data-Driven Marketing

• Example: Spotify Wrapped compiles user listening data into a personalized marketing campaign that not only promotes Spotify as a brand but also generates free viral marketing as users share their Wrapped results.

• Why It’s ‘Marketing in Context’: This is an example of self-referential marketing—using a consumer’s own data to create an emotionally engaging, shareable experience, reinforcing the brand as part of their identity.

• Algorithmic Role: The campaign is only possible due to big data analytics, tracking listening habits over time and curating personal narratives based on behavioral insights. It's worth noting that in 2024 Spotify shifted from employee curated Wrapped lists to purely AI generated lists and users were able to discern that the quality of the Wrapped lists were not as "good" as previous years.  


3. Amazon’s Predictive Shopping & Personalized Ads

• Example: Amazon personalizes its homepage, product recommendations, and even dynamic pricing strategies based on individual browsing, search, and purchase history.

• Why It’s ‘Marketing in Context’: Instead of traditional advertising, Amazon reshapes the online shopping experience in real-time, making every customer interaction a personalized, context-aware marketing moment.

• Algorithmic Role: Machine learning models predict what users will want before they even search for it, effectively embedding marketing within the purchasing journey itself rather than as an external stimulus.


4. Netflix’s Algorithmic A/B Testing for Content Promotion

• Example: Netflix personalizes promotional posters based on user preferences—e.g., if a user watches more romantic movies, they’ll see a different thumbnail for Stranger Things than a horror fan.

• Why It’s ‘Marketing in Context’: The same product (a show or movie) is marketed differently based on the context of the user’s preferences, making marketing hyper-personalized and seamlessly embedded in the browsing experience.

• Algorithmic Role: Netflix runs A/B tests on millions of users to determine which thumbnails generate the most clicks, then dynamically adjusts them based on real-time data.

Conclusion

Hackley’s idea of marketing priming culture must now be expanded to account for how culture itself is being shaped by algorithmic mediation. In a big data-driven world, marketing is not just about placing brands in cultural conversations—it is deeply integrated into how digital environments curate and shape those conversations in the first place. This automated, data-driven priming of culture means that marketing is no longer just about targeting consumers where they are, but anticipating where they will be.

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