Source | Teacher Liu's Scenario Marketing ID | liuchunxiong1964 Author | _Liu Chunxiong ****Media Revolution Is Marketing Revolution Media plays a fundamental, environmental, and irreplaceable role in shaping consumer cognition. Its role goes far beyond being a "channel" for transmitting information; it is the shaper, definer, and participant in the cognitive process. Its irreplaceability is mainly reflected in the following core aspects: 1. Media as Cognitive Framework: Defining "What Is Important" Media, through its technical characteristics, sets the default framework for our perception of the world. Agenda Setting: Media cannot directly tell people "what to think," but it can extremely successfully tell people "what to think about." Information that repeatedly appears on Douyin hot searches, WeChat official accounts, and Weibo splash ads will be subconsciously marked as "important issues" by consumers. This filtering and amplification capability is irreplaceable by any single brand or individual. McLuhan's "The Medium Is the Message": As we discussed earlier, the medium through which you receive information influences your cognition more than the content itself. For example, seeing a review of a phone in a long WeChat article shapes a "deep, rational, parameter-oriented" cognition. Seeing the same phone's beauty shots and cool feature displays on Douyin short videos shapes a "sensory, emotional, scenario-based" cognition. These two cognitions may be equally true, but the "product picture" they form in the brain is completely different. The medium itself, before the content, sets the tone for understanding the information. 2. Media as Sensory Ratio: Determining "How to Perceive" Different media mobilize different senses and give them different weights, thereby changing the "sensory recipe" of our perception of the world. Print Media (books, newspapers): Extends vision, emphasizing linear, logical, abstract thinking. Consumer cognition of brands is based on textual descriptions and rational arguments. Radio: Extends hearing, creating intimacy and imaginative space. Consumer cognition of brands is based on the emotional atmosphere shaped by voice, music, and tone. Television and Video: Simultaneously extend vision and hearing, but are essentially "one-way displays." Cognition formation relies on carefully orchestrated images and stories. Interactive Digital Media (mobile phones, VR): Extends the entire central nervous system, allowing touch, sliding, manipulation, and immersive experiences. Consumer cognition of products is co-constructed through interaction and participation. For example, brand cognition gained through AR makeup trials or gamified tasks has a depth and dimension that traditional advertising cannot match. This ability to reshape the sensory balance through specific media channels is one of the most hidden and fundamental ways media shapes cognition. 3. Media as Environment: Creating the "Context" for Cognition Media is not a neutral pipeline; it is itself the environment in which we live. This environment provides "context" for all information, deeply influencing how it is interpreted. Trust Transfer: An ad seen on an authoritative news website versus the same ad on a personal blog—consumers' initial trust in them is vastly different. The credibility of the media environment "spills over" to the content it carries. Scenario-based Cognition: Seeing camping gear on "Xiaohongshu" versus seeing the same gear on "JD.com" leads to different cognitions. Xiaohongshu provides the context of "lifestyle" and "real user sharing," shaping "aspiration" and "trust"; JD.com provides the context of "efficiency," "authenticity," and "logistics," shaping "reliability" and "convenience." The culture and scenario of the media platform itself are part of the meaning of the information. 4. Media as Connection: Building the "Social Network" of Cognition Modern media, especially social media, constructs the social relationship network in which consumers exist. Cognition is no longer an individual act but the result of social collaboration. Community Consensus: Views on a brand no longer come solely from official advertising, but also from KOL reviews on social media, user comment sections, and shares by friends and family. These "digital tribes" formed through media collectively shape and reinforce collective cognition about the brand. Viral Spread of Word-of-Mouth: Media enables individual cognition to evolve into group cognition at extremely low cost and extremely high speed. A negative exposé or a positive "meme" can rapidly reshape the existing cognition of millions of consumers through the media network. This exponential amplification and connection capability is unimaginable in the era of traditional word-of-mouth. Therefore, the irreplaceability of media lies in:
1. It is the "precondition" for cognition: without media, information cannot reach the masses.
2. It is the "definer" of cognitive style: it determines whether we analyze rationally or experience emotionally.
3. It is the "creator" of cognitive context: it gives information the halo of trust, value, and meaning.
4. It is the "amplifier" of cognitive resonance: it connects individual cognition into social consensus. In marketing, ignoring the shaping role of media and focusing only on information content is like caring only about seed quality but not the soil and climate it falls into—it is doomed to be inefficient. Deeply understanding media is deeply understanding the logic of consumer cognition generation. Mass Media: ****The "Voice of God" in Mass Marketing I take the commercial application of radio in 1920 as the starting point of modern century-long marketing, although it is controversial. But given the role of mass media in initiating mass marketing, for example, newspapers are also mass media, and national newspapers were earlier than radio. But radio, as the "stranger in the living room," is irreplaceable by newspapers. Mass media played an absolute king role in the era of mass marketing; it was the engine, stage, and amplifier of marketing activities throughout the era. To understand its role, we must not look only at the surface but delve into how it reshaped business, society, and individual cognition. I. Creating Mass Markets and National Brands Before mass media, brands were mostly regional. Mass media, with its boundless coverage, simultaneously delivered unified product information and brand images to tens of millions of consumers, thus giving birth to the first national and even global brands (such as Coca-Cola and Marlboro). This is the foundation on which "mass marketing" could be established. Without mass media, the coverage of the "mass" could not be achieved. II. The "Nuclear Weapon" for Building Brand Image and Cognition Mass media, especially television, integrates sound, images, and stories, making it the most powerful tool for building brand image. Through carefully planned advertisements (such as McDonald's "I'm Lovin' It"), sponsoring popular programs (such as Spring Festival Gala sponsors), it establishes strong emotional connections and brand cognition in consumers' minds. Brand value no longer relies solely on product functionality, but more on the stories told and the feelings created by the media. Mass media is the "dream-making" machine for brands. III. Achieving Ultimate Efficiency and Low Cost in Information Distribution Through the "one-to-many" broadcast model, brands can deliver information to a massive audience at a relatively low cost per exposure. This economy of scale is unmatched by any other medium. This laid the foundation for competition for "mind share." The focus of corporate competition became who could invest more in media and appear more frequently in front of consumers, thereby occupying their minds. IV. Shaping Social Agendas and Consumer Culture Mass media is not only a tool for selling products but also the definer and promoter of consumer culture. Through advertising and content, it tells people what is "fashionable," what is "successful," and what is the standard for a "happy" family, thereby creating demand and guiding consumption trends. It ties consumption behavior to social identity and personal value, profoundly shaping the lifestyle and values of modern society. In the past, the saying "I know half of my advertising budget is wasted, but I don't know which half" described the pain point of mass media, but the failure of precise internet communication actually proves that "the wasted half" is precisely the backdrop of the target audience of mass marketing, and the social value of the brand is precisely generated by that wasted half. The role mass media played in the mass marketing era was that of a "voice of God." ****Voice of God vs. Cacophony of Gods Mass media and internet self-media: where is the marketing in the division of marketing? I. Media Structure: Power Structure: From "the Only God" to "the Pantheon" 1. Mass Media (Voice of God). Power is highly concentrated. Like God, a few TV stations, radio stations, and magazines have supreme authority and preach to the faithful (consumers). Information is one-way and unquestionable. 2. Internet Self-Media (Pantheon). Power is completely dispersed. There are countless "gods" (bloggers, UP hosts, streamers), each with their own domain (vertical community) and followers (fans). Zeus (top influencer) may control thunder and lightning (fashion trends), while a minor god (artisan) has their own loyal followers. There is no single god, only the gods in dispute, cooperation, and symbiosis. II. Communication Mode: From "Preaching" to "Dialogue" and "Carnival" 1. Mass Media (Voice of God): It is "preaching." God speaks, you listen. Communication is one-way, and the ritual is solemn (fixed program times). 2. Internet Self-Media (Tower of Babel): It is a "global marketplace" or "carnival." Everyone is speaking, with various languages (jargon of circles), voices, and performances bursting out simultaneously. Communication is multi-directional, real-time, and chaotic. Brands are no longer preachers but need to dive into this marketplace, participate in dialogue, and even become the topic of discussion. III. Truth and Narrative: From "the Only Bible" to "Multiple Myths" 1. Mass Media (Voice of God): The brand story it defines is the "Bible," the only, official, and unalterable truth. 2. Internet Self-Media (Cacophony of Gods): There is no single Bible, only countless "myths." The image of a product is co-shaped by thousands of creators through reviews, unboxings, complaints, and fan-made videos. Official narrative is just one voice, often drowned out or reshaped by the collective narrative of users. Truth exists in the puzzle of countless fragments. IV. Source of Trust: From "the Altar" to "the Human World" 1. Mass Media (Voice of God): Trust comes from the halo of the medium itself ("if it's on TV, it's a big brand") and authoritative endorsers (celebrities). 2. Internet Self-Media (Pantheon): Trust comes from the "divine nature" of the "god," that is, authenticity, professionalism, and approachability. A professional reviewer with few followers (a professional god in a certain field) may have recommendations far more persuasive than a celebrity (a mortal invited to the altar). Trust stems from "similar to us" and "knows more than us." In the mass marketing era, brands needed to "buy time for the oracle" and preach to the masses through the "voice of God." Today, brands need to "find a place in the pantheon," either becoming a beloved minor god themselves (such as building a successful brand self-media) or allying with the existing gods (KOL/KOC) in the temple, devoutly participating in this never-ending "cacophony of gods." ****Media Revolution and Changes in Cognitive Models Teacher Shi Wei simplifies business into three links: cognition, transaction, and relationship. The media revolution mainly affects cognition. What is cognition? Word-of-mouth is the cognition of agricultural society; brand is the cognition of industrial society. Cognition with the mouth as the communication medium is word-of-mouth; cognition with mass media advertising as the communication medium is brand. Then, cognition with internet self-media as the communication medium is IP. Word-of-mouth, brand, and IP are all business. Whether it is a brand or an IP, the fundamental cognitive logic of its success is indeed consistent, that is: establishing a unique, stable, and trustworthy cognitive structure in the consumer's mind to reduce choice costs, build emotional connections, and ultimately promote consumption loyalty. The cognitive forms are logically consistent. 1. Symbolization. Both need a core symbol (logo, name, image, sound, etc.) as the anchor of cognition. Brand: Nike's swoosh, Coca-Cola's red ribbon. IP: Mickey Mouse's image, Marvel's opening logo. 2. Value Proposition. Both carry specific values, ideas, or promises. Brand: Volvo represents "safety," Apple represents "innovation and simplicity." IP: "Harry Potter" represents "friendship, courage, and magic," the Palace Museum cultural creative IP represents "the combination of tradition and trend." 3. Emotional Connection. Both are committed to transcending the functional level and establishing emotional bonds with users. Brand: Through advertising stories (such as Google's warm ads) to evoke resonance. IP: Through character fates and worldviews (such as "I am the master of my fate" in "Ne Zha") to make users feel strongly identified. 4. Trust and Loyalty. Successful brands and IPs can win user trust and convert it into sustained consumption and advocacy. Brand: Users will unconditionally choose a trusted toothpaste or mobile phone brand. IP: Fans will buy all its derivatives and "pay" and "cheer" for it. Word-of-mouth, brand, and IP are not necessarily negations, but there must be generational differentiation. Industrial society still has word-of-mouth, and internet society still has word-of-mouth and brands. At the same time, a successful brand must have word-of-mouth, but a product with word-of-mouth may not necessarily have a brand. Similarly, a successful IP must be a strong brand, but a successful brand may not necessarily be an IP. Due to different media and different times, there are also significant differences between brands and IPs. 1. Differences in Construction Path Brand: Centralized, broadcast-style. Through heavy investment in TV and newspaper advertising, one-way information transmission, pursuing exposure and market share. IP: Decentralized, interactive. Through social media and content platforms, co-creating with users, continuously outputting content, accumulating fan communities and emotional identification. 2. Core Assets Brand: Trademark, logo, slogan, etc. Assets are static and attached to specific products or services. IP: Personality, story, worldview. Assets are dynamic and growable, can exist independently of the original product. 3. Relationship with Users Brand: Worship and being worshipped. The brand is lofty and perfect; users are admirers and consumers. IP: Friends and partners. IP has charisma and flaws; users are "family," "old iron," co-creators and disseminators. 4. Monetization Model Brand: Direct sales of products/services. Profit mainly comes from the main business. IP: Diversified value derivation. Profit comes from content payment, advertising, derivatives, licensing, cross-border cooperation, etc. Typical examples: Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola. You know they are good, but you wouldn't want to be friends with a bottle of Coke. IP: IP itself is the product. Typical examples: Logic Thinking (Dedao), Li Ziqi, Kumamon. You accept everything they recommend because you like the person/image, and even create fan works for them. The evolution from "brand" to "IP" is the upgrade of the marketing cognitive model from "symbolization of things" to "personalized, content-based symbolic life form." A brand is more like an "identity certificate" given by the enterprise to the product, while an IP is a "cultural character" co-raised with users and has life. ****Media Defines the Marketing Era Media combines with the era to define a consumption era. For example, radio combined with the "Roaring Twenties" defined the era of mass consumption. Marketing before the internet can basically be regarded as mass marketing. Brands shaped by mass media are also mass brands, such as Coca-Cola. Non-mass brands, such as luxury brands, are distant from mass media. I call the marketing of this period "user-based mass marketing." So, how to define marketing in the era of internet self-media? First, in Europe, America, Japan, and middle-income countries, mass consumption is basically satisfied, the natural attributes of consumption have diminishing utility, and the social attributes of consumption increase. The media characteristic of internet self-media is forming resonance through interaction. However, resonance is not without a target; resonance has a common target, which is the scenario. Therefore, scenario-based emotional resonance may be a definition of marketing for an era. Let's break it down. 1. "Scenario-based": From "Who to Speak To" to "In What Context to Speak" Mass marketing cares about "target groups": age, gender, income, region. It assumes that a group of people will have similar responses to the same information at any time and any place. The core of internet self-media marketing is "scenario." Scenario is a complex of people, time, space, emotion, task, and device. It focuses on: A commuting young person, watching a knowledge short video with earphones on the morning subway. A new mother anxious late at night, searching for a parenting blogger's live stream while breastfeeding. A weekend homebody foodie, watching an "immersive" cooking Vlog while planning dinner. Self-media is the natural carrier and creator of scenarios. A beauty blogger's "five-minute commute makeup" video is itself a carefully constructed "morning time crunch" scenario. The products recommended in this scenario are far more persuasive than a flashy ad aired during prime time, detached from specific contexts. 2. "Resonance": From "Persuasion" to "Resonance" Mass marketing pursues "persuasion" and "memory," using repetition and creativity to make you remember the brand and generate purchase intent. "Resonance marketing" pursues deeper emotional and value connections: Emotional Resonance: A video telling a story of returning home can instantly hit the hearts of wandering wanderers. The hometown specialty products appearing in the video have value far beyond the product itself, becoming an emotional sustenance. Value Resonance: A blogger who insists on environmental protection, the sustainable products they recommend can quickly gain recognition from fans who share the same values. Purchasing behavior becomes a vote for values. Identity Resonance: "So you think the same way," "So you have this trouble too." Self-media content makes users feel a strong sense of "this is me." The trust built in this resonance is incomparable to any advertisement.