Online and Traditional Marketing

I believe that online marketing can cover anything online. This covers banner ads on the top of the websites, ads at the beginning of YouTube videos, and any shared messages or videos on social networking. Traditional marketing would be anything not online, such as billboards, television commercials, flyers, etc.

The main difference is that viral marketing works better in online marketing. Viral marketing relies on the sharing of a message, like a video, to reach the target audience. A single flyer can reach at least one person, but it likely won't reach more than a household of people. However, a video shared on Facebook can reach millions of people. This is especially true when there is interest and interactivity in the video. A good example is the Ice Bucket Challenge. Everyone was eager to post a video of a friend dumping a bucket of ice on them. They would then tag a few friends, who would go on to do the challenge themselves.

These challenges do a great job of getting the message out. However, I am not sure how much they do to actually sell goods or, in the case of the Ice Bucket Challenge, raise money. Now everyone remembers the challenge, but how many people remember it was for ALS? Or how many people actually know what the disease is or helped the cause?

To determine how effective online and viral marketing depends on what the company wants out of it. I know that I enjoyed watching the Dove "Love Your Body" commercials, however this did not make me go out and by any of their products. I didn't even visit their website. But now a greater number of people can recognize the brand.

Fair and Transformative Use featuring Girl Talk

Fair Use allows a person to copy part of a copyrighted material for criticism, news reporting, teaching, and research. Under Fair Use, the user does not need to ask for permission or pay a fee to use the material. For example, Dr. Lou can copy part of a textbook for the class to read for educational purposes without needing to ask permission from the author of the book.

Transformative Use is a newer addition to Fair Use laws, that allows a person to copy part of a copyrighted material without permission or payment to the copyright holder if they transform the work into something new and original. It must hold a completely different meaning than that of the original work.

Girl Talk takes parts of well known songs and transforms them into one new song. Under Transformative Use, he should be protected because he transforms these bits of songs into something completely different than that of the original song.

This seems to be no different than a research paper building off of the knowledge of writers before them. Not once in my college career did I need to ask permission or need to pay a fee to quote another research paper in my own paper. It was always allowed so long as I cited the source.

The difference in Girl Talk and a research paper boils down to money. The people who are angry at Girl Talk are the corporations that could make millions of dollars if they were able to charge Girl Talk for each song that he uses in creating his own music. However, the people who go see Girl Talk in concert are going to hear what he has created from taking bits and pieces from other music. They are not going to listen to that one clip he borrowed from Jay-Z, because it is not comparable to Jay-Z's music or concerts. He has created something completely new and expanded on what we consider music. For this he, and other "samplers", should be allowed to continue to create new music and protected under Transformative and Fair Use laws.