modern marketing essay

Modern Marketing: Crafting Cutting-Edge Strategies for Today's Market

By GGI Insights | March 21, 2024

Table of contents

This comprehensive guide ventures into the cutting-edge trends and methodologies that are sculpting the future of marketing. It intricately explores the intricate dance between leveraging digital platforms for granular insights into consumer behavior and nurturing the timeless human connection at the core of every memorable brand story. As we delve deeper, we'll unravel the pivotal role of ethical marketing and sustainability in cultivating brand loyalty in a world where consumers are increasingly values-driven.

This narrative also promises to demystify the seamless integration of digital innovations with traditional tactics, presenting a unified marketing approach that magnifies reach and deepens impact. Designed for both the seasoned marketer and the aspiring innovator, this guide is a beacon for those ready to navigate the complexities of the modern marketing landscape, offering not just insights but a roadmap to crafting strategies that resonate, engage, and endure in the ever-evolving global marketplace.

What is Modern Marketing?

Modern marketing represents the evolution of traditional marketing practices in response to the digital revolution, characterized by a shift towards data-driven strategies, customer-centric approaches, and an emphasis on digital channels. It encompasses a blend of digital marketing techniques, such as search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, social media marketing, and email marketing, integrated with traditional methods to reach and engage a broader audience more effectively. The goal is to leverage technology and data analytics to gain insights into consumer behavior, personalize marketing efforts, and measure the impact of these strategies in real-time, ensuring businesses can adapt quickly to the changing market dynamics and consumer preferences. Imagine modern marketing as a high-tech, dynamic dance floor, where businesses and consumers move together in rhythm. Just as a DJ uses a mix of old and new tracks, adjusting the music based on the crowd's response, modern marketers blend classic strategies with digital innovations, tuning their campaigns to the audience's evolving tastes. This dance floor is ever-expanding, illuminated by the glow of smartphones and digital devices, with every step and spin recorded and analyzed to create a more immersive experience. Here, the dance of engagement is personalized, with each participant feeling like the music is played just for them, fostering a deeper connection between the brand and its audience. However, the essence of modern marketing goes beyond just the tools and technologies; it's rooted in a profound understanding of human behavior and the value of authentic connections. It recognizes that, while digital platforms provide the stage, the heart of marketing remains in storytelling, emotional resonance, and shared experiences. Modern marketing strategies are most effective when they are not only technologically advanced but also ethically grounded, transparent, and aimed at making a positive impact on society. By marrying the art of storytelling with the science of data, modern marketing does more than sell products; it builds communities, inspires action, and drives progress.

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The Role of Globalization

Globalization has transformed the way businesses operate and communicate with their customers. With the world becoming increasingly interconnected, marketers now have access to a global audience like never before. This presents both opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, businesses can expand their reach and tap into new markets. On the other hand, they must adapt their strategies to cater to different cultural, social, and economic contexts. In this context, the importance of marketing mentorship becomes evident, as it provides a platform for experienced marketers to guide newcomers through the global marketing landscape, helping them understand diverse cultural nuances and market dynamics.

In today's global marketplace, marketers need to be aware of cultural nuances and tailor their messaging accordingly. This means understanding the values, preferences, and behaviors of different consumer segments in various regions. It also requires adapting promotional tactics to fit the local media landscape and communication channels. This adaptation highlights a core aspect of marketing fundamentals , emphasizing the need to understand and respect diverse consumer behaviors and preferences in a globally connected market.

In the realm of modern marketing, techniques like neuromarketing are becoming increasingly relevant. This approach, which uses neuroscience to understand and influence consumer behavior, is particularly potent in a globalized market where understanding subtle cultural and psychological factors can make a significant difference in campaign effectiveness.

When it comes to globalization, one of the key factors to consider is the impact of language. As businesses expand their operations to new markets, language barriers can pose significant challenges. Effective communication is crucial for building trust and establishing strong relationships with customers. Therefore, marketers often invest in translation services or hire local experts who can help them navigate the complexities of language and cultural differences.

Globalization has not only changed the way businesses market their products but also the way they source them. With the ability to access suppliers from around the world, businesses can find the best quality products at competitive prices. This has led to the rise of global supply chains, where components and materials are sourced from different countries to create a final product. However, managing these supply chains requires careful coordination and logistics to ensure timely delivery and maintain product quality.

Emerging Tech and Market Opportunities

Advancements in technology have had a profound impact on every aspect of our lives, including marketing. From artificial intelligence to virtual reality, new technologies are opening up exciting possibilities for marketers. These advancements underscore the importance of effective marketing management , enabling businesses to leverage cutting-edge tools for more targeted and impactful marketing strategies.

In addition to providing new ways to connect with customers, emerging tech also offers opportunities for market expansion. For instance, marketing automation tools have revolutionized how businesses interact with their audience. By automating repetitive tasks such as email marketing, social media posts, and targeted ads, companies can focus on crafting more personalized and creative marketing strategies. Furthermore, e-commerce platforms have made it easier than ever for businesses to sell their products globally, eliminating geographical barriers.

As marketers look to the future, understanding the unique challenges and opportunities in specialized fields like nonprofit marketing  becomes increasingly important. Emerging technologies not only open doors for commercial enterprises but also offer novel ways for nonprofit organizations to connect with their audience, raise awareness, and drive social impact.

Emerging technologies such as blockchain are revolutionizing supply chain management. Blockchain technology provides a transparent and secure way to track and verify transactions, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of products. This is particularly important in industries like fashion and luxury goods, where counterfeiting is a significant issue. By leveraging blockchain, businesses can build trust with their customers by providing them with verifiable information about the origin and authenticity of their products.

Another area where emerging tech is making a significant impact is data analytics. With the increasing amount of data available, businesses can gain valuable insights into consumer behavior and preferences. By analyzing this data, marketers can make informed decisions and develop targeted marketing strategies. For example, by analyzing customer purchase history and browsing patterns, businesses can personalize their marketing messages and recommendations, increasing the likelihood of conversion.

Globalization and emerging technologies have transformed the marketing landscape. Businesses now have access to a global audience and can leverage new technologies to connect with customers in innovative ways. However, this also requires adapting strategies to fit different cultural contexts and managing complex supply chains. With the continued advancement of technology, the role of globalization in marketing will only continue to evolve, offering both opportunities and challenges for businesses around the world.

Balance Between Digital and Traditional

It may be tempting to focus solely on online marketing channels. However, traditional marketing methods still hold value and should not be overlooked. The key is to strike a balance between digital and traditional approaches to create a comprehensive marketing strategy. This balance is also where internal marketing plays a pivotal role, as it ensures that all team members are aligned with the marketing goals and strategies, creating a unified force behind both digital and traditional efforts.

While digital marketing allows for precise targeting and measurable results, traditional methods like print advertisements, billboards, and direct mail can still be effective in reaching certain demographics. For example, print advertisements in local newspapers can be a great way to target older demographics who may not be as digitally savvy. Additionally, billboards strategically placed in high-traffic areas can capture the attention of commuters and passersby, creating brand awareness and recognition.

Direct mail, although often seen as outdated, can still be a powerful tool when used correctly. By sending personalized and targeted mailers to a specific audience, businesses can create a tangible connection with potential customers. This approach can be particularly effective in industries such as real estate or luxury goods, where a physical touchpoint can make a significant impact.

It's essential to understand your target audience and their preferred media consumption habits to determine which channels will yield the best results for your marketing efforts. Conducting market research and analyzing data can provide valuable insights into consumer behavior, allowing you to tailor your marketing strategy accordingly.

As marketers look to the future, it's crucial to develop omni-channel strategies that seamlessly integrate digital and traditional marketing efforts. This approach ensures a consistent brand experience across all touchpoints and maximizes the impact of each marketing communication.

An omni-channel strategy involves leveraging various channels, such as social media, email marketing, television, print media, and physical storefronts, to create a cohesive and engaging brand presence. By reaching customers through multiple touchpoints, businesses can increase brand awareness, drive customer loyalty, and ultimately, boost sales.

For example, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram provide opportunities for businesses to engage with their audience in a more personalized and interactive way. By creating compelling content, running targeted ads, and fostering meaningful conversations, brands can build a loyal community of followers who actively engage with their products or services.

Email marketing, on the other hand, allows businesses to directly communicate with their customers, delivering personalized messages, exclusive offers, and valuable content. With advanced automation tools, marketers can segment their email lists based on various criteria, ensuring that each recipient receives relevant and timely information.

Television and print media, although considered traditional channels, still have their place in an omni-channel strategy. Television commercials can reach a wide audience during prime time, while print media, such as magazines or newspapers, can provide a tangible and credible platform for showcasing products or services.

Future-Focused Marketing Approaches

In the rapidly evolving landscape of modern marketing, it's essential to stay agile and adapt to emerging trends. Future-focused marketing approaches go beyond traditional tactics and embrace innovative strategies that anticipate and respond to changes in consumer behavior and market dynamics. One key area of focus is interactive content marketing , which involves creating content that actively engages and involves the audience, offering them a more dynamic and participatory experience. This approach can include interactive quizzes, polls, or immersive storytelling, making marketing more engaging and memorable. In addition, understanding and applying marketing psychology is becoming increasingly important. This involves delving into how cognitive and emotional factors influence consumer behavior, allowing marketers to craft more resonant and effective campaigns.

In this environment, the consideration of marketing ethics plays a critical role. Ethical marketing practices are fundamental in establishing trust and credibility with audiences. It involves transparent communication, respect for customer privacy, and honesty in advertising. Marketers must navigate the fine line between persuasive messaging and manipulation, ensuring that their strategies are not only effective but also ethically sound and socially responsible.

One such approach is predictive analytics, which allows marketers to make data-driven decisions based on insights and trends. By leveraging big data and advanced analytics tools, marketers can anticipate customer needs, personalize messaging, and optimize marketing campaigns for maximum effectiveness. For example, by analyzing customer purchase history and browsing behavior, businesses can identify patterns and preferences, enabling them to deliver targeted offers and recommendations.

Another future-focused approach is experiential marketing, which aims to create memorable and immersive experiences that leave a lasting impression on customers. This goes beyond traditional advertising and focuses on engaging customers through interactive events, branded experiences, and influencer partnerships. For instance, hosting a pop-up event where customers can try out new products or organizing a workshop that educates and empowers customers can create a sense of connection and loyalty.

Virtual and augmented reality technologies are also gaining traction in the marketing world. These immersive technologies allow businesses to provide unique and interactive experiences to their customers. From virtual tours of real estate properties to augmented reality try-on experiences for fashion brands, these technologies enable customers to engage with products or services in a whole new way.

As the marketing landscape continues to evolve, it's crucial for businesses to stay informed, adapt to new technologies, and embrace innovative strategies. By striking a balance between digital and traditional marketing methods and adopting future-focused approaches, businesses can create a comprehensive and effective marketing strategy that drives results.

It's crucial for businesses to stay ahead of the curve by embracing the latest trends and technologies. The role of globalization cannot be understated, as it has opened up new opportunities for businesses to reach a global audience and expand their reach like never before. By leveraging the power of social media platforms and e-commerce technologies, businesses can connect with customers worldwide and drive sales in ways that were once unimaginable.

The balance between digital and traditional marketing approaches is key to a successful marketing strategy. While digital channels offer precision targeting and measurable results, traditional methods such as print advertisements and direct mail still hold value in reaching specific demographics. By striking a balance between these approaches, businesses can create a comprehensive marketing strategy that caters to a diverse audience and maximizes brand exposure.

As we look to the future, it's essential for marketers to stay agile and adapt to emerging trends. By leveraging predictive analytics, experiential marketing, and immersive technologies like virtual and augmented reality, businesses can create unique and engaging experiences for customers that drive brand loyalty and sales. Success in modern marketing requires a willingness to experiment, learn, and embrace innovation to stay competitive in an ever-evolving landscape.

The world of modern marketing is rapidly changing, and businesses must be proactive in adapting to new technologies and strategies to stay ahead of the curve. By staying informed, experimenting with new approaches, and embracing innovation, marketers can position their businesses at the forefront of the industry and pave the way for success in the dynamic world of modern marketing.

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Essay on Marketing

Students are often asked to write an essay on Marketing in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Marketing

The world of marketing.

Marketing is about spreading the word on products and services. It helps companies connect with customers.

Understanding Customers

Effective marketing begins with understanding what customers want and need. Companies study people’s preferences and behaviors.

Creating Products

Using customer insights, businesses develop products that solve problems or bring joy.

Communication is Key

Marketing involves telling people about products through ads, social media, and more. Clear communication is crucial.

Building Brands

Branding makes products memorable. It’s about creating a strong identity and reputation.

Adapting and Growing

Marketing strategies change based on feedback. Companies adapt to stay relevant and successful.

Marketing is like sharing stories that connect what people need with what companies offer. It’s an exciting way to make products part of our lives.

Also check:

• Advantages and Disadvantages of Marketing

250 Words Essay on Marketing

Understanding the power of marketing.

Marketing: a concept that shapes the modern world. It’s more than just ads and promotions; it’s the engine driving business success. Let’s explore its significance.

The Essence of Marketing

At its core, marketing is all about connecting products or services with people’s needs and desires. It’s about creating value, not just selling. Effective marketing answers the question, “Why should customers choose us?”

Segmentation and Targeting

Not everyone is interested in the same thing. That’s where segmentation comes in. It divides the vast market into smaller groups with similar traits. Then comes targeting – aiming your efforts at those segments most likely to respond positively.

Value Creation through Branding

Branding isn’t just a logo; it’s the emotions and perceptions associated with a product. Strong brands build trust and loyalty, allowing companies to command premium prices.

The Digital Revolution

The digital age has revolutionized marketing. Social media, search engines, and online ads allow for precision targeting and personalized communication. It’s not about bombarding, but about engaging.

Content is King

In today’s information-rich world, customers seek value before making a purchase. Quality content positions you as an expert, attracting and retaining customers.

Analyzing and Adapting

Marketing isn’t a one-shot deal. It’s a constant process of analyzing results and adapting strategies. Tools like analytics help track what works and what doesn’t, leading to informed decisions.

Ethics in Marketing

With great power comes great responsibility. Marketing should be ethical, transparent, and respectful. Deceptive practices might bring short-term gains, but they erode trust in the long run.

The Bottom Line

Marketing is a dynamic blend of art and science. It’s understanding human psychology, utilizing technology, and fostering relationships. In today’s competitive landscape, mastering the art of marketing is essential for any business aiming to thrive.

In a nutshell, marketing is the bridge that connects what you offer with those who need it. It’s not just about selling but about creating lasting value. Understanding its principles can propel businesses toward success in the modern world.

500 Words Essay on Marketing

Marketing: connecting the dots for successful business.

Marketing is like a magical thread that weaves businesses and customers together, creating a world where products and services find their perfect match. In this modern age, new-age techniques like Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR), Chatbots and Conversational Marketing, Programmatic SEO , Social Commerce, and Neuromarketing have added exciting dimensions to this field. Let’s delve into the basics of marketing and explore how these techniques have transformed the way businesses reach out to us.

Imagine you’ve baked the most delicious cookies in town. You want everyone to know how tasty they are. That’s where marketing comes into play. Marketing involves all the activities that help you promote and sell your products or services. It’s about understanding what people want, creating something they’ll love, and then letting them know it exists.

Meeting New Friends: Customers and Businesses

In the world of marketing, two important players dance together: customers and businesses. Customers are people like you and me who need things. Businesses are the ones that make those things. Marketing helps these two groups find each other.

Traditional vs. Modern Marketing

Traditional marketing used to be all about newspapers, TV ads, and posters. But today, things have changed a lot. Businesses use new-age techniques to grab our attention in creative ways. Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) let us experience products almost like they’re real. Chatbots talk to us on websites and social media, making shopping feel like chatting with a friend. Social Commerce lets us buy things through platforms like Instagram and Facebook, as if we’re shopping with friends online.

Getting Found: SEO

Think about searching for something online. How often do you go past the first page of search results? That’s why businesses use SEO. It’s like making sure your cookie recipe appears at the top when someone searches for “delicious cookies.” This technique helps businesses get noticed by improving their online visibility.

Understanding Your Brain: Neuromarketing

Ever wondered why some ads just stick in your head? Neuromarketing dives into how our brains respond to ads. Businesses use this technique to create ads that connect with us on a deeper level. It’s like making sure your cookie commercial triggers happy thoughts every time you see it.

Chatting with Businesses: Conversational Marketing

Have you ever had a chat with a robot on a website? That’s Conversational Marketing. Businesses use chatbots to talk to us, answer our questions, and even help us choose the right products. It’s like having a helpful assistant while shopping.

Shopping in Your Pajamas: Social Commerce

Remember the time when you liked a cool hoodie on Instagram and could buy it right there? That’s Social Commerce. It lets you shop without leaving your social media app. It’s like having a virtual mall in your pocket.

Putting It All Together

Marketing is like a puzzle where every piece matters. Businesses create amazing products, use modern techniques like VR/AR, Chatbots, Programmatic SEO, Social Commerce, and Neuromarketing to make us notice them, understand us better, and make shopping a breeze.

In conclusion, marketing is the bridge that connects what we need with what businesses offer. Through traditional and new-age techniques, it has evolved into a captivating journey that is all about understanding, connecting, and engaging with customers. Whether it’s through the immersive experiences of VR/AR, the friendly conversations of chatbots, the smart visibility of SEO, the emotional impact of Neuromarketing, or the convenience of Social Commerce, marketing continues to shape the way we discover, choose, and enjoy the products and services that make our lives better.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

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What is Marketing, and What's Its Purpose?

Updated: January 24, 2022

Published: February 25, 2021

Dictionary.com defines marketing as, "the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising."

If you work in a marketing role like I do, it's probably difficult for you to define marketing even though you see and use it every day -- the term marketing is a bit all-encompassing and variable for a straightforward definition.

This definition feels unhelpful.

The selling part, for instance, overlaps a little too snuggly with a "what is sales" definition, and the word advertising makes me think of Mad Men brainstorming sessions.

But upon digging deeper, I began seeing that actually, marketing does overlap heavily with advertising and sales. Marketing is present in all stages of the business, beginning to end.

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What is marketing?

Marketing refers to any actions a company takes to attract an audience to the company's product or services through high-quality messaging. Marketing aims to deliver standalone value for prospects and consumers through content, with the long-term goal of demonstrating product value, strengthening brand loyalty, and ultimately increasing sales.

At first, I wondered why marketing was a necessary component during product development, or a sales pitch, or retail distribution. But it makes sense when you think about it -- marketers have the firmest finger on the pulse of your consumer persona.

The purpose of marketing is to research and analyze your consumers all the time, conduct focus groups, send out surveys, study online shopping habits, and ask one underlying question: "Where, when, and how does our consumer want to communicate with our business?"

Here, let's explore the purposes of marketing, along with types of marketing, the 4 P's of marketing, and the difference between marketing and advertising.

Whether you're a seasoned marketer looking to refresh your definitions, or a beginner looking to understand what marketing is in the first place, we've got you covered. Let's dive in. 

Purpose of Marketing

Marketing is the process of getting people interested in your company's product or service. This happens through market research, analysis, and understanding your ideal customer's interests. Marketing pertains to all aspects of a business, including product development, distribution methods, sales, and advertising.

Modern marketing began in the 1950s when people started to use more than just print media to endorse a product. As TV -- and soon, the internet -- entered households, marketers could conduct entire campaigns across multiple platforms. And as you might expect, over the last 70 years, marketers have become increasingly important to fine-tuning how a business sells a product to consumers to optimize success.

In fact, the fundamental purpose of marketing is to attract consumers to your brand through messaging. Ideally, that messaging will helpful and educational to your target audience so you can convert consumers into leads.

Today, there are literally dozens of places one can carry out a marketing campaign -- where does one do it in the 21st century?

Types of Marketing

Where your marketing campaigns live depends entirely on where your customers spend their time. It's up to you to conduct market research that determines which types of marketing -- and which mix of tools within each type -- is best for building your brand. Here are several types of marketing that are relevant today, some of which have stood the test of time:

• Internet marketing: Inspired by an Excedrin product campaign that took place online, the very idea of having a presence on the internet for business reasons is a type of marketing in and of itself.
• Search engine optimization: Abbreviated "SEO," this is the process of optimizing content on a website so that it appears in search engine results. It's used by marketers to attract people who perform searches that imply they're interested in learning about a particular industry.
• Blog marketing: Blogs are no longer exclusive to the individual writer. Brands now publish blogs to write about their industry and nurture the interest of potential customers who browse the internet for information.
• Social media marketing: Businesses can use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and similar social networks to create impressions on their audience over time.
• Print marketing: As newspapers and magazines get better at understanding who subscribes to their print material, businesses continue to sponsor articles, photography, and similar content in the publications their customers are reading.
• Search engine marketing: This type of marketing is a bit different than SEO, which is described above. Businesses can now pay a search engine to place links on pages of its index that get high exposure to their audience. (It's a concept called "pay-per-click" -- I'll show you an example of this in the next section).
• Video marketing: While there were once just commercials, marketers now put money into creating and publishing all kinds of videos that entertain and educate their core customers.

Marketing and Advertising

If marketing is a wheel, advertising is one spoke of that wheel.

Marketing entails product development, market research, product distribution, sales strategy, public relations, and customer support. Marketing is necessary in all stages of a business's selling journey, and it can use numerous platforms, social media channels, and teams within their organization to identify their audience, communicate to it, amplify its voice, and build brand loyalty over time.

On the other hand, advertising is just one component of marketing. It's a strategic effort, usually paid for, to spread awareness of a product or service as a part of the more holistic goals outlined above. Put simply, it's not the only method used by marketers to sell a product.

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Here's an example (keep reading, there's a quiz at the end of it):

Let's say a business is rolling out a brand new product and wants to create a campaign promoting that product to its customer base. This company's channels of choice are Facebook, Instagram, Google, and its company website. It uses all of these spaces to support its various campaigns every quarter and generate leads through those campaigns.

To broadcast its new product launch, it publishes a downloadable product guide to its website, posts a video to Instagram demonstrating its new product, and invests in a series of sponsored search results on Google directing traffic to a new product page on its website.

Now, which of the above decisions were marketing, and which were advertising?

The advertising took place on Instagram and Google . Instagram generally isn't an advertising channel, but when used for branding, you can develop a base of followers that's primed for a gentle product announcement every now and again. Google was definitely used for advertising in this example; the company paid for space on Google -- a program known as pay-per-click (PPC) -- on which to drive traffic to a specific page focused on its product. A classic online ad.

Where did the marketing take place? This was a bit of a trick question, as the marketing was the entire process . By aligning Instagram, Google, and its own website around a customer-focused initiative, the company ran a three-part marketing campaign that identified its audience, created a message for that audience, and delivered it across the industry to maximize its impact.

The 4 Ps of Marketing

In the 1960's, E Jerome McCarthy came up with the 4 Ps of marketing: product, price, place, promotion.

Essentially, these 4 Ps explain how marketing interacts with each stage of the business.

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Let's say you come up with an idea for a product you want your business to sell. What's next? You probably won't be successful if you just start selling it.

Instead, you need your marketing team to do market research and answer some critical questions: Who's your target audience? Is there market fit for this product? What messaging will increase product sales, and on which platforms? How should your product developers modify the product to increase likelihood of success? What do focus groups think of the product, and what questions or hesitations do they have?

Marketers use the answers to these questions to help businesses understand the demand for the product and increase product quality by mentioning concerns stemming from focus group or survey participants.

Your marketing team will check out competitors' product prices, or use focus groups and surveys, to estimate how much your ideal customer is willing to pay. Price it too high, and you'll lose out on a solid customer base. Price it too low, and you might lose more money than you gain. Fortunately, marketers can use industry research and consumer analysis to gauge a good price range.

It's critical that your marketing department uses their understanding and analysis of your business's consumers to offer suggestions for how and where to sell your product. Perhaps they believe an ecommerce site works better than a retail location, or vice versa. Or, maybe they can offer insights into which locations would be most viable to sell your product, either nationally and internationally.

This P is likely the one you expected from the get-go: promotion entails any online or print advertisement, event, or discount your marketing team creates to increase awareness and interest in your product, and, ultimately, lead to more sales. During this stage, you'll likely see methods like public relations campaigns, advertisements, or social media promotions.

Hopefully, our definition and the four Ps help you understand marketing's purpose and how to define it. Marketing intersects with all areas of a business, so it's important you understand how to use marketing to increase your business's efficiency and success.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in May 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Don't forget to share this post!

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Sustainable Management of Manufacturing Systems in Industry 4.0 pp 85–100 Cite as

Research into the Impact of Modern Marketing Strategies on the Competitiveness of the Company and Increasing the Economic Potential of the Company

• Annamária Behúnová   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6310-6046 6 ,
• Marcel Behún   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-8130-9664 6 &
• Ervin Lumnitzer 7  
• First Online: 01 February 2022

424 Accesses

1 Citations

Part of the book series: EAI/Springer Innovations in Communication and Computing ((EAISICC))

The survival of almost every company and maintaining competitiveness in the market in today’s modern and technologically advanced times are conditioned by the implementation of modern marketing strategies and the application of information technology. Businesses that until now only operated through their brick-and-mortar stores, at a time marked by the global crisis in the form of the Covid 19 pandemic, were forced to change their business philosophy and focus on e-commerce. The introduction of online sales brings with it a new philosophy of marketing, which is already changing its view of the company’s values and goals—it is no longer the most important thing to sell products and services, but to gain a customer and retain it. In this chapter, we present the results of research, the aim of which is to examine the impact of modern marketing strategies on the company’s competitiveness and increasing the company’s economic potential. Based on the research, we can state that the company, which implemented new marketing strategies, achieved a significant increase in orders during the period under review, which means that there was an increase in the company’s revenues. With the costs of creating and promoting the online store, which was 540€, the company achieved revenues of up to 10,111.20€ and expanded its scope from local sales to nationwide.

• Economic potential
• Competitiveness
• Modern marketing strategies

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Behúnová, A., Behún, M., Lumnitzer, E. (2022). Research into the Impact of Modern Marketing Strategies on the Competitiveness of the Company and Increasing the Economic Potential of the Company. In: Knapcikova, L., Peraković, D., Perisa, M., Balog, M. (eds) Sustainable Management of Manufacturing Systems in Industry 4.0. EAI/Springer Innovations in Communication and Computing. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90462-3_6

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Aspects of Successful Modern Marketing

Whenever a consumer purchases a product, they are fulfilling a particular need driven by both conscious and subconscious desires and motivational factors. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is one of the foundational theories of motivational psychology but provides a simple yet accurate representation of how humans seek to meet their needs. The bottom level of Maslow’s hierarchy is physiological needs (McLeod, 2020). By purchasing and consuming the proposed product, the consumer is fulfilling their physiological needs. First and foremost, the snack is food with nutritional value, and consumer may choose it in instances where they do not have the desire or ability to consume a large meal. Another physiological need it fulfills is comfort, by snacking and enjoying the snack, they are feeling comfortable, almost reaching into the next section which are safety needs, which the snack indirectly contributes to. Finally, the snack meets the need of health and wellbeing because of the contents and nutritional make-up. Customers want to eat healthy because diet affects a significant portion of well-being and weight management, by eating well, they are meeting their need to be healthy.

In their article on consumption values, Sheth, Newman and Gross (1991) argue that consumer behavior and choice are driven by at least one of the five consumption values which are functional, conditional, social, emotional, and epistemic. Several of these can be applied to the product. There is the functional value, once again referring to the health aspect, with consumers wanting a delicious low-calorie snack. As market trend analytics of the industry indicate that the discussion around health is growing, but the demand is not for just healthy snacks, but for functional and health-promoting snacks in particular. those that fulfill nutritional needs (Olayanju, 2019). Some other values have a lesser impact but can be applied. For example, the social aspect is relevant as healthy eating is a trend and consumers may want to fit in, be seen snacking on a product that is evidently a healthy and ecologically-friendly alternative to traditional chips. There may also be the value of curiosity as seaweed is not a popular ingredient, even among the health-foods, so consumers may be enticed to try it, given all the other benefits. In summary, each of these values are independent and contributing incrementally to the consumer making the choice and selecting the product from the shelf over that of a competitor.

The article by Levitt (2006) talks about an important point that successful modern marketing is not focused on the product that companies sell but rather should be aimed at consumer needs. In recent years with the popularity of social media, marketing has become a powerful tool that can create and drive a narrative around the product, even if it has a weak utility or low quality. Applying these concepts to “Chips Under the Sea” product and examining the values of consumers above, it is evident that the marketing plan should aim at the health and sustainability aspects of the product. It is ultimately how the consumers perceive it. The product and brand should be advertised as health-oriented, but not to the point where its exotic or ‘medical’ so that consumers will be reluctant to try. Instead, it should immediately draw association to healthy snacking for wellness while being surprisingly delicious. From a marketing perspective, it should be a product that millennials can open in front of friends, and they would be, “let me try that!” Much of that ‘cool but healthy’ factor stems from marketing. The most successful marketing campaigns for the health-foods industry are based in a universal message. These campaigns must take into account the influence of cognition, experience of the consumers, and the affect and emotional (Bublitz & Peracchio, 2015).

“Chips Under the Sea” can offer the sustainability message with its biodegradable packaging and containing only ethically sourced ingredients. These are the unique selling points for the brand. The health benefit is present but can almost be assumed. In combination, they fulfill the various values that may influence the consumer choice in a poignant manner. Consumers may want the product over competitors not because its healthier or has lesser calories, but because it draws an association to the marketing or simply based off the packaging, that this brand cares not only about the wellness aspect but sustainability as well. Seaweed is somewhat an exotic ingredient, providing an interesting experience for consumers, but it also retains the salty-like taste of chips and can be crunchy when dried, whilst other healthy alternatives replace it with bland ingredients or attempt to synthetically recreate the taste and texture that makes them less appealing.

Brand Prism model: “Chips Under the Sea”

• Physique – Biodegradable packaging, witty name, seaweeds on logo.
• Personality – caring, brave, advocating for a cause.
• Culture – environmental and human wellness, a coexisting relationship between how foods are sourced and then consumed.
• Relationship – sharing a healthy snack while doing your favorite activities.
• Reflection – advocates for healthy eating and sustainable prosumer food production.
• Self-image – consumers are helping the environment while taking care of themselves through an enjoyable food.

These are some of the basic components of the “Chips Under the Sea” brand intended to be accomplished through marketing. The key takeaways is that the brand wants to be a leader in healthy snacks while representing the symbol of sustainable food sourcing and consumption. As part of the general wellness trend, as well as more foods becoming plant-based since these have significantly lower carbon footprints, the company is an innovator as it adopts the message to the full with its biodegradable packaging and advocacy on behalf of these issues that many people care about.

In their article, Nandan (2005) suggest that brand identity originates straight from the company, how it identifies itself, its strategy, and most importantly how it communications this identity and value to consumers. The marketing mix is one of the most foundational elements of the marketing strategy and plays a key role in establishing a brand identity.

• Product – these are the seaweed chips. Immediately through the product, the brand can establish its identity. The use of biodegradable packaging suggests an eco-friendly company. Labels for non-GMO and other ingredients highlights the sustainable sourcing taken. It formulates the perception that the company is willing to take the extra step.
• Price – pricing will be slightly above average for chips in the market, but not exuberant and largely on par with other health-snacks in retail. The pricing indicates that the brand is available to everyone and not a luxury, as it spreads its values to the population.
• Place – the product can be bought digitally, but only shipped if a certain amount is bought, attempting to reduce carbon footprint as much as possible. It can also be bought in grocery stores in the healthy-foods sections.
• Promotion – social media advertising, potential endorsements, and signage/packaging in physical locations of sale. The product is aimed to be popular because of the message it brings. To do this, it needs a dedicated social media team and marketing campaign. However, it is vital to driving forward the overall marketing strategy and brand identity.

The prosumer concept is a recent trend across a variety of industries where products are customizable and adaptable to the specific needs or preferences of the consumer. In packaged foods, this is difficult to achieve given that everything is produced and packaged long before it arrives in the consumer’s hands. However, the concept can be applied to the marketing message and interconnection with the consumers. In the food industry, prosumers are actively advocating for sustainable consumption as well as production, having an influence on the way that food is grown, manufactured, packaged, and sold (Tsui, 2020). Although prosumers would prefer to produce their own food for self-consumption, when impractical, they choose to purchase products that are ethically sourced. The “Chips Under the Sea” brand can actively capitalize on this in its marketing messages given that it encompasses virtually all of these elements. It is sustainably sourced, packaged in biodegradable material, and promotes wellness. The firm should actively communicate this through advertisement and social media by emphasizing that it is listening to consumer trends, and making a product that goes a step beyond traditional health snack competitors. An open line of communication should be made public to derive feedback from consumers which can be used in later iterations or new products.

Reference List

Bublitz, M.G. & Peracchio, L.A. (2015). Applying industry practices to promote healthy foods: An exploration of positive marketing outcomes. Journal of Business Research , 68(5), pp. 2484-2493.

Levitt, T. (2006). What business are you in? Classic advice from Theodore Levitt. Harvard Business Review , 84(10), 126-37.

McLeod, S. (2020). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs . Web.

Nandan, S. (2005). An exploration of the brand identity–brand image linkage: A communications perspective. Journal of Brand Management , 12(4), pp.264-278.

Olayanju, J.B. (2019). Perspectives on the future of snacking. Forbes . Web.

Sheth, J.N., Newman, B.I. & Gross, B.L. (1991). Why we buy what we buy: A theory of consumption values. Journal of Business Research , 22(2), pp.159-170.

Tsui, J. (2020). How prosumers are changing the good sustainability landscape . Green Journal. Web.

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Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Digital Communication — The Tool of Modernity: Digital Marketing

The Tool of Modernity: Digital Marketing

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• Online behavioral advertising is the practice of collecting information about a user's online activity over time, "on a particular device and across different, unrelated websites, in order to deliver advertisements tailored to that user's interests and preferences
• Collaborative Environment: A collaborative environment can be set up between the organization, the technology service provider, and the digital agencies to optimize effort, resource sharing, reusability, and communications. Additionally, organizations are inviting their customers to help them better understand how to service them. This source of data is called User Generated Content. Much of this is acquired via company websites where the organization invites people to share ideas that are then evaluated by other users of the site. The most popular ideas are evaluated and implemented in some form. Using this method of acquiring data and developing new products can foster the organization's relationship with their customer as well as spawn ideas that would otherwise be overlooked. UGC is low-cost advertising as it is directly from the consumers and can save advertising costs for the organization.
• Data-driven advertising: Users generate a lot of data in every step they take on the path of customer journey and Brands can now use that data to activate their known audience with data-driven programmatic media buying. Without exposing customers' privacy, users' Data can be collected from digital channels (e.g.: when customer visits a website, reads an e-mail, or launches and interact with brand's mobile app), brands can also collect data from real-world customer interactions, such as brick and mortar stores visits and from CRM and Sales engines datasets. Also known as People-based marketing or addressable media, Data-driven advertising is empowering brands to find their loyal customers in their audience and deliver in real time a much more personal communication, highly relevant to each customers' moment and actions. An important consideration today while deciding on a strategy is that the digital tools have democratized the promotional landscape.
• Remarketing: Remarketing plays a major role in digital marketing. This tactic allows marketers to publish targeted ads in front of an interest category or a defined audience, generally called searchers in web speaks, they have either searched for particular products or services or visited a website for some purpose.
• Game advertising: Game ads are advertisements that exist within a computer or video games. One of the most common examples of in-game advertising is billboards appearing in sports games. In-game ads also might appear as brand-name products like guns, cars, or clothing that exist as gaming status symbols. The new digital era has enabled brands to selectively target their customers that may potentially be interested in their brand or based on previous browsing interests. Businesses can now use social media to select the age range, location, gender and interests of whom they would like their targeted post to be seen by. Furthermore, based on a customer's recent search history they can be ‘followed’ on the internet so they see advertisements from similar brands, products, and services, This allows businesses to target the specific customers that they know and feel will most benefit from their product or service, something that had limited capabilities up until the digital era.
• Social Networking
• Game advertising - In-Game advertising is defined as "inclusion of products or brands within a digital game." The game allows brands or products to place ads within their game, either in a subtle manner or in the form of an advertisement banner.

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• Modern Marketing Strategies

Modern Marketing Strategies - Essay Example

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Social Media Marketing (SMM) as Networking Technique Essay

Introduction, reasons behind the popularity of smm, advantages and disadvantages of smm to entrepreneurs, how smm helps pepsi gain more customer insight, two businesses that have used smm to their advantage, future expectations of sm on marketing.

The business realm across the world has been undergoing enormous transformations and one of the foremost changes in the entrepreneurship sector is the emergence of technological advancements (Evans & McKee, 2010).

Modern technologies have been integral in supporting the growth and development of rapturous networking activities and Social Media (SM) has presently become one of the main issues in the business paradigm. Social media platforms, which comprise the actively consumed websites that are enhanced by the advent of the net 2.0 technologies, have been significantly influential in major business undertakings.

Social Media Marketing (SMM) is a modern marketing technique that uses social networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Google+ among other social networks (Neti, 2011). The use of social media marketing strategies is increasingly becoming viral across the world, thus becoming renowned as viral marketing. This study examines the overall impact of SMM on modern entrepreneurship.

Marketing as a business strategy entails activities such as advertisement, announcement, promotion, and these marketing components require effective communication. As one of the best contemporary innovations, social networks are exceedingly becoming the focal point of human social interaction, thus presenting unique entrepreneurial experiences (Evans & McKee, 2010).

Social media is one of the modern communication tools that have recently proven to be powerful in influencing both informal and formal communication, where millions of potential consumers interact freely. Having the ability to engage consumers in an active interaction where sharing of information is effectual through powerful technological devices, social media is gradually receiving attention from businesses of all sizes.

Social media platforms currently tend to associate with flexibility, effectiveness, convenience, and efficiency in business communication where investors are capable of sharing important information with their stakeholders, who include potential business clients (Bailyn, 2012).

By using social networks in business communication, flexibility is achievable via devices that support these platforms, which mainly include accessible technological devices like mobile phones, computers, and tablets (Pradiptarini, 2011). Users access these social networks at their convenient time, hence communication consistency.

Businesspersons consider social networks as convenient communication and information-sharing tools for they involve instant feedback ability where messages reach users expediently. Most recently, researchers have found a great correlation between the use of social networks in businesses with enhanced sales output following increased connection between consumers and entrepreneurs (Pradiptarini, 2011).

Communities, which form the most excellent composure of active consumers of products and services of businesses, are the leading cause of rapid growth of social media marketing.

Since social media involves engaging in diverse online social networking communities, it potentially has substantial influence on attracting enormous consumer population (Pradiptarini, 2011). More specific, as all modern businesses in the markets are targeting the youthful consumers, vibrant youths in social networks offer business boom.

Social media marketing emerged with numerous experiences and brought several opportunities as well as challenges that entrepreneurs have encountered. Being a hotly business contested subject, social networks seem to have presented some potential benefits that have encouraged businesses in their performance (Evans & McKee, 2010).

Social media platforms are essential facets of exposing the business to the competitive markets and reaching out potential consumers. The foremost advantage of social networks in businesses is the enhancement of communication, information exchange, and knowledge sharing.

This aspect of social networks enhances a mutual connection between consumers and entrepreneurs that subsequently boosts the productivity of the businesses. During promotion, advertising, and announcement of social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are progressively becoming essential communication tools (Bailyn, 2012).

These social media networks play a pivotal role in boosting marketing campaigns for organization’s products and services, which subsequently influences positive business outcomes. Modern consumers currently rely more on social networks to access relevant information concerning new products and services offered by companies.

Marketing also involves procedures of unveiling and introducing new products to the market in a process commonly known as product launching. Research considers social media as a great platform useful in creating the accurate market buzz before launching a new product or service (Vries et al., 2012).

As consumers are currently demanding exemplary services, social media enhances marketing campaigns, which are becoming useful in strengthening product and service information within the markets.

Consumers tend to concentrate and associate with famous market products and since social media are assisting in communication of information pertaining to product and service, they help in building brand reputation.

Companies using social networks are capable of attracting public attention more easily and marketing effectiveness of these networks becomes eminent when business performance enhances through increased market share and revenue performance (Vries et al., 2012).

Using powerful videos, photographs, audio streaming, widgets, and other social media features, companies create and share quality content to communicate their services and products to the business community.

Notwithstanding its ability to transform almost every aspect of modern business activity through sophisticated technologies, social media has also received criticism from entrepreneurs (Pradiptarini, 2011). The foremost challenge that comes with the modern technologies and the social media networks is the presence of insecurity within these platforms.

Entrepreneurs have little potency to control the growing cyberspace and Internet security, possess little control over the entire conservation, and can barely manipulate the pessimistic perceptions of clients expressed in public social websites (Vries et al., 2012). There is a high possibility of getting negative feedback from ill-motivated clients due to bad opinions from competitors expressed on social media.

The vibrant cyber activities that engage genuine civilians and illegitimate users across networks with little control strategies placed by the organizations, places companies at high risk of encountering fraud (Bailyn, 2012).

Tracing the route of negative conversation and fraudulent activities is a challenge and as many companies continually engage in social media marketing, the fears about losing billions of finances in fraud cases remain unsettled.

Since its inception as a potential marketing tool, social media marketing has been the most anticipated practice among several small, medium, and even multinational corporations. As Neti (2011) postulates, “Adult beverage companies, exotic automobile manufacturers, pastry shops have been using social media tool” (p.8).

Alongside other major multinational companies, PepsiCo is one of the world-leading international companies famous for producing carbonated Pepsi soft drinks, and currently, its Pepsi Refresh project has provided a new breakthrough in its marketing strategies.

Pepsi Refresh project is responsible for turning individuals’ dreams into realities by producing and researching about marketing possibilities of PepsiCo and funding amazing ideas that support the notion of Pepsi as a soft drink that refreshes the world.

Being responsible for managing resources of the billion dollars worth corporation PepsiCo, Pepsi Refresh project has recently associated with social media marketing as one of its major strategy to make Pepsi a world refreshing drink.

In marketing their major business, going to the market, unveiling, and launching new brands from the company, Pepsi undertook an online consumer-based study in which it concluded that social media was essential in creating and sharing ideas.

Results on the investigations from the 2009 Pepsi Optimism Project about the means of communication of the research impelled PepsiCo to develop off and online forums where social innovation could help in marketing the Pepsi Refresh Project. According to Neti (2011), “Pepsi Coke, Nokia and many of the top brands have effectively used social media for achieving their business objectives” (p.8).

During the process of establishing and informing people about the Pepsi Refresh project, PepsiCo consistently used social media tactics to access multitudes of people.

PepsiCo used Facebook, Twitter, and refresheverything.com to market its idea, and this viral marketing through text messages and video clips captured a huge public attention successfully. In using social media in marketing the Pepsi Refresh Project, the company spent less money.

Through refresheverthing.com, Pepsi became the most publicly renowned Super Bowl brands. In its impact, approximately 37% of Americans familiarized with Pepsi compared to 12% for the same marketing program. Over eighteen million exceptional consumer-oriented visitors engaged in activities of the refresheverthing.com website.

In online brand rating and voting, more than 12,000 projects received consumer votes, with approximately 2 million online comments from 76 million votes cast.

Benefiting from the newly developed refresheverthing.com website, brand attributes increased exponentially with products receiving favorability, trust, and attention among other important public interests. Online communities and consumers’ fan pages concerning the Pepsi products started developing following the initial influence.

Demonstrated by a continuum of studies, investigations on the marketing rivalry among the major U.S corporations have continuously identified Pepsi and Coke as the biggest rivalries. However, most American companies, including those in the fortune 500, have already integrated social media marketing. Apart from the beverage companies, exotic automobile manufacturers are using social media marketing.

Retail companies as well as other major corporations have noticed the positive impact of social media in marketing. Microsoft and Wal-Mart are two major fortune 500 companies that have demonstrated exemplary approach towards social media marketing, with Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn being the most used social websites in marketing their products.

The two companies have established social media as one of the most effectual communication and interaction tool where millions of active potential consumers made of optimistic youthful population meet freely. Pradiptarini (2011) acknowledges a substantial influence of these social networks in enhancing marketing strategies, boosting sales revenues, and subsequently influencing financial growth.

As social media gives marketers opportunities to communicate to the public and more specifically, the vibrant peers, consumers and potential customers, both Coke and Pepsi have been lively in promoting their brands through major social networks renowned in the US.

Microsoft and Wal-Mart have been using social media marketing as a strategy in building brand awareness, launching new products from the company, and generating leads. As Vries et al. (2012) affirm, “Companies can place brand posts (containing videos, messages, quizzes, information, and other material) on these brand fan pages” (p.83).

Wal-Mart and Microsoft have engaged their potential consumers in advertisements, promotional activities, and other marketing activities that reveal product information to the consumers.

Regarding their involvement in brands and companies on the social media, Pradiptarini (2011), noticed that approximately 71.14% of the Facebook users proved to be fans of brands produced by the two companies. In addition, 38.63% of their Twitter fans and followers, followed brands advertised by the two companies.

People have awakened towards a contemporary business world that requires present and forthcoming technologies to improve their overall effectiveness and social media is the probable marketing tool whose influence may never cease (Vries et al., 2012). The world is currently experiencing a shortage of youth employment and social interactions have been one of the leisure activities that keep youths engaged.

With the emergence of powerful technological devices like tablets, upgraded laptops, and the Smartphone technologies, social media continue to be a trendy business and social tool. The number of Facebook accounts, Twitter users, and other social media users following new brands and products online is rapidly increasing (Neti, 2011).

Coupled with unique and captivating experiences that social networks provide to the active youths and businesspersons, online working opportunities like brand advertising, social media may continue influencing social and business life for millions of decades to come (Pradiptarini, 2011).

Social media is an all-inclusive advancing technology where all age groups have their portion and as the present population gets weary, new generating still admire these experiences.

Notwithstanding its great potential in influencing millions of users, emerging issues in the cybercrime and related cyberspace insecurity may continue posing significant challenges to the social network users. Internet hacking activities, cyberbullying, and several other unethical practices associated with social networking are subjecting users to frustrations (Evans & McKee, 2010).

Since few policies and rules are currently present in curbing cyberspace insecurity and users are becoming used to social networks unaware of the mushrooming dangers, use of social media may face drastic collapse in the occurrence of a significant concern (Evans & McKee, 2010). Organizations themselves do not have governance and processes for controlling the use of social media within and outside the company.

Both Facebook and Twitter have reported criminal challenges and even in their privacy terms, abuse-related concerns are not addressed appropriately (Bailyn, 2012). In other websites, cases pertaining to social media crime remain undermined, go unreported, or even lack enough evidence to capture and prosecute the offenders.

The US is among the nations experiencing a rapid influx of social networking activities with this rise in social media networking, providing companies and consumers a gateway to enhanced communication. Advanced beverage companies, exotic automobile companies, and even pastry shops have recognized social media as a powerful marketing tool that connects companies with consumers.

Pepsi, Coca Cola, and Nokia technologies are among the American multinational companies that have embraced the use of social media in marketing and successfully witnessed impressive results. They have reported increased brand positive reputation, increased product attention, enhanced customer relationship, and boosted sales turnover.

Although most likely to continue facing high risks related to cybercrime, social media marketing may continue influencing marketing strategies of companies as present and maybe future generations will still continue anticipating for these experiences.

Bailyn, E. (2012). Outsmarting Social Media: Profiting in the Age of Friendship Marketing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Evans, D., & McKee, J. (2010). Social Media Marketing: The Next Generation of Business Engagement . New York, NY: Wiley Publishing Inc.

Neti, S. (2011). Social media and its role in marketing. International Journal of Enterprise Computing and Business Systems, 1 (2), 1-15.

Pradiptarini, C. (2011). Social Media Marketing: Measuring Its Effectiveness and Identifying the Target Market. Journal of Undergraduate Research, 14, 1-11.

Vries, L., Gensler, S., & Leeflang, P. (2012). Popularity of Brand Posts on Brand Fan Pages: An Investigation of the Effects of Social Media Marketing. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 26 (1), 83–91.

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Is a robot writing your kids’ essays? We asked educators to weigh in on the growing role of AI in classrooms.

Educators weigh in on the growing role of ai and chatgpt in classrooms..

Remember writing essays in high school? Chances are you had to look up stuff in an encyclopedia — an actual one, not Wikipedia — or else connect to AOL via a modem bigger than your parents’ Taurus station wagon.

Now, of course, there’s artificial intelligence. According to new research from Pew, about 1 in 5 US teens who’ve heard of ChatGPT have used it for schoolwork. Kids in upper grades are more apt to have used the chatbot: About a quarter of 11th- and 12th-graders who know about ChatGPT have tried it.

For the uninitiated, ChatGPT arrived on the scene in late 2022, and educators continue to grapple with the ethics surrounding its growing popularity. Essentially, it generates free, human-like responses based on commands. (I’m sure this sentence will look antiquated in about six months, like when people described the internet as the “information superhighway.”)

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I used ChatGPT to plug in this prompt: “Write an essay on ‘The Scarlet Letter.’” Within moments, ChatGPT created an essay as thorough as anything I’d labored over in AP English.

Is this cheating? Is it just part of our strange new world? I talked to several educators about what they’re seeing in classrooms and how they’re monitoring it. Before you berate your child over how you wrote essays with a No. 2 pencil, here are some things to consider.

Adapting to new technology isn’t immoral. “We have to recalibrate our sense of what’s acceptable. There was a time when every teacher said: ‘Oh, it’s cheating to use Wikipedia.’ And guess what? We got used to it, we decided it’s reputable enough, and we cite Wikipedia all the time,” says Noah Giansiracusa, an associate math professor at Bentley University who hosts the podcast “ AI in Academia: Navigating the Future .”

“There’s a calibration period where a technology is new and untested. It’s good to be cautious and to treat it with trepidation. Then, over time, the norms kind of adapt,” he says — just like new-fangled graphing calculators or the internet in days of yore.

“I think the current conversation around AI should not be centered on an issue with plagiarism. It should be centered on how AI will alter methods for learning and expressing oneself. ‘Catching’ students who use fully AI-generated products ... implies a ‘gotcha’ atmosphere,” says Jim Nagle, a history teacher at Bedford High School. “Since AI is already a huge part of our day-to-day lives, it’s no surprise our students are making it a part of their academic tool kit. Teachers and students should be at the forefront of discussions about responsible and ethical use.”

Teachers and parents could use AI to think about education at a higher level. Really, learning is about more than regurgitating information — or it should be, anyway. But regurgitation is what AI does best.

“If our system is just for students to write a bunch of essays and then grade the results? Something’s missing. We need to really talk about their purpose and what they’re getting out of this, and maybe think about different forms of assignments and grading,” Giansiracusa says.

After all, while AI aggregates and organizes ideas, the quality of its responses depends on the users’ prompts. Instead of recoiling from it, use it as a conversation-starter.

“What parents and teachers can do is to start the conversation with kids: ‘What are we trying to learn here? Is it even something that ChatGPT could answer? Why did your assignment not convince you that you need to do this thinking on your own when a tool can do it for you?’” says Houman Harouni , a lecturer on education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Harouni urges parents to read an essay written by ChatGPT alongside their student. Was it good? What could be done better? Did it feel like a short cut?

“What they’re going to remember is that you had that conversation with them; that someone thought, at some point in their lives, that taking a shortcut is not the best way ... especially if you do it with the tool right in front of you, because you have something real to talk about,” he says.

Harouni hopes teachers think about its implications, too. Consider math: So much grunt work has been eliminated by calculators and computers. Yet kids are still tested as in days of old, when perhaps they could expand their learning to be assessed in ways that are more personal and human-centric, leaving the rote stuff to AI.

“We could take this moment of confusion and loss of certainty seriously, at least in some small pockets, and start thinking about what a different kind of school would look like. Five years from now, we might have the beginnings of some very interesting exploration. Five years from now, you and I might be talking about schools wherein teaching and learning is happening in a very self-directed way, in a way that’s more based on … igniting the kid’s interest and seeing where they go and supporting them to go deeper and to go wider,” Harouni says.

Teachers have the chance to offer assignments with more intentionality.

“Really think about the purpose of the assignments. Don’t just think of the outcome and the deliverable: ‘I need a student to produce a document.’ Why are we getting students to write? Why are we doing all these things in the first place? If teachers are more mindful, and maybe parents can also be more mindful, I think it pushes us away from this dangerous trap of thinking about in terms of ‘cheating,’ which, to me, is a really slippery path,” Giansiracusa says.

AI can boost confidence and reduce procrastination. Sometimes, a robot can do something better than a human, such as writing a dreaded resume and cover letter. And that’s OK; it’s useful, even.

“Often, students avoid applying to internships because they’re just overwhelmed at the thought of writing a cover letter, or they’re afraid their resume isn’t good enough. I think that tools like this can help them feel more confident. They may be more likely to do it sooner and have more organized and better applications,” says Kristin Casasanto, director of post-graduate planning at Olin College of Engineering.

Casasanto says that AI is also useful for de-stressing during interview prep.

“Students can use generative AI to plug in a job description and say, ‘Come up with a list of interview questions based on the job description,’ which will give them an idea of what may be asked, and they can even then say, ‘Here’s my resume. Give me answers to these questions based on my skills and experience.’ They’re going to really build their confidence around that,” Casasanto says.

Plus, when students use AI for basics, it frees up more time to meet with career counselors about substantive issues.

“It will help us as far as scalability. … Career services staff can then utilize our personal time in much more meaningful ways with students,” Casasanto says.

We need to remember: These kids grew up during a pandemic. We can’t expect kids to resist technology when they’ve been forced to learn in new ways since COVID hit.

“Now we’re seeing pandemic-era high school students come into college. They’ve been channeled through Google Classroom their whole career,” says Katherine Jewell, a history professor at Fitchburg State University.

“They need to have technology management and information literacy built into the curriculum,” Jewell says.

Jewell recently graded a paper on the history of college sports. It was obvious which papers were written by AI: They didn’t address the question. In her syllabus, Jewell defines plagiarism as “any attempt by a student to represent the work of another, including computers, as their own.”

This means that AI qualifies, but she also has an open mind, given students’ circumstances.

“My students want to do the right thing, for the most part. They don’t want to get away with stuff. I understand why they turned to these tools; I really do. I try to reassure them that I’m here to help them learn systems. I’m focusing much more on the learning process. I incentivize them to improve, and I acknowledge: ‘You don’t know how to do this the first time out of the gate,’” Jewell says. “I try to incentivize them so that they’re improving their confidence in their abilities, so they don’t feel the need to turn to these tools.”

Understand the forces that make kids resort to AI in the first place . Clubs, sports, homework: Kids are busy and under pressure. Why not do what’s easy?

“Kids are so overscheduled in their day-to-day lives. I think there’s so much enormous pressure on these kids, whether it’s self-inflicted, parent-inflicted, or school-culture inflicted. It’s on them to maximize their schedule. They’ve learned that AI can be a way to take an assignment that would take five hours and cut it down to one,” says a teacher at a competitive high school outside Boston who asked to remain anonymous.

Recently, this teacher says, “I got papers back that were just so robotic and so cold. I had to tell [students]: ‘I understand that you tried to use a tool to help you. I’m not going to penalize you, but what I am going to penalize you for is that you didn’t actually answer the prompt.”

Afterward, more students felt safe to come forward to say they’d used AI. This teacher hopes that age restrictions become implemented for these programs, similar to apps such as Snapchat. Educationally and developmentally, they say, high-schoolers are still finding their voice — a voice that could be easily thwarted by a robot.

“Part of high school writing is to figure out who you are, and what is your voice as a writer. And I think, developmentally, that takes all of high school to figure out,” they say.

And AI can’t replicate voice and personality — for now, at least.

Kara Baskin can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her @kcbaskin .

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How to Be Real With Your Kids

Actor penn badgley reads the essay “watching them watching me” and reflects on the power of apologizing to your children..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Love now and for always.

Did you fall in love?

Just tell her I love her.

Love is stronger than anything you can feel.

For the love.

And I love you more than anything.

(SINGING) What is love?

Here’s to love.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Anna Martin. This is “Modern Love.” Today, a conversation with the actor, Penn Badgley. Penn is best known for playing brooding characters. He plays a bookish, handsome serial killer who stalks women in the name of love on the Netflix show “You.”

Where is she? Tell me where she is! Tell me or I’ll kill you!

And of course, he played Dan Humphrey in the original “Gossip Girl.”

Within weeks, I was getting dozens of emails with stories about Upper East Siders, so I posted them anonymously.

Dan Humphrey is the outsider among this wealthy group of high schoolers. And spoiler alert for a TV show that finished airing in 2012, he ends up being revealed as the anonymous blogger ruining all of their lives. So, brooding might be an understatement.

At first, I thought the “Modern Love” essay Penn chose to read today felt like a departure from the work I’m used to seeing him in. It’s an essay about a father who needs to embrace his vulnerability in order to help himself and his three sons. Penn is also a father and a stepfather. And today with me, he opens up about what it means to be a parent who models humility and compassion.

Penn Badgley, welcome to “Modern Love.”

Thank you for having me.

So, I know I am not the first person to say this to you, but I am loving you on TikTok. You’re so good on TikTok.

[LAUGHS]: Thank you.

I mean, listen, you’re dancing, you’re singing. You have a TikTok about your feet. Explain that one.

Well, that one really was just because there were enough comments. I am often barefoot because when you’re inside, it’s either for me socks or barefoot.

Absolutely agree with you.

And I don’t know. I mean, I think a lot of us are barefoot. We’re just not all, like, on social media.

You’re getting so defensive. A lot of us are barefoot!

It’s a lot of us are —

Yeah, a lot of us do that.

I mean, it’s zany. It’s like, it’s just quick cuts.

It is zany.

This is me in my version of directing a comedy. This is like —

You are putting your whole self. It’s physical comedy, Penn. It’s physical comedy.

Yeah, which is to — I don’t know. I mean, to me, it’s like, what else are you going to do on TikTok? You know what I mean?

I mean, I love it. We get to see a totally different side of you, so different than the characters you play. It’s much lighter. It’s much more joyful. How does that feel for you?

Well, I mean, I have both sides to me. I’m quite capable of being serious and brooding, but I feel like at this point in life, that’s like a drag default. I don’t need to explore that anymore. You know what I mean? Not even as an actor, I’m saying as a person.

Like, there’s no — I don’t know if there’s value any longer in the seriousness and the brooding. I have that on lock. That’s 37 years of experience there.

Yeah. Was there a specific moment for you where you kind of felt yourself transition from —

Dark to light?

Yeah, to put it that way.

No, there’s definitely not one point. I would just say that for a number of reasons, I’ve been coming to terms with, as we often do as adults, probably the grievances, the grief maybe, the sadness of early life. And not everybody has a lot of sadness to pull from in their early life.

I happen to have had some experiences and events before 20 that kind of oriented me in a way where, frankly, those were the heaviest years. Like, those were very much the heaviest years. I would say throughout my 20s, I was unburdening. And then if there is one moment, I would say my 30th birthday, suddenly, something clicked a little bit, just a little.

I need to hear this because I’m 29, about to turn 30, so this is personally very important to me. Keep going. What happened on the 30th birthday?

So, I would imagine some people experience maybe something of the inverse, but I just really felt lighter because I think there’s something quite heavy about actually adolescence into adulthood, into early adulthood. By the time you’re 30, you just can no longer say — there is something where it’s like, all right, that stuff of youth is officially kind of over. It’s like, well, look, this is me. This is my life. I mean —

Mm-hmm, yeah. I mean, I know what you’re saying. When you’re 30, it feels like you’re fully responsible for dealing with what happens in your life, the things you can control and also the things that you can’t. It actually makes me think of the essay that you picked to read today. It’s called “Watching Them Watching Me,” and it’s about a dad and his children dealing with a tragedy together, something that none of them saw coming. Can you read that for me?

Sure. This is “Watching Them Watching Me,” by Dean E. Murphy.

“To celebrate our 25 anniversary, I had the videotape of our wedding converted into a DVD as a surprise for my wife. This was going to be a stay-at-home anniversary. We had splurged on our 20th, knowing that by this year, our oldest son would be frighteningly close to college, so a quiet dinner and a movie, our own movie, were what I had in mind. My wife and I hadn’t viewed the ceremony in years, but the routine was delightfully predictable. She would cry, on cue, at the moment when she choked up reciting her vows. And we would hold hands and give each other that knowing look, the one that said, I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.

I’d forgotten how long it took to get beyond our background stories, the high school swim teams, the travel, all leading to that electric day in Santa Barbara, California, when we first laid eyes on each other and knew almost instantly we were meant to be. I’ve met the man I’m going to marry, she reported to her mother that first night.

As the DVD played on, the tears began welling, but this time, long before we recited our vows, and it was me crying. My God, she looked gorgeous, as she stepped out of the white Cadillac, dodging the raindrops. She beamed a smile at the camera, her eyes filled with anticipation. Everything was perfect, down to her painted toenails. I remember it all so well, back when heaven was so generously shining on me, the lucky guy I was, this dream bride at my side.

My oldest son wandered into the room and grabbed a seat. He had seen the tape before, but didn’t really remember it and certainly had never watched it with such purpose. On screen, I had a full beard and thick, wavy hair and looked more his peer than the middle-aged father now sitting next to him. It was funny watching me pace with my groomsmen, awkwardly waiting for the ceremony to begin.

As I sat in front of the TV, I laughed and cried all at once, knowing with hindsight all that awaited us. His mother, well, she looked stunning to my son, too, and there was no mistaking her. Let’s get the show on the road, she ordered. My high schooler immediately recognized his mom, a quarter century of distance erased by a handful of take-control words. Still, he didn’t stick around. It turned out to be too hard for him to sit with me, his dad, by then, reduced to a helpless spectator to his own life. He felt like an intruder, he later confessed.

When one of his brothers happened by, he, too, was so unnerved that he darted out the front door. His eyes were swollen and red when he returned, not a word needing to be exchanged between us. You see, as hard as it had been for my three sons to lose their mother, she died rather suddenly, two months shy of our 25th. I learned that anniversary night that it has also been hard for them to watch me lose the love of my life.

As alone as I feel, I am not actually alone. I have three sons who can pinpoint with laser-like precision the gaping hole in my heart. It is an odd feeling as a father to be so transparent, so naked in front of the children you still provide for. But the death of a spouse rewrites the rules of a family in ways I never could have imagined. Some decisions in life, it turns out, are made for you, leaving you an unwitting accomplice and spectator at once.

My sons stood witness as I spent the better part of five months trying to keep my wife alive. She received a diagnosis of kidney cancer a few days after Thanksgiving, and we buried her the week before Easter.

In some ways, it was a flash, those 134 days fighting for treatments, arguing with insurance companies, pushing for another drug, getting her to the hospital for chemotherapy. Always another deadline, something to arrange, a problem to solve.

But the boys lived every day of it. And while I was caught up in the moment, they were watching in slow motion, each frame frozen in agonizing detail.

When they would act out or indicate neglect, I was frank in my plea to them. As harsh as this may sound, I can’t make you my priority right now. So, please, don’t insist on it. I love you and remain here for you, but my energies are focused on getting your mother healthy. She needs me like never before.

Not that they didn’t test me. Little things would conflate into big ones. The struggle over just getting to school on time became a flashpoint beyond reason, as the routines of everyday life from when to eat meals to whose authority to respect were suddenly up for negotiation.

My updates on their mother’s condition were rarely taken at face value. I was hiding something or spinning them, or worse, I was in the dark myself. In a near instant, the world was not what it used to be. It never would be. Nothing anyone did made much difference, not in stopping the cancer or even in managing the pain.

Still, when it became clear that she was not going to get better, she mustered her strength and invited the boys into our bedroom. It would be another 10 days before she died. But she said her goodbyes that night in the sanctity of our home and on her terms.

We all curled up on the thick, white sheets and fluffy down comforter, craving her every affection, tears streaming down our cheeks, incapable of saying much beyond “I love you.”

We knew this was one of life’s consequential moments, even if we did not wholly appreciate the finality of it.

Apart from the grief of a beloved spouse gone missing, a widow or widower has the institution of marriage to confront. Not just because you are suddenly without it, but with kids still at home, the marriage lives on in the world you’ve built as a family. The living room furniture you picked out together, the unfinished plans to remodel the kitchen, even who walks the dog in the morning, all residuals of a bygone bond.

Over the summer, we celebrated my middle son’s 16th birthday with a boxed cake I concocted with the help of his little brother and a tub of storebought frosting. Birthday cakes were his mother’s domain, and she made magnificent, artistic monuments to their lives, confections that told the story of the past year better than any journal entry or photo album. Mine was hardly that, but I did my best to keep my wife’s tradition alive, and with it, our marriage.

In a moment of despair, after every effort to save my wife had failed, her mother pulled me aside. I had never felt so helpless or inadequate, and she could see that. I may not recognize it now, she told me, but I had given my sons the greatest gift a father could give — the example of unconditional marital love.

What she didn’t say was that in providing that example, I was also inviting my sons into the inner chambers of my life. That is not something fathers normally do, at least not in the case of adolescent children. And once that door is open, it does not easily swing shut. That such an isolating time in my life that is, perhaps, not a bad thing. But this new order can take some getting used to. My mental health, social life, and work ethic are all fair game to my children. Is your belief in God shaken, Dad? Are you angry? How are you taking care of yourself?

On a visit to the doctor to get his flu shot, my 12-year-old lectured me on finding healthy ways to vent my sadness and frustration, gently pointing out that I might have come down too hard on his two brothers that weekend. To that same point, there was nearly a round of applause when I announced that I’d found a bereavement group I intended to stick with. You’ll like it, my youngest told me. Sometimes you just need to say whatever you want and not worry about it.

When I look back to the morning my wife died, it is now clear to me that my sons were well down this road, even then. That they recognized our family’s changed order and its consequences. As we were driving home from the hospice in exhausted silence, my oldest son, in the passenger seat, where his mom had always sat, turned to me, and then to his older brothers.

It is just the four of us now, he said. We’ll need to be here for each other.”

Thank you so much for that, Penn. That was really beautiful. What did it feel like to read?

Oh, it’s really — it’s poignant. To me, that is even richer than just sadness or tragedy because it contains, well, love, actually, is what it contains. It contains a lot of love.

After the break, Penn talks about unconditional love and learning how to say “I’m sorry” as a parent.

Penn, you just read Danny Murphy’s essay, “Watching Them Watching Me.” Did any part of this story in particular really resonate with you?

Yeah, for me, what he says about this gift that he’s unintentionally given his sons, that they’ve been able to glimpse something of unconditional love that he’s giving to their mother and that he’s also allowing them into, as he says, I think, the inner chambers of his heart or his life, which is not what fathers typically do, especially for adolescent sons. And I mean, oh, my goodness, that’s everything. That’s so uncannily beautiful. So beautiful.

That line, “I was inviting my sons into the inner chambers of my life. That is not something fathers normally do,” I want to ask, when you were a kid looking at your father, do you remember a moment where your father was open or vulnerable with you in the way the author of this essay is?

No, but I know that in some ways — I know that in his own way, he tried.

Can you say how you knew that?

I know it now. I’m not sure what I thought or knew then, but I know it now.

I mean, as a dad yourself now, do you remember a time where your kids saw you be vulnerable?

I have an interesting situation where I have a biological son and a stepson. And my stepson is — his father is very much in his life, so his father is his father, and I’m something else. So I have two different kind of parental roles. And then my biological son is only 3 and 1/2. So, that’s a very different thing, too. I’m going to need to be able to more consciously show him my vulnerability as he gets older in those years, you know?

I was going to say, your son is probably a little too young to perhaps register these moments of vulnerability from you now, but as you plan for childhood and teenagehood and adulthood and beyond, how were you thinking about incorporating vulnerability into your parenting?

Yeah, that’s a good question. Well, one would be to first understand what vulnerability is. Because we talk about it in a way that I think it’s often assumed that it’s just being — it’s like sharing a lot maybe or being open. And I don’t think that’s the — I actually think that the ways that I’m open are not always I have to tell you exactly what’s going on inside. It’s more like living it, demonstrating it.

Can you give me an example maybe of what that means? And again, I know that three is quite young, but I bet you’re still doing things even now to model how to interact with the world, how to interact with people. I would love an example, if you can think of one.

OK, well, first, I remember when my toddler started saying sorry.

Oh. [LAUGHS]

Like, I’m sorry. And yeah, that’s the right response because we, in our culture, say sorry all the time, and it’s meaningless. It’s like, oh, sorry. Oh, I’m right behind you. Sorry. Just sorry, sorry, sorry that. And then the first time you hear a little child, who’s learning words, anytime they say anything for the first time, you’re like, oh, that’s — you notice it’s the first time that word is being used.

So this little human saying sorry for the first time, I remember when he said it, it was like, oh. Like, you don’t need to be sorry about something, and I don’t recall exactly what it was. It weas something that was innocuous, but that, technically, was his fault. Like, maybe he — it wasn’t spilling because we don’t freak out about spills at all in our house. It was something small that none of us were upset about.

But he said sorry, and I think we were just like, oh, an apology is not needed. I remember just thinking to myself, let me reorient things so that you don’t have any compulsion to apologize when it’s not necessary.

And then furthermore, I remember the first time that I apologized to him.

[GASPS]: Tell me about it.

We were getting into the car, and he was being completely unreasonable as a toddler will be, you know? Like absolutely —

[LAUGHS]: Absolutely out of control three-year-old, yeah.

I mean, it’s just like, oh, you don’t want to do the thing that you just said you want to do because we’re doing it now? Oh, that makes a lot of sense.

You frickin’ maniac. If you translate that behavior to older people, it’s like, toddlers are just terrible people. But they’re not, of course. They’re not. This was actually the first time, really, more or less, the first time that I was becoming impatient with him.

He was 2 and 1/2 and, there was something around that age that changes, where they’re starting to just consciously defy you in a way that you can sometimes have nothing but patience and grace for. And then other times, it’s like we’re going to be 45 minutes late if you don’t — like, I know how this is going to go because I’m an adult, and you’re a stupid child.

And I have a watch. [LAUGHS]

And you’re saying no for no reason other than your brain doesn’t understand how to process your feelings any better than that.

Oh, my gosh.

And you want autonomy, but you don’t understand you’re not the center of the universe. And you know what I mean? It’s like, it’s just — if you look at it in a certain way, it’s a complete lose-lose. And if you get caught up in that, you can take it personally, and you can get really impatient and really angry with them. You really, really can, of course.

Absolutely.

And I was being short with him. I was like, well, we got to get you — I was just — I was being clipped. Because what had happened is I’d forced him into the car seat, and he was crying, but he’d stopped crying. And it was just like he looked kind of like devastated, you know?

Like, I’d broken his will somehow. And of course, this happens all the time, and they snap right back. And then I stopped for a moment, and I said, are you upset because I was being impatient with you? And he goes, yeah. And I said, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry for speaking to you that way. And that was for me, as a man and as a father, it was actually such a moving moment. And I was like, oh, I didn’t get that. That is really important, you know?

That, to me, is vulnerability. It’s not a bunch of sharing necessarily. It’s not even apologizing when you know it’s important. It’s meaning it. And it really was the first time, by the way. Like, that’s what’s so — I’ll always remember it.

We talk all the time about these moments where we realize our parents are human and make mistakes, too. And even though your son is maybe too young to completely understand your words or to remember this moment, I kind of feel like he’ll feel it in some way, you know?

That’s the thing. He won’t remember it, you’re right. There’s actually no neurological way he could ever remember it. He’ll only know it in his nervous system if he grows up with a father who keeps doing this.

Absolutely. I mean, it models for him how he can act in situations.

Yes, as he gets older.

I want to change gears somewhat and talk about another theme in the essay, this idea that we can’t protect kids from the hard stuff in life. The author, Dean E. Murphy, lost his wife, and his kids lost their mother. As much as he wanted to shield them from that pain, they still felt it so deeply. I wonder how you’re thinking about that in terms of your own child, the fact that you can’t protect him from the hard stuff.

Well, it’s impossible. In any other interview, if I just said this out of context, it would sound wild. But I think, in some ways, children should be accustomed to hardship.

Because they will encounter it, by the way. They will. And I actually think it’s more like, if we were to embrace reality, try to demonstrate unconditional love as much as we’re able, the truth is, is that in hardship, they would see vulnerability. They would see humility. They would see love from their family and friends. For whatever reason, those are the times that we seem to demonstrate it most.

You’re bringing up unconditional love again. And earlier, you talked about the part of the essay where the author’s mother-in-law tells him that he’s given his sons the greatest gift a father could give, which is an example of unconditional marital love. How do you think about unconditional love in your roles as a father and as a husband?

I think unconditional love is actually very hard and rare in a way. I think, for instance, with my wife, we’re learning to condition ourselves so that we can be unconditional, you know? Unconditional love, I don’t think, is ever just magically visited upon anybody. We say a parent’s love is unconditional. That’s actually not true.

It’s not true. It’s just not. It is conditioned quite often.

It just is. And that doesn’t mean you’re a bad person at all. Unconditional love is like — the author mentions God at some point. I’m personally spiritual and experienced God in my life and is part of my worldview. That’s the only love that’s unconditional, as I understand it. We’re learning and attempting to be unconditional. I really would want to interrogate anybody’s experience of so-called unconditional love because I think you, unfortunately, find a lot of conditions. [LAUGHS]

I think you’re articulating something really true, which is that love requires work, right? The author is giving his sons this model of unconditional love. But it’s not easy. There is so much effort there. There’s so much grief there. And even so, he still provides these moments of joy for his sons. He throws his son a birthday party. He decorates the cake.

To end on a bit of a lighter note, I wonder if there was a moment recently where you tried to give your child a moment of joy. It can be really small, even.

Yeah, I mean, that, especially with a toddler, is easy. That actually happens all the time.

Yeah, how gorgeous is that, huh?

Well, yeah, it is gorgeous. It’s a beautiful, beautiful dimension of life. There’s joy often, so often. I’ll actually switch to my 15-year-old for that one. Very recently, we had a rare kind of like bedtimes — and when you have such an age spread, it’s kind of hard to make time for everybody. And he’s older, and he doesn’t want to spend that much time with us anyway.

So this was like a night, an evening where I was sacrificing sleep after many nights of not much sleep, I think. Our littlest was sick, but it struck me, and I was like, hey, we need to watch a movie. We are going to watch “The Edge of Tomorrow” with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.

OK, I love —

And it is such a good action movie, like such a — you know what I mean? It’s like, there’s something — it’s the best that an action movie has to offer.

So you say to your 15-year-old, we need to watch this movie tonight.

Yeah, because it was just like we are going to have a great time together. And it was one of those very male — we didn’t talk that much because it was super late. And frankly, I was exhausted, and I was like, I’m going to get maybe four or five hours of sleep. And whatever. But I just knew it was important. It was like the stars had aligned so that my wife and youngest son were asleep, and I was just like, this is a good time to do this. You’re not going to play video games right now. We’re going to do this.

What did your 15-year-old think?

Well, he loved it. No, he loved it. And you want to talk about Modern Love. One of the ways you got to do that is watch things with people.

That is so sweet. I love that. You were like, dude, let me unlock the best film ever. I have to tell you, I had to covertly google it as you were speaking because I’ve never heard of it. But I need you to know that later, I will be watching this movie.

You’re welcome in advance.

Yeah. Thank you so much. And actually, that’s what I wanted to say. Penn Badgley, thank you so much for this conversation. Such a treat.

Oh, thank you for having me.

Listeners, check out Penn’s podcast called “Podcrushed.” It’s about embarrassing middle school memories. We all have them. It’s very funny, and it is available wherever you get your podcasts. Next week, I talk to actor and singer/songwriter Miya Hawke about what she wished her life would have looked like as a child of divorce.

I think the dream situation is captured by the film “Parent Trap.”

[LAUGHS]: Secret twin.

Yes, secret twin, get your parents back together.

“Modern Love” is produced by Julia Botero, Christina Djossa, Reva Goldberg, Davis Land, and Emily Lang, with help from Kate LoPresti. It’s edited by our executive producer, Jen Poyant. Special thanks to Paula Szuchman.

The “Modern Love” theme music is by Dan Powell. Original music by Pat McCusker. This episode was mixed by Daniel Ramirez. Our show is recorded by Maddy Massiello. Digital production by Mahima Chablani and Nell Gallogly. The “Modern Love” column is edited by Daniel Jones. Miya Lee is the editor of Modern Love projects. I’m Anna Martin. Thanks for listening.

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Hosted by Anna Martin

Produced by Julia Botero ,  Christina Djossa ,  Reva Goldberg and Emily Lang

Edited by Jen Poyant

Engineered by Daniel Ramirez

Original music by Pat McCusker

With Kate LoPresti

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‘i really would want to interrogate anybody’s experience of so-called unconditional love because i think unfortunately you find a lot of conditions.’.

Penn Badgley has made a career out of playing deeply troubled characters. From his role as Joe Goldberg on the Netflix series “You” to Dan Humphrey on “Gossip Girl , ” Badgley has shown many times over how obsession and delusion can destroy love.

In his personal life, though, Badgley says he’s not doing too much brooding. He’s a father and a stepfather, and he opens up about the importance of being vulnerable with his kids. Badgley reads “ Watching Them Watching Me ” by Dean E. Murphy, an essay about a father who can no longer hide his emotions from his sons after they all experience a devastating loss.

Links to transcripts of episodes generally appear on these pages within a week.

Modern Love is hosted by Anna Martin and produced by Julia Botero, Reva Goldberg, Emily Lang and Christina Djossa. The show is edited by Jen Poyant, our executive producer. The show is mixed by Daniel Ramirez and recorded by Maddy Masiello. It features original music by Pat McCusker. Our theme music is by Dan Powell.

Special thanks to Larissa Anderson, Kate LoPresti, Davis Land, Lisa Tobin, Daniel Jones, Miya Lee, Mahima Chablani, Nell Gallogly, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Nina Lassam and Julia Simon.

Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] . Want more from Modern Love ? Read past stories . Watch the TV series and sign up for the newsletter . We also have swag at the NYT Store and two books, “ Modern Love: True Stories of Love, Loss, and Redemption ” and “ Tiny Love Stories: True Tales of Love in 100 Words or Less .”

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