Monday, November 12, 2007

Iteration 1 of the new marketing cycle

I've been thinking about some stuff. As I tend to do. This is the first iteration of this theory. It will probably evolve. For now, draft 1:

Servicing consumers in today’s world

In the diagram there is our little person/consumer. He is into consumerism, he likes having things. He likes to buy products which allow his individual life to function. This is the product element of the cycle. An individual buys in to a product, and this is where actual money changes hands.
However, people today expect more from a product than simply the product they’ve bought into. They expect utility. This is that added service, engagement, interaction which does not depend on money changing hands. The most important part of the utility is that the consumer gets an added value and a benefit from this interaction, regardless of whether they’ve already bought into the product or they’re a prospective customer.
The important part of the Utility component from an Advertiser’s perspective is this now forms part of their ad budget. New media and new marketing means reaching out to consumers in ways that really do mean one-to-one and really create an impact on a person. Furthermore, the custodians of a product (the staff) should be able to interact with people who actually buy into that product.
Messages and messaging just don’t cut it anymore. Advertising is about creating experiences and increasing value in people's lives.

And I'm not talking airy fairy stuff. I don't buy that brand fluff. I'm talking actual user experiences where either a tangible or 'feel good' value is the takeaway from the experience.

So a product purchase may initiate utility usage and involvement. Or utility involvement may initiate purchase. Where that utility is placed in the world is extremely important. The real/virtual world combinations of media as drivers to or from each other ensure marketers reach eyeballs in the right places. And that's where those little arms in the cycle work. That's how you drive audience.

Driving audience, the next piece of the puzzle. That’s what we’re currently grappling with. Getting through the fragmentation and finding audience to impact usage and create sales.

BUT, If you want that part, you're going to have to pay me!

1 comment:

mai said...

you really are smart - and i love your writing
thanks