Modern marketing relevance
When choosing the right game play, in todays’ competitive environment you need to step out from familiar comfort zone. You may even need to change the whole game book. Using following framework, you just might do that and add a right amount of new ingredients to your marketing mix for audience inspiration and activation.
Like Hugh MacLeod puts it in his brilliant aphorism: “if you talked to people the way advertising talked to people, they´d punch you in the face”. This describes the challenge modern marketing is facing. With fragmented media options and multiple brand touch points available, in conjunction with continuing push messaging, it is simply not working anymore. How to make sure that your marketing is both inspiring – building perception, and effective – leads to action?
Effectivenes (Impact)
More current studies support the common sense thinking. If you compare:
- company/brand´s own channels (websites, corporate blogs, commercial fan pages, newsletters, publications, point of sales…) and
- bought media (advertising, banners, social ads, sponsored content…) to
- earned media (independent blogs, spontaneous fan postings, recommendations, media publicity, word of mouth…)
It is clear that earned media has the most impact for driving actions.
Perception building (Inspiration)
If you align this to another axis with approach on HOW you approach your marketing:
- Planned (pre-meditated content and campaigns for own and bought media)
- Anticipated (scenario based follow-up options based on measuring success)
- Reactive (active reaction and fast response to actual behavior on 24/7/365 basis)
It is evident that while you may enjoy a feeling of greater control and safety with planned activities, there is a greater risk of being indifferent and in fact – getting punched in the face while you at it. On the other hand, active reaction, responsiveness and participation in discussion topics raised in earned media gives you much more credibility and possibility to earn respect and fans with less effort and more impact.
CX oriented behaviour and communications approach take advantage of these opportunities. If you are able to reduce risks of getting punched, you are more likely to succeed with your marketing!
But first, do you know your audience?