OK marketers I want to tell as a consumer that things are changing. While I was researching for this post I read the Doctrine 2 by Rich Schefren and he does all the work for me, so I’ll summarize his points here and you can go read it at http://www.strategicprofits.com/doctrinenew/
Attention is more valuable than money. Especially in a world where performance is measured by page views/unique pv, bounce rate/etc. Traditionally marketers have tried to get our attention through advertising. But today we are excellent at ignoring you, being distracted away from you, and not trusting you. So maybe its time you tried something new. Today consumers are giving their attention to their peers to decide what to buy because they can’t trust you to tell them the truth. Distrust of the government, corporations, and even religious institutions has so pervaded our media that all we can trust is each other. Funny thing is that right as this is happening we see the advent of the WEB 2.0 where we can connect we each other, and experts like never before. The entire consumer population on the web is a giant informal organization and if you want our attention you better have something of quality to catch our eyes.
The key to marketing for tomorrow is in your reputation. Marketing tomorrow will be done entire by peer networks opinion of products. Consumers will blog/forum about their experiences with products/ services, and potential consumers will find this information on products. Fame = attention, that fame can be an expert’s opinion on a product or Paris Hilton at a nightclub. There will also be the new marketers, they won’t try to sell anything, they will be just accurately accrue the best data and give it away to whoever will give their attention to it. That attention means several things, it means that people are trusting you opinion and that’s influential to your relationship with your costumers. You go from being a distrusted marketer to a recommended maven.
This means that you primary client changes from the companies you used to advertise for into the communities seeking quality organized balanced information on the products they are looking for. You have to interact with the most regarded experts in the industry you’re focusing on, to know their opinions and have them know your’s. You must have no secrets, because we will find them and your reputation will be ruined. You can’t try to manipulate the ocean of opinions beyond speaking you’re own but you can navigate that sea better than anyone else and be rewarded by a customer base that buys your opinion with their attention. If you strive to be to go person for reliable information IE the good and the bad, then people will seek your advice on what to buy. When people seek your opinion it becomes valuable from a marketing viewpoint. Marketing companies will become critics, the more rigorous the better, companies will pay to have their products judged and the best products will have the seal of company on it.
If you sell out or try to trick people: we will find out and tattoo your bad reputation to your e-forehead.
If you try to sell a product: we won’t trust you and (see above) You will never see any type of advertisement on the front page of Digg.
If you like where this going you should read the Doctrine 2.0, as for me I’m getting started on a my next entries: WEB 3.0. and Brainstorming an Online Creative Art Movement.
3 Responses »