Join the Conversation
Joseph Jaffe, author of the best-seller "Life After the Thirty Second Spot" and Chief Interrupter of Crayon, will release a new book in Fall 2007 titled "Join the Conversation: How to Engage Marketing-Weary Consumers With The Power of Community, Dialogue and Partnership." According to Jaffe, "JTC" will carry on from where "LA30" left off. In others, it will be light years ahead; completely different, focusing on the power of dialogue, community and partnership.
In the spirit of "joining the conversation," Jaffe opened up two unique ways for others to contribute. The first was a contest in which people could submit their own book designs. Over a dozen cover designs were submitted and the the winning photo of 2,000 bloggers was recently selected. The second option was to contribute to Ch. 10 of Jaffe's book titled, "Why are you so afraid of conversation?" Writing and editing was done through a community Wiki.
So, I choose the second option, and here's my essay/blurb... Enjoy!
"When it comes to Web 2.0 and joining the conversation, marketers are too concerned over the amount of responsibility and maintenance required to initiate and monitor consumer dialogue. Call it complacency, but marketers worry that by joining the conversation, they have eternally wedded themselves to their consumer. In a space eminent for immediate outbursts and widespread consumer havoc, marketers worry about the representation of their brands, and don't want to deal with the myriad of consumer sensibilities.
In addition, marketers struggle with what to say and how to conduct conversation. Before the advent of Web 2.0 and new media outlets, marketing was primarily a one-way communication device. Commercials, print ads, and others mediums were all forms in which marketers could creatively employ their own messages. Today, marketers can more effectively persuade through two-way conversation. However, this form of communication requires marketers to have something important to say on a regular basis. Meanwhile, two-way conversation tests a marketers ability to listen. If attention isn't placed on the consumer, all conversation and ideas are thereby lost. Under this new model, then, marketers must become facilitators of new ideas with the understanding that "the consumer (always?) knows best."
Yet in order for marketers to establish a stronger, more intimate relationships with their consumer, marketers must take advantage of these new technologies. In the process, marketers must gain a better understanding of this new medium and must create smarter methods of monitoring conversation. By investing time and efforts towards providing earnest conversation, marketers will have grown more transparent and open to consumer needs.Any Comments??
-AK
2 comments:
Good blurb, Austin. Marketers are caught in a bit of a bind with Web 2.0, and it is going to take some time to feel out and understand the new environment and the implicit rules for engagement.
I like the idea of marketers becoming the "facilitators of new ideas" but I take the view that consumers don't always know best. They may have a line of sight in terms of a certain product, but consumers rarely invent or innovate ... that hard work is the domain of the product managers and designers etc.
Having said that, consumers can provide valuable insight into product or service use and perhaps even suggest incremental improvements. But for that, marketers need to listen. And that is where Web 2.0 come in.
Thanks Gavin. Looking back on what I wrote, I regret having used the absolute term, "always," in describing the consumer's ability to discern what's best for brands and marketing. I also agree with you that innovation or creative ideation is ultimately (and will continue) to be managed by product managers and designers. Yet, in order for marketers to meet the consumers increasing expectations, they must learn to build conduicive environments that allow for marketers to work collaboratively with consumers. By joining the conversation and using Web 2.0 services, marketers can develop these relationships and create spaces for the exchange of insights and ideas.
The new marketing model leads itself towards companies like Threadless.com, which basically provides the platform and necessary tools for consumers to take ownership in the brand, design incredible concepts, and form social community.
In a sense, then, marketers need to give up the reins a bit and allow consumers to assume an integral role in the evolution of their brand. Whether this be through conversational blogs or promotional projects, marketers need to know how to setup these important plugins, insuring that consumers are enough opportunity to share their active voices.
Post a Comment