In the ongoing tussle that characterizes far too many competing agency interactions, separatists on both sides make blanket statements asserting the superiority of traditional reach or digital engagement or whatever approach favors their current business model.
And everyone loses, the brands first among them.
In a converged world, marketed brands require both. The balance may change from brand to brand due to factors like where they stand in their product lifecycle or their specific consumer demographic, but all require a carefully orchestrated pull and push. Since ‘push/pull’ reminds me of that goofy llama from the Dr. Doolittle movie, let’s refer to the converged marketing approach as the Perpetual Motion model. In other words, our work must flow back and forth in an endlessly interactive cycle. You announce then you engage, or you attract then you inform; you set a lofty brand goal and then take small daily steps to bring your market along to that better, better place.
In a dynamic world, brands take on their own lives. And as anyone who has ever cared for a child or a pet knows, living things demand perpetual motion to keep them growing healthy and safe.
By Dennis Ryan, CCO, Element 79
Agree that brands must create an easy, valuable experience in which consumers are informed, entertained, and attracted to. I do think, however, that this leaves out one crucial part of the experience though. That is the part where consumers can actual add a piece to the experience. Be it commenting, adding to, or even manipulating, when a consumer get to add something of themselves, they gain a richer, more valuable experience that in turn increases their relationship to the brand. In your perpetual motion toy analogy, which I love, the consumer must be able to add their own ball to the toy. The more balls on the toy, the cooler it is.
Very good point Lance. And you are dead nuts right about the importance of consumer experience. Watching how deeply consumers interacted with the Gatorade brand through the MySpace initiative with the League of Clutch–the photos and stories and videos–really demonstrated how big a role participation plays. That brand may not have been thrilled by interpretations like this — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8hUrbuAPic –but it doesn’t diminish the experience and engagement people had with that brand experience.
So, perhaps the model is The Perpetual Motion Experience?