Future of Marketing Vol. 1: Stop looking, start losing & stop thinking, start feeling

From the days I worked for Rossignol Snowboards back in the late 90’s and early century, I started noticing how companies are constantly trying to figure out “what’s cool,” “what’s next,” etc.  At sales meetings they would literally propose that question to all the in-house team and sales reps.  The next hour would be filled with statistical projections and references to what the industry leader (Burton in this case) was doing. I was always quiet, but by my 3rd or 4th sales meeting I couldn’t take it anymore and jumped up… “Cool is not something you can figure out!  You either know what’s cool or you don’t!  It is that simple!  You will never figure it out by thinking about it long and hard and you won’t find it by looking at what others are doing.  It comes from within.  That is part of what makes it cool in the first place.” Corporations today are no different.  It truly astonishes me EVERY TIME.  I should expect it and to an extent I do, but it’s amazing how detached these people are from their consumer.  After all, THAT is who you are targeting and selling to. Today’s landscape is changing rapidly and if you’re not in the thick of it, living it, surrounded by it, etc. you’re NOT gonna “get it.”  Today’s consumer is more in control of what they watch, listen to, do with their time, associate themselves with, etc.  So, if your Brand, Products, Services, and Message is not one that they relate to, they can turn to the hundreds of other choices until they find one that fits their lifestyle and taste. Thanks to the internet and infinite digital space, the choices for Audio, Visual, Social, and Personal products, services, wants, and needs are exponentially greater than they were.  The entire population is not sitting around their only  TV at home watching the same show as a family.  In fact, increasingly, they are not sitting around the TV AT ALL.  Some are on the internet, some are chatting with girlfriends, working in the garage, reading, outside playing….whatever.  Each individual is able to explore their own interests now more than ever and find others who are into the same things.  So, instead of one great Mass, you have millions of different size Niches.  Each Niche is a collective of passionate enthusiasts who are CONSTANTLY exchanging and sharing information, so HOW are YOU going connect with them??? You do it by following YOUR OWN passions!  The NEW leaders…the leaders of the NEW SCHOOL as Jackson said last night, are those who provide INFORMATION, CONTENT, and FUNCTIONALITY to others who share those same passions!  GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT!!  The easiest way to know what they want is to be one of them.  Then, all you have to do is think of what YOU want and what YOU think would be super cool and there you have it! Recapping, the future of effective marketing is in following your loves and passions.  Living and feeding those passions, then in-turn feeding those who share those passions Quality Products, Services, Information, Content, and Functionality.What that means for Brands trying to deliver their message and connect with their consumer is that they have to do it on the CONSUMER’S terms, at THEIR convenience, where THEY are spending their time.  Furthermore, you’re message must be delivered in a way that they will take the time to listen to.  At that point, they can FINALLY decide whether the Message, Brand, Product, and/or Service is something they are willing to accept.