Social Media Is What Caused The Marketing Game To Change

June 18, 2008

My friend Francois Gossieaux says we don’t do marketing with social media — social media is what caused the marketing game to change. More specifically:

It is not just a new channel to reach and interact with customers. Not realizing that distinction will result in companies not being able to achieve their business objectives. And those objectives have not changed – and were best described by the late Peter Drucker when he said: “Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two-and only two-basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business.”

Francois is correct, and that’s why I get so irritated when others fodder over strategies for adding social media to the marketing mix or the media plan. Social media, admittedly a term I dislike, really is a word we use to describe the transformational breakdown in friction that has prohibited fluid communication between companies and their stakeholders. Until now.

RELATED: I’m moderating a panel at OMMA Social on June 23 in New York. The discussion is called “Behavioral Targeting: How to Connect with the Right People in Social Media.” Folks on my panel include:

  • Andrew Monfried, Founder and CEO, Lotame
  • Samantha Skey, EVP, Strategic Marketing, ALLOY Media and Marketing
  • Benjamin Sun, President, Community Connect Inc.
  • Paul Beck, Sr Partner, Executive Director of Digital at Ogilvy Worldwide

If you had these execs captive in the hotseat, what would YOU ask them?

  • http://www.emergencemarketing.com francois gossieaux

    Hi Max – I expanded on my thoughts here – http://tinyurl.com/624wma. I'd be interested in your thoughts.

  • http://www.attentionmax.com maxkalehoff

    Hi Francois,
    Just read your expanded post on new scope, new tactics and new value. Boiling that down to the new game of openness and customer community, I agree with everything you say. However, there's also a paradox with embracing openness. It's actually very difficult to interpret what your customers and prospects say and what they really mean. Or if what they really mean will lead to any innovation, or if they won't sidetrack innovative development underway. Moreover, the greatest innovations often don't come from listening to your customers and embracing them, but through intuition or leapfrog thinking. You know the old Henry Ford saying, “If I'd listened to my customers, I would've built a faster horse.” Sure closed thinking and customer disrespect is out. Openness and customer communities are in — in a big way. But the new openness also requires a new discipline — a balance — so as not to thwart from new, breakthrough ideas that don't necessarily originate from what a customer says. Interpretation is very difficult when it comes to customer listening and applied innovation.

  • http://www.attentionmax.com maxkalehoff

    Hi Francois,
    Just read your expanded post on new scope, new tactics and new value. Boiling that down to the new game of openness and customer community, I agree with everything you say. However, there’s also a paradox with embracing openness. It’s actually very difficult to interpret what your customers and prospects say and what they really mean. Or if what they really mean will lead to any innovation, or if they won’t sidetrack innovative development underway. Moreover, the greatest innovations often don’t come from listening to your customers and embracing them, but through intuition or leapfrog thinking. You know the old Henry Ford saying, “If I’d listened to my customers, I would’ve built a faster horse.” Sure closed thinking and customer disrespect is out. Openness and customer communities are in — in a big way. But the new openness also requires a new discipline — a balance — so as not to thwart from new, breakthrough ideas that don’t necessarily originate from what a customer says. Interpretation is very difficult when it comes to customer listening and applied innovation.

  • http://www.adhack.com James

    Hi Max, here's my question:
    In an immersive digital media world of micro markets and micro marketing, where audiences and interactions are fragmented and creating their own experiences, does systemic marketing work? Is it appropriate?

    (What I mean by 'systemic marketing' is one message to many audiences, and one message staying the same over time, according to a system and not according to context.)

  • http://www.attentionmax.com maxkalehoff

    James,
    I think there will still be a place for systemic marketing. If for any
    reason, because it is impractical to change directions at every interaction.
    Secondly, because of scale. The nature of the product is a big variable.
    Some are high-end and service oriented, often chasing features,
    customization and personal service. Others will be focused on mass and
    scale, doing what will resonate with 80% of the market.

  • http://joannapenabickley.typepad.com/ Joanna Pena-Bickley

    what bothers me is when brand managers want you to make a viral video. I told them i can make a socially relevant video it is peers, consumers and targeted consumers in passion based communities who make it viral. silly marketers. we have to educate them it not about them – its about the consumer and what they can do for them.

    http://joannapenabickley.typepad.com/on/2008/06…

  • http://www.attentionmax.com maxkalehoff

    That's write Joanna! It's all about helping the community do its job better! Otherwise, get out of the way.

  • http://www.attentionmax.com maxkalehoff

    That's write Joanna! It's all about helping the community do its job better! Otherwise, get out of the way.

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  • Anonymous

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