Many agencies and their clients are still struggling to click in the social and digital piece in the complex jigsaw of media. The result is a constant firing from the hip of boring and uninspiring banners, mastheads and click buttons a go-go. The consumers try to shield themselves from this relentless onslaught with stealth-modus, ad-blockers and fake profiles.
Forget the battle for the wallet
A big driver of the online communication endeavours of companies is stooled on one very clear central pillar: return on investment, and driving sales. Clearly, there is nothing wrong with that. Companies are no charity organizations, and in the end they need to use all possible techniques to secure their profits. However, the relentless push for conversion and closing the sale is making the consumer very tired and weary. Gary Vaynerchuck phrased it well: “there are way better ways to connect to me than slapping a banner on my iPhone. That is just stealing my time, and it is just pissing me off.” In the battle for the wallet of the consumers, the reality of the context of the consumer and the unwritten silent rules of the platforms are easily ignored, forgotten and trespassed.
Try the battle for the heart
A clear central theme at this year’s SxSWi is “emotional connections”. How can you look past the traditional display ad, and find a more natural and valuable way to connect? What does it take to find ways to add value, relevance and smarts? Why is it so difficult to be relevant rather than intrusive? Respectful rather than pushy? Why do we reach for the wallet rather than for the heart? The real battle in the online consumer space is not the direct sale, but the life time value. Is your company also prepared to invest in a real commitment with the consumer over time?
Rethink the value of endorsement
Tesla is thriving on the endorsement of its power users. They do not only add value to the brand by raving about their cool electric car, and bedazzle everyone with the steaming stats on how well the car behaves from 0 to 100 km per hour in ludicrous mode. They also offer their friends easy test drives, and important cash rebates. This only works if the driver has an emotional connection with his car that he is prepared to share. And for the friends they reach out to, the car experience comes with an emotional friend-endorsed quality seal.
The time of a quickie with the consumer is over. Are you ready for a relationship?
