Jul 27 in Branding, Social Media
Written by: Heather Rast
The last 5 years have seen a tectonic shift in the pervasiveness of technology, the proliferation of tools and cultural shifts. Together, these elements bind to affect the dynamic between consumers and brands as much as they directly affect personal relationships.
An FCC survey finds that 78% of adults are internet users and 65% of adults have home broadband connections.
More of us have adopted a lifestyle which includes the Internet, whether in the form of email, photo sharing, news consumption, online shopping, recipe research or other task-oriented convenience. By virtue of our growing comfort with the Internet (one of those “used” but not “seen” or “fully understood” mysteries of life), we now want it to perform better and we’re evidently willing to pay for it.
On a granular level, tools like blogs, retail sites, Foursquare, Facebook, Twitter, Ning (and sooo many others) all impact–and in turn are impacted by–
the following:
- The spread of information (reach)
- Driven by 4G networks, WiFi, broadband connections in the home, restaurant, and dentist office
- Public expectations of response (speed)
- Smartphone adoption, use of email over snail mail, contact forms instead of phone message slips
- Assumptions of accessibility (boundaries)
- Change in social norms, expected behaviors, and level/amount of personally identifiable information
- Availability of information (depth, thoroughness)
- Tree-saving PDF forms, 360 degree product views, flight configurators, and up-to-the-minute academic status.
- Distribution methods (convenience and exclusivity)
- QSR codes, MMS, SMS, OnStar, Groupon
My thanks to Connie Reece for sharing her news and Kellye Crane for retweeting the interesting fact. They’ve conveniently framed up my point nicely 
If you consider Connie’s church a brand (in an academic sort of way), its management recognizes audience members could benefit from “slices” of inspiration in digestible, convenient formats they’re already using. Traditional? No. Remarkable? Definitely. The opt-in service is there for those who wish to adopt it, but isn’t disruptive to those who don’t.
In what other ways has the very fabric of our lives changed through Internet-driven or social technology? What are some drawbacks?
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10 Comments for: Market Where Your Audiences Are
Glad I was able to pass along Connie’s tweet! Nice food for thought, here.
One thing I’ve found is that members of a community will have different preferences for how they want to consume information. That’s why, as a business or organization, you need to have a presence on multiple channels – to make your content easy to access, wherever your community chooses to consume it.
Kellye Crane´s last [type] ..First Steps- Marketing- and more
On a specific point of how mobiles can play a role in markets, do have a look at this
http://www.livingprinciples.org/mobile-apps-that-sustain-livelihoods/
Syamant´s last [type] ..namrata wrote a new blog post- Sustainability Sits Best under Marketing in Many Cases
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Connie Reece, Annie Tsai. Annie Tsai said: Market Where Audiences Are | http://anni.es/92LhL9 –> Great post. I love this phrase "tectonic shift in the pervasiveness of tech" [...]
Social media marketing has overcome many traditional marketing methods in western countries. They are becoming increasingly popular because of the massive strength! By following ethics and understanding the basics of a social networks you can do best out of it. But I see many people use social media only to promote their business, to which I pity them as it is of no use!
Sean – Blogging Strategies´s last [type] ..Tips For Effective Social Media Management
I think you’re touching on that sweet spot between Where Brands Win and Where Consumers Win, a coveted place where a brand’s self-serving needs are balanced by their commitment to nurturing consumer affinity. Maybe not a precise description for a church/parishioner relationship, but an abstract one. I think your observation that while new media isn’t a top priority for the church, they’re beginning to see its use as a vehicle for reaching members; once reached, those ties can be strengthened. Thanks a ton for stopping by, Connie!
I agree that being aware of preferences is the first step to growing the relationship. It communicates a willingness and interest in listening, responding, and overall flexibility. It suggests a level of approachability that can lay a cornerstone for trust, too. So glad for your comment, Kellye!
Wow, what a great example of technology empowering lives! Mobile has only begun to recognize apps beyond entertainment – I think many are still conceptually wrapping their brain about completing meaningful tasks with small gadgets we naturally associate with more inconsequential actions. I hope adoption rates encourage more enterprising enterprises and infrastructure systems to look to mobile as a viable educational and information-delivery channel.
Sean, I think you’re suggesting that these tools and infrastructure which allow interconnectivity, accessibility, and heightened availability of information necessitate an almost circular type of responsibility (Golden Rule). It’s in everyone’s best interest that best practices permeate the system.
[...] “always on” culture presents brands with previously unconsidered opportunities to reach prime audiences through branded information made available at opportune times. We’re talking [...]
Thanks for the shout-out, Heather. I agree that churches are, in the sense you mentioned, brands. Communicating to parishioners in their preferred method is certainly not critical to the mission of the church but it does strengthen a member’s ties to the church. I’ve long thought that communities of faith should be looking for ways to strengthen ties both offline and online.
Connie Reece´s last [type] ..Ford Uses Facebook to Reveal 2011 Explorer
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