Interruption vs Engagement Marketing
It is said that a typical American is exposed to 30,000 advertising messages a day. I found that hard to believe when I first heard this but then I just looked around and thought about this for a moment. Why don't you think about this for a moment. Imagine your drive to work - billboards, commercials on the radio, how about logos on cars and trucks. Now think about your day at work - banner ads, logos on shirts, your computer, your telephone. Now that you think about it, you can start to imagine this notion of 30,000 ad messages a day. Now how many did you notice? How many can you remember? How many of these ad messages influenced you in any way? This is called "ad blindness" and we are getting very good at filtering this stuff out as consumers.
Interruption Marketing
Interruption marketing is the process of finding a prospect engaged in something else, like reading a magazine, watching television, watching a game, driving to work and interrupting him/her with a commercial message. To do that "creativity" in its conventional form is a huge asset albeit rare. In citing the example above, if you are not influenced or affected any one of the 30,000 ad messages a day, how is it that companies keep doing the same thing hoping for a different result. That's insanity. It's also a crap-shoot. It's a matter of broadcasting loud to as many people as possible and hope it trickles down to a potential buyer.
As you can see, it's not very effective. For many companies, their solution is to fight clutter with even more clutter. Target audiences, no matter how well segmented, have learned to filter out and ignore the noise. This is a fact.
Engagement Marketing
The digital space is about engaging in a conversation with peers, customers and staff, innovating with them and constantly improving your value proposition in an authentic way. Customers have the power, the information, the advice and the resources to make their own decisions, in the digital world its about entering the conversation. It's about transparency and allowing consumers to participate and shape your brand based on authentic interactions between your employees, product or service and your customers. It also turns the traditional marketing paradigm on its head -- using the interaction with one to spread "affect and influence" thru their personal network.
It's about becoming involved. It's about allowing your customers to shape your brand and shape the future experiences you deliver to your customers. It's about human connection and relationships again -- not a manufactured identity of the traditional brand.
Shaping Our Conversation
These are the types of subjects I will continue to explore with you as this blog evolves. We will look at how our connected society has turned traditional notions of marketing, supply chains, and the economy at large on it's head; and we're just beginning on this quest. This quest is a gloabal one that will affect us all in both positive and negative ways.
Recent Posts
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- Interruption vs Engagement Marketing
Categories
- Corporate Branding
- Creativity
- Digital Media
- Flat World
- Innovation
- Interactive Marketing
- Personal Branding
- Social Media
- Ubiquity
Connect With Me
May 8th, 2009 - 04:01
I'm eager to read this blog as it evolves. Branding, advertising, and social networking are rapidly evolving, and I want to stay current. Thanks for your efforts. I'll be following you closely.
May 11th, 2009 - 10:34
Thank you for your interest. I appreciate it
May 17th, 2009 - 14:02
Very nicely put. Conversations are the way forward. I'd argue that mass media was an anomaly anyway: The Broadcast Anomaly.
I love the diagrams. A question: What about the interactions between the people in the two models? In social media / conversational marketing the interactions between the 'audience' is as important (if not more so) that the interaction between them and the 'brand'?
Does that make sense?
May 18th, 2009 - 15:04
That will be an interesting graphic… Let me think of how we could show that.
May 18th, 2009 - 07:36
Neatly put. Would be interested to hear more on the different levels of engagement. And does such a thing as a strategy for from interaction to influence exist or is this something that is not in our gift? I think it is but haven't seen a really good one yet.
May 20th, 2009 - 14:09
Well articulated. We are only going to see this grow as more and more people enhance their Social Graphs. The companies who learn to leverage their communities to take example of these personal networks will do well.
The key will be to build an experience based business where your marketing is engagement based to build followings and fans. I wrote about this just this a.m. http://asalesguy.com/2009/05/19/witce-if-you-dont…
Companies need to understand WITCE (What is The Customer Experience)
July 11th, 2009 - 02:59
Great post Jim. I think what it comes down to is this: Just like media is participatory, so will product development – at a much more enhanced level than focus groups, etc… Products will be developed in ways where they define their own customer experience. Ouch… that kinda hurt my head
May 21st, 2009 - 23:50
A very nice article indeed. I will try to pay attention and "count" the advertising message I see tomorrow. I am looking forward to read more of your posts.
July 10th, 2009 - 22:48
You're going to be busy counting Casper
May 26th, 2009 - 18:03
Agree with the premise that an engaged prospect is better than an interrupted prospect (or even annoyed prospect), but there's a time and a place for every type of communication in a truly integrated marketing campaign. Some brands may need the interruption traditional TV or radio ads provide but they'll supplement those messages with something more direct and targeted in another media. It's all about balance and knowing what your prospects will best respond to.
May 26th, 2009 - 14:20
I agree Devon. It can all be part of the mix. Then it comes down to how compelling or remarkable can you be? If you’re gonna interrupt then it better be good, right? We ALL learned that as kids o.0
June 11th, 2009 - 20:04
Excellent…thanks for this
June 19th, 2009 - 07:51
Eager to get more from your blog – this pretty much corresponds to the angle I've taken in my LIVErtising course taught at IHECS Brussels. I support it with a blog at LIVErtising.vox.com. Look fwd to getting comments from you there. I'll definitely RSS yours and be a keen reader.
Jean-Pierre Ranschaert
July 11th, 2009 - 02:47
I'm grateful we ran into each other
July 9th, 2009 - 09:31
George, I found your blog recently. I'm appreciating your ability to paint pictures with your words and graphics. Your last graphic here gave me a fresh insight into the whole engagement idea. Thanks for that. I was reading today a couple of in-depth articles on how higher education may change globally because of the integration of online education and social media, that we are now learning by entering and becoming members of communities. It's similar to what your post is about here, that we learn from each other. It's been happening to me as I've been immersing myself in Twitter, blogging, and real world interactions. I'm engaged and learning. But not just as a receiver, but also as an influencer, which is to your point.
July 11th, 2009 - 02:46
Hey Rick. I definitely embrace your point here. I learn more from my interactions with others and how they receive and consume the information I post as I do going thru the exercise of creating the post. We live in fascinating times my friend.
July 9th, 2009 - 15:36
Interesting article! I got your tweet earlier today (or yesterday? ) and clicked the link. Normally, I would have filtered out that link, assuming it was spam, but something about the interaction cause me to become involved.
July 11th, 2009 - 02:47
I'm glad you did
July 11th, 2009 - 23:18
This is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you for this information which supports everything I stand for as a person who sells destination advertising. May I have your permission to use some of your information to share with with my team mates at cars.com? I will follow this feed to see how it develops.
Thanks
January 4th, 2010 - 02:37
Wonderfully stated Post.
Relationship Marketing has been the foundation of our Businesses for 50 years.
We have stressed quality of repeat Business rather than Large Numbers.
Although one still need to get their message seen..
But concentrate on those “who Care’ about what you have to say. and that takes Time and Energy..
not always a Fat Advertising Budget
March 29th, 2010 - 23:09
Great site, awesome information…. Like your writing… have bookmarked will be back
July 18th, 2010 - 07:46
Thanks,great article George, new thinking for new landscape ! Will continue to explore same from your blog article in building my own arsenal of social networking skills.
September 29th, 2010 - 09:34
Do many consumers really want a 'relationship', an emotional connection with a business? I can understand the emotional connection people have with sports teams, political organizations, alma maters and charities. But a business? I know I don't, even if they make a good product.
October 19th, 2010 - 04:28
I used your great ideas in this infographic. I think you will like this! http://www.flickr.com/photos/robertvangeenhuizen/…
December 1st, 2010 - 01:29
I just used this image in my post
not so hard to believe that avarage american is exposed
to thousands of commercials in a single day
January 30th, 2011 - 17:29
Love it! Some have touched on it but it deserves to be restated – Interruptions can have damaging impact. I think you said it well about learning as a kid that if you are going to interrupt it better be good. Being 'good' has to apply both to the content and the context of the interruption.
May 21st, 2011 - 07:23
Well, I think what it comes down to is this: Just like media is participatory, so will product development – at a much more enhanced level than focus groups, etc… Products will be developed in ways where they define their own customer experience, Thankssss.
May 25th, 2011 - 01:45
Well, I learn more from my interactions with others and how they receive and consume the information! Thanks:)
May 28th, 2011 - 03:49
I was reading today a couple of in-depth articles on how higher education may change globally because of the integration of online education and social media, that we are now learning by entering and becoming members of communities, Great post, will be back soon.
June 1st, 2011 - 13:01
. Where else could anyone get that kind of information in such a perfect way of writing?
October 2nd, 2011 - 07:20
If you are interested in the concept of engagement selling, read chapter 3 "The Cost of Free" from Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely. He talks about how people do not factor in their time when considering using something that is "Free".
If "Free" is comparable to something that is not free, people will without rationality value it. LinkedIn offers "premium" packages but they know very few people will pay for that. They do know that people will put up with a lot more banner ads if they think they are getting a valuable service for free.
November 24th, 2011 - 10:32
It was pleasure reading your post!Please write more so that we can get more details.I’ve truly enjoyed browsing your blog posts.I’m hoping you write again very soon!
March 24th, 2012 - 02:21
I completely agree with you. I have no point to raise in against of what you have said I think you explain the whole situation very well.
June 6th, 2012 - 03:50
Thanks for sharing good content, I like your blog design.
June 6th, 2012 - 03:59
Thanks for sharing good content, I like your blog design.
January 11th, 2013 - 00:24
Well I think this kind of marketing are both effective depending on your business. It would be better if your business can apply these kind of marketing.
February 19th, 2013 - 15:15
Let's not forget about responsive marketing. Used in conjunction with SEO and social media, businesses usually can see tremendous results.
February 25th, 2013 - 20:31
I'm following you from Brasil. Very nice post! Some people just don't understand the new marketing. Hope your article helps.
April 17th, 2013 - 08:51
The truly wonderful thing regarding social networks is if among the good friends of the initial individual to share your article think among their good friends would enjoy that or be in demand of it, they will share it also boosting the reach of your advertising and marketing without any extra cost to you.
May 15th, 2013 - 07:18
Outstanding teachers stimulate passion for their subject through inspirational lessons so that learners feel motivated and challenged to learn.
May 16th, 2013 - 17:16
Unlike in a classroom, an online tutor will be providing a one-to-one service, therefore giving the student their undivided attention. This also means that sessions can be tailored to suit a particular student's strengths and weaknesses, unlike a group session where the abilities of all students have to be taken into account.