Consumerism and Marketing in 2013

1st March 2013

Two-way relationship

In the age of digital innovation, marketing is becoming increasingly communicative. A single message is no longer driven into the target market; rather, digital marketing involves a series of malleable messages being transferred back and forth. For enhanced sales in 2013, marketers are forced to continually adapt their strategies to keep in tune with daily consumer trends. Campaigns need to embrace ‘talkability’ and interact with consumers like never before.

Consumers in the power seat

So, the power of establishing and developing trends no longer lies solely with global companies, but with consumers themselves. Individuals are creating marketing content from the comfort of their own homes, most notably on social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Because of this, the realms of marketing and consumerism are continually being blurred, as individuals brand themselves through opinionated comments and witty tweets. At the same time, companies are keen to underline their own personalisation and humility to increase followers.

Innovative content

Dave Coplin of Microsoft Advertising has argued that three key trends will dominate advertising this year; ‘consumer-centred design, creative-collaboration, and clever content’. Instead of relying on big budgets to do the talking, major companies will be forced to get down to the same level of their customers and spend time and energy thinking of innovative ways to capture their attention.

Reebok breaking the mould

Such advertising ‘enchantment’ can already be seen in the most recent Reebok ‘Live with Fire’ campaign, which features ordinary people in a series of different sporting activities wearing the brand’s products. Reebok has decided not to feature celebrity sports stars, such as Lewis Hamilton and MS Dhoni, and instead wants to focus on ‘everyday inspirational stories’. This shows a major international company’s understanding of marketing in 2013; to be successful your fans must become an integral part of your campaign.

What does this mean for SMEs?

The intensified global focus on customer-centric marketing has a host of benefits for SMEs. Firstly, it complements the bespoke nature of the services they provide and drives forth their customised approach. Additionally, the emphasis on ‘talkability’ means that SMEs can connect with their customers in the same way that larger ones do, without requiring extensive resources and a massive budget. Posting a humorous blog post or offering friendly advice on a social networking site is a great way of boosting a business’ profile without spending a penny.

The main thing to realise is that, when it comes to digital marketing, quality trumps quantity. There’s no point in a company having thousands of ‘Likes’ or followers if they are nevertheless perceived in a negative light. Companies of all sizes must avoid taking customers for granted in 2013 if they are to reap the benefits of enhanced profits and reputability.

Visit www.rsto.co.uk for further information on how to connect with your customers in the digital age.