Interruption marketing (term coined by Seth Godin) captures the essence of traditional marketing methods over the past 100 years which rely on saturating traditional media channels with messages in the hopes that someone will hear/see and positively respond to them.

Marketing communications was primarily a monologue delivered by the seller to a buyer. The seller generated the information and dispensed it to the buyer in a strictly controlled fashion. To encourage purchase, the seller repeated his message louder and more frequently than the competition.

The preponderance of the internet, advances in technology and the rise of social networking challenge the central tenets of this proposition:

1. The seller controls information
2. The buyer will respond to intrusions or unwelcome interruptions

In a highly fragmented, interactive world where more information is available on line in one year than in the preceding 5000 years of human history (Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google estimates that the internet contains over 5 million terabytes of data), the consumer is no longer a passive hostage of marketing messages. Today’s consumer is marketing savvy, an active multi-tasker that designs, determines and disseminates brand experiences.

Leading marketers and marketing thought leaders are focusing on engagement as a means of connecting with this “hyper- empowered” consumer.

Engagement is about having a dialogue or conversation with consumers. It is about creating a two-way experience, in which consumers are active participants, not passive observers. This ‘new’ model of communications is based upon a simple human truth that time and attention must be earned.

While the death of interruption marketing maybe somewhat exaggerated, consumers are unlikely to embrace communications which do not recognize their primacy or encourage their participation. ‘How ya gonna keep ‘em down on the farm after they’ve seen Paree?’

Join me Monday for yet to be determined pearls of wisdom…

Communications Planning , often referred to as Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)  rose to prominence during the 1990s as a means of achieving consistency across customer touch points and marketing disciplines (Advertising, PR, DR,  Personal Selling, Promotions, Event Marketing, Sponsorships,Interactive, Packaging) that had become fragmented over time through the cultivation of individual disciplines, typically resulting in the development of independent communication objectives across communications channels.

Simply defined, IMC or communications planning is the co-ordination of all marketing communications in a unified program that maximizes the impact on the target audience, elevating marketing communications from a tactical activity to a business strategy.

The marketing communications plan is the tangible output of this process and progresses logically from the corporate and marketing plans.

An IMC  plan establishes communications objectives that are consistent across all channels and identifies the role each channel plays in fulfilling the overarching goals.

Despite the innocuous and rather self-evident benefits of  this process there is gap between IMC as theory and IMC in practice .

Nevertheless, in a world where consumers are taking control, in a world where brand messages are everywhere, organizations need to rethink the way they market as the old “interruption” based model of communication has of necessity given way to consumer engagement. IMC or communications planning offers a way to successfully navigate this brave new world.

Join me on Friday for some thoughts on marketing.

I beg your indulgence as I start with a definition of terms. Apologies if this is too basic for some, but “one man’s meat …” (I should state upfront that I am a fan of  aphorisms, adages and maxims; promise to try and avoid the more  trite and banal, but sometimes just won’t be able  to help myself…)

What do we mean when we talk about Qualitative Research?

Qualitative research is often defined by what it is not. It  refers to studies that do not seek to quantify (determine the express number or extent or propensity of)  markets/customers, studies which are  not subject to mathematical analysis. The aim of these studies, rather,  is to plumb the depth and breadth of attitude, belief or opinion.   The questions which preceed a qualitative undertaking are typically “Why?” and “How?”.  The primary tools employed are focus groups, depth interviews and observation which strive to:

• Provide a depth of understanding.
• Delve beneath the rational/superficial response
• Tap consumer creativity and imagination

Results are highly dependent on the skill and facility of the moderator, who must artfully probe, engage and establish an atmosphere of trust with individuals or groups of strangers in a very short period of time.  Reading between the lines, subtext, body language and the importance of what is unspoken are key considerations in qualitative analysis.

Join me on Friday for a brief discourse on communications planning and marketing, which should do it for the key definitions for now…