The New Paradigm Has Arrived.

In the last couple weeks I've read a couple of really good articles and attended the SF Big monthly breakfast. One of the themes I found in all three articles and the SF BIG event was the paradigm shift that is happening in marketing/communications. We are moving away from a time where we as marketers could push our brand ideals out into the world and then maintain those ideals via outbound marketing. In other words, we are moving from a time where brands were static and owned to a time where brands are fluid and maintained by the companies creating the brand in conjunction with the participants of that brand.

First you might ask, who is a participant? Let me acknowledge that I learned about the idea of participants from Daina Middleton, SVP Moxie Interactive. She talked about the idea that we really no longer have a need for the word "customers". In this new world, we have participants. The internet has finally allowed us as marketers to have a true conversation with our participants. Our brand is now owned by the world and not us. We have become the guide that has tools to continue the conversation between the brand and it's participants.

Where does that leave us. I believe it leaves us in an exciting time where we have innovative tools to allow our participants to help us create the products and service they want. Now you might point out that sounds like a change in the way that organizations do business. I would agree. Are most companies ready for this change? Probably not. That is why we marketing/communication people will continue to have a place at the table. I believe we are at a point in advertising/marketing where our job is beginning to shift. We are now not only responsible for the message but helping the brands/companies we work with understand how they need to change to take advantage of this new paradigm.

Here are the links to the articles I reference in my post. An article about Coke and how they get it: "How Two Coke Fans Brought the Brand to Facebook Fame". Ryan Kavaaugh gets it, in fact he is basing his whole brand on it: "Ryan Kavanaugh Tries to Turn Rogue Pictures into Lifestyle Brand Hoodies, Hats, Social Networking Next for Film Label'. An article about brands that still don't quite get the new paradigm yet: "Social Media Playtime Is Over".

The Idea of Brand in the New World

I've just read an interesting article. At first glance, you would think that this article is about the new Skittles site. In fact, there has been some noise lately that Skittles' agency, Agency.com ripped the idea off from Modernista. But as the author states there is more going on here. Skittles like Modernista has gotten the message. A brand is no longer created by using the metaphorical megaphone by pushing the brand out into the market place and maintaining it with mini blasts of the megaphone. When a company puts a brand out into the world today, it's now a back and forth exchange. You have to listen to your customers who have even more vehicles to make their voices heard. Any company/brand that isn't willing to understand this new paradigm will lose out to a company that understands this.