A Brave New World

One of the greatest challenges of any marketing effort is to cut through the clutter of every day life and get the right message to the right prospects so that they have a chance to consider whether they care about a product or service.

In the "good ol' days" marketers could cut through the clutter by making larger media buys than anyone else. These days, with "mass market" outlets reaching less of the masses than they used to, more and more marketers are turning toward "the new media" to promote their products and services. The problem is that most of these marketers, and many of the "new media," haven't quite figured out how to turn the various Web 2.0 (or 3.0 or 4.0) venues into effective and efficient marketing options. At least if you think of them in terms of the traditional mass media.

No website is going to consistently deliver the share of national eyeballs that the major networks were able to serve up in previous decades. BUT...what the new media (and I am now officially dropping the quotes from that phrase) is excellent at, if used properly, is creating word of mouth, excitement (positive and negative) and buzz.

This requires a different kind of message. A different kind of strategy. A different kind of marketing. We are entering a brave new world of marketing. Some companies will understand that and adapt. Some will understand that and rebel. Some will not notice and will go on doing what they have been successful doing in the past. The first two types of companies will survive and have a good chance of thriving. The third type of company, in 20-30 years will be nothing more than a good story.