Goodbye TV, Goodbye Radio…Advertiser’s Dilemma
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Advertiser’s dilemma
I’m a 20-something male. I’m affluent. I have ample spending money, few responsibilities and even fewer liabilities. Potentially, I’m a fantastic customer. I’m ripe and ready to be funnelled into long term sales channels. I will get a mortgage, buy substantial assets and live a consumer lifestyle as I progress through the ever-ageing customer demographics.
Problem. How do you get my attention?
I don’t watch TV anymore. I don’t listen to the radio. I hate all things “advertising”.
I like the Internet. I like commercial free.
I adopt technologies fast…but most don’t last…unless they are top of the class (google/itunes/skype).
Who has my attention?
Peers. Friends show me what is cool. I find what I like by seeing what others like me like. I tell others what I like. We advertise to each other simply by living and interacting.
Advertiser’s solution…
Become my friend.
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Excellent post, Yaro. I’ve kicked around a science fiction short story idea where in a future virtual environment, all commerce is conducted through “affiliate conversations” between acquaintances. Sounds like you’re seeing the same thing!
Heh, Thats a hard task Yaro, I can never see the Commonwealth Bank becoming my friend. I can never see any big company becoming my friend
Seth Godin talks about something similar to this in his book; Unleashing the ideavirus.
His view is that good ideas travel like a virus and people are the most effective way to get your message to the masses. The idea is to influence people of influence who will in turn influence others (etc etc etc), he calls them “Sneezers”.
The book is a bit long winded but still a decent enough read.
Great blog by the way, long time reader, first time commenter.
-dg
Yaro…a little behind the eight ball. There is a method of distribution that has been around for nearly 50 years that uses the concept you talk about. It’s called Network MArketing, MLM…or Multi-Level Marketing. I’ve been invovled in the industry for nearly 7 years. The old model of advertising and distribution is dead…mlm is the new way to get products and services to people. People call it pyramid schemes…but they are just uneducated about the industry….franchising was also deemed a pyramid when it was first introduced. Anyway… I’m glad you have realized the best known method of advertising. WORD OF MOUTH. About 16-17 million ppl are invovled…and we do 40-50 Billion dollars in business each year globally!
AW yeah
Jay
No Jayt, it is NOT MLM or networking marketing or even BzzAgent type “bought” attention. The nose of (not only “young” people) but most people now is sniffing for authenticity and like-minded interests.
Reputation.
Expertise.
That’s at the core of peer-to-peer in a world that is ever more rich in kinds of peer groups.
Transparency everywhere, whether some people want it or not. That’s why all kinds of partnerships are proliferating to better reach or serve a mutual market.
Done poorly, they anger the very people the partners seek to serve.
Yet customer-centered, individuals and organizations can forge SmartPartnerships to generate extra value and visibility and become the trusted, top-of-mind choice.
Why does the term MLM make me want to take the foetal position and hide from the next Amway “representative”
Can’t we call it Peer Marketing, or something less cringe worthy?
-dg
Very nicely written, and very true. Well done.
Thanks for the great blog!
It makes you want to run and scream because you are unknowledgable of the industry.
Why do MLM people blame our lack of knowledge of the MLM industry?
Why doesn’t Jay educate us? Make one valid point?
Some of the most entrepreneurial, driven and focused business people I have met are MLM – but they are not people I want to do business with.
Most of the MLM’rs I have met use tactics that are questionable, lack disclosure, and they often try bait and switch schemes to get my attention to set up a meeting.
Yaro is right on the money – make friends not enemys. As they used to say in the 60’s ‘Make Love, Not War’
Greg,
to educate you would require me to change your whole paradigm — something I cannot accomplish — that greg is your responsibility.
Seems like those who you have known in mlm don’t even know mlm themselves — I have had guys/girls like that in my organization using the slick saleman approach… they make some quick cash.. but never they last — it’s sad really, and give us professional network marketers a bad image. It they truly understood the business — their friends would be begging them to be part of what they have, instead of running away.
valid point #1 — I went to bed last night, guess what happened? My team in sydney australia signed up 5 new associates and I made $515 — I love my job!
Jay: Seems to me that if you wanted me on your team, you would need to invest in helping shape my paradigm by helping me understand the business and why I might want to review my current ‘paradigm’, I think that is called upline support, good business, and being a nice person to do business with. So I think that Jay – would be your responsibility.
How true, Yaro. The important thing for marketers is to find ways to engage consumers, to be sincere about there being affinity with them. Most have not “got it†yet. I’m happy to hear that my hunch about modern 20-somethings wasn’t far wrong.
Greg,
I think you missed the point, I don’t have any intention of wanting you on my team, nor do I need you on my team.
As a leader I do coach my associates I take a great personal interest in their success — however, I can only teach them so much, I refuse to babysit people. You know the whole saying…you can bring a horse to the water, but you can’t make him drink — well it applies here too.
I’ll be brutaly honest…the mechanics of building an mlm business is childs-play…an ape could do it — that is not where the problem lies.
In my years in this industry, the challenge lies in the people themselve…not willing to stand up and be leaders.
Great article, very in the same vien of thought as me. It’s good to see that our “demographic” is still independent and powerful. We don’t like advertisment.
I’m in the same boat and can relate 100%. How will advertisers adapt to this…it will be very interesting to see.