The consumers of the world have taken control of the media they consume. In doing so, they’ve filtered the mix of content that they’re willing to consume based on their unique lifestyle. The products they love, the information they share, and the services they use are all based on the context of what they care about at any give time.
Despite the unlimited amount of Big Data we’re collecting,there are still some things we’ll never be able to quantify.
Culture: Looking into the my own life I can see that my culture has vastly changed on a month to month basis. The music I listen to , the books (or blogs) I read, the things I’m willing to spend money on, all change based on a number of variables that would give Einstein a headache.
Context: You know your primary customer well enough to understand how your offering fits into the context of their life but, chances are you don’t know the outside scenarios that might cause different people to flock to your business. In all reality, you could be wrong about your primary customer and there may be a way to position your offering to a different market that would flip what you thought you knew about your business upside down.
Relevancy: In marketing (and my head) relevance is where it all comes together. The culture primes the mindset of the customer and they find themselves in a context where there’s a need or want for something they don’t have. Most people assume that those moments are rare but I would argue that any search engine will tell you differently.
Looking at those three elements there are a few things we can gather.
1. Fluidity and flexibility are essential for any business. Your customer will change and evolve and your business will have to do the same.
2. Moments must be seized. Media frenzies, pop culture trends, and viral content can change the context of your offering in the eyes of anyone who might buy from you. Be proactive and decisive in taking advantage of new contexts for your business. They don’t often last long.
3. Be easily discovered. The consumer can find what they want when they want it, so they’re spending less money on buying things they may need or want later on. You need to be available when someone’s ready to buy. This involves a unique brand that can be easily found through simple searches as well as a purchasing process that won’t hesitate your potential customers.
Moral of the Story: If culture was a sigle pane of reflective glass in the early years of mass media, it’s now completely shattered. The good news is that each shard represents a different opportunity.
