Marketing in Germination, Go-To-Market from Cultivation

Terrific video this month in online science journal Edge Magazine, a recording of a talk given by Brian Eno. Those not familiar with Mr. Eno's seminal art pop Roxy Music releases from the 70s should be at least aware of his groundbreaking ambient work or his high profile credits in reinventing the sounds of bands like Talking Heads, U2, and Coldplay.

Eno's talk really focuses on the state of the artist in the early 21st century. In his telling of the musical history of the 20th century, he focuses on a different method of creation, one that involves being less sure of final product, but an interest in guiding and shaping the creation as a gardener.

I'm finding that the same applies to marketing messages in the 21st century. The traditional messaging process was to germinate a fully-formed idea and build a five-year go-to-market plan. What social media has shifted in this framework is that you are getting an organic response to not just the product on the shelf, but how you bring it to market. One interesting result of this is product failures before they get to market. 

The interesting-ness of the failure is not the old failure-to-build in these cases, but a failure to converse with the market forces throughout the product lifecycle. Software has made the easiest leap to walking with the market to the market, but there are now opportunities for these to exist in brick-and-mortar stores, and in service organizations.  My wish list for bottom-up approach to marketing in 2012 is:

1. Figuring out your audience. Not just who purchases it, but who uses it.  It's imperative that your marketing team not just have the skills and channel awareness to communicate appropriately with this audience, but an engaged social network to engage intimately about the product. Fewer product pages, less ad copy, more free lunches, and consistent engagements with your potential customers.
2. Marketing organizations that are goaled as much on customer support KPIs as reach and sales. I've worked with many clients focused on "launch," and not the "sustain." It's less like writing a song or finishing a painting, and more like putting on a play. So much drama! At the end of the day, the customer wants a tangible product or service that they can apply to their own lives or the lives of their organizations. Not a spectacle that disappears when the laptop lid closes.

Thanks for reading - happy holidays to you and your loved ones as we close out 2011.  Here's hoping for an even better 2012!