Here is part two from the interview with Megan Thomas from The Sustainable Agency:
Part 2: How do you see emerging and traditional media working together?
These two disciplines really must be integrated into one communication function. The way marketers communicate with consumers today requires a deep understanding of the target consumer. They may still watch the news, but on their laptop. They can access recipes for dinner online, but prefer to have them delivered to their inbox. Knowing how they prefer to consumer media is of paramount importance. Consumers will determine how, when and where they want marketers to interact with them. It used to be a debate about whether the brand or the retailer had control. Now technology drives the decision – it’s in the consumer’s hands.
One way that smart marketers can maximize their budgets is to use social media to listen to their consumers. People are using social networks to be connected: to friends, families, causes or other affinities. They are listening to their peers when it comes to product recommendations, places to visit, how to deal with problems, etc. I think that this is born of a common humanistic desire for empathy. We like to talk to others who have been there, done that. We learn from their experiences on what to do and not to do (if only our kids would listen to us!). Marketers can use social media to talk and listen to their target consumers. They really want to be heard and if you choose to ignore them, they will still be vocal about it – on the worldwide web. There really isn’t an option anymore to pretend issues or problems will go away. Transparency is key and I think consumers are OK if you make mistakes. Just learn from them and make changes moving forward.
The Sustainable Agency specializes in eco-friendly marketing. You can hear the interview at: http://www.sustainableagency.com/integrated-marketing-trends/
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