Marketing trend no. 2: the individual reigns on their terms
People are getting used to choosing their own content, customising how and when it’s served to them. It’s becoming an expectation, a clear marketing trend. As collaboration technologies improve and more information providers make this a part of their service offering this will only become more embedded in consumer behaviour. (The BBC’s mobile website is a great example of a company handing over the reins and allowing people to customise BBC content as they please).
“SoPo” (social personalisation₂), as some have termed it, depicts the growing phenomenon of brands, products, companies and individuals being stamped with recommendations via social media channels (you name it, people will “like” it). Expect to see “likes” expand into customised versions such as “watched this”, “cooked it” and more in the areas of communication, games, media and lifestyle, thanks to Facebook increasing the flexibility for 3rd parties using its Open Graph API.
Take action: The opportunity lies in offering up an open, collaborative environment where your customers can customise content and the way they interact with you so that ultimately they get what they set out to.
Make your employees a supportive part of that network too – empower them, along with your customers, to share stories about your brand, your products and services – on their own terms. ₁ ₂
Behaviour matters: As trends evolve and shift so too do those marketing behaviours which support them and bring them to life. Based on our research, here’s why engagement and authenticity are important in relation to this key trend.
Dressipi.com is a recent example of personalisation in action. Using context-aware recommendation engine that picks clothes based on occasion or mood to become your “your personal, virtual stylist”.
For a run down on the facts and stats, marketing behaviours and technologies, companies and developments every marketer should be aware of as they enter 2012 download our ebook here.
Photo credit: Ryan McGuire / gratisography.com, published unchanged.
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