Brace Yourself for the Marketing Rebellion [Podcast]
There’s been a common outcry from marketers across the globe: Things aren’t working like they used to. Engagement is down, ad blockers are on the rise, and it’s become harder and harder to capture (and keep) someone’s attention. This week’s guest on the Conex Show has referred to this trend as a marketing rebellion—and, more and more, marketers have been losing control over the conversation around their brands.
The control that used to rest in the hands of marketers has now been transferred to the hands of consumers, who are tired of brands dominating digital spaces yet failing to meet their needs.
Mark Schaefer, keynote speaker and author of Marketing Rebellion, joins the Content Experience Show podcast to discuss the consumer revolt against marketing, give examples of brands that are adapting (and thriving), and present new ways to think about engagement, influencers, and word of mouth.
In This Episode:
The Seismic Shift in Consumer Behavior That Marketers Around the World Are Feeling
Marketers everywhere, from big and small companies to universities and nonprofits, were experiencing a similar problem—consumers weren’t as engaged with their marketing as they once were. But, as marketers, part of that is our fault. We’ve been marketing the same old way, paying no mind to how our buyers have evolved.
“Our customers have moved away from us. People have locked into marketing in a certain way without looking up to see how the world has changed.”—@markwschaefer
Questions Brands Should Ask Themselves as Ownership of Their Own Marketing Slips Further and Further From Their Control
People create interest groups (what Schaefer calls islands) for things they like—and all marketers think about is how they can infiltrate those groups with advertising. As he puts it, the implementation of ad blockers is the largest protest in human history. We need to be adapting the way we communicate with our audiences rather than getting more aggressive trying to reach them.
“Through technology, people have the opportunity to self-select into like-minded islands.”—@markwschaefer
Why the Consumer Rebellion Against Advertising is Destined to Succeed
The consumer rebellion against ads isn’t new. Schaefer notes the connection between the advent of ads on television and the invention of the TV remote. As soon as people started getting ads on TV, they invented a way to flip away from them.
“Consumers have been rebelling against annoying marketing and advertising for a hundred years, and every time they have rebelled, they win.”—@markwschaefer