Recently you were reported as saying that "Honest, authentic" relationships based on trust are what consumers now seek."
Addressing the AAAA's annual Media Conference, you reminded delegates that three years prior you had kicked adland's ass for its ability to react to technological change. Such a reprimand is now "obsolete", he said.
"We can no longer measure success in keeping up, because keeping up is not possible, opined the P & G guru. "What we need is a mindset shift."
. "We have to understand what's important to them, and how we can genuinely connect with them," Stengel said. "We must shift our mindset to truly creating partnerships."
Well Mr. Stengel, it may interest you to know that that opportunity has been available to you for a number of years, however your advertising agencies have all turned up their noses at such an idea!
Let us review a little of what was said to your agencies and how it was proposed that your company, Procter & Gamble utilise the interactive programmes presented to them.
We said to your people that you ought to start a regular dialogue with your customers.
The word empowerment is a very overused word. However in the near future Procter and Gambles primary strategic marketing communications battle will be to see who goes furthest in empowering their customers.
To empower your customers you will have to:
1. Provide them with far more information than you currently do.
2.Allow them to make decisions about you and your company together with your resources.
3.Give them plenty of choice.
4.Give them the perception of control!
5. Allow them to feel that they are running your organisation!
Because anything that tightens your relationships with an existing customer increases the revenue you get from your customer.
And the only form of communication that can do all the above so that you do tighten your grip on your customer is…. Interactive communication!
The fact of the matter is Jim, your Advertising agencies have lost sight of their primary goal: to sell the product. Fortunes are wasted on hip; award-winning commercials that often fail to even communicate the brand.
The reality of business demands that your advertising answer to the bottom line!
Simply by adding interactive communication to your schedule you can reduce spend and make your existing advertising totally accountable. Whilst, at the same time allowing you to achieve all the goals you have set out above
Which will demonstrably affect your bottom line and, much to the great disgust of Advertising Agencies, Procter & Gamble could substantially reduce their horrific marketing investment. thus setting you back on the road to greater profitability!
You went on to say "Consumers are showing a greater need for making connections with other people and brands", he continued, "Sometimes we need to be more open in bringing that human perspective to our marketing."
Trust, too, has become a vital element in marketing. You pointed to a fifteen-nation audit of 15 P & G product categories, which revealed that brands with the highest market share also enjoyed the highest level of trust among consumers.
Jim, allow me to give you a word of warning. It would appear that everybody is caught up in the glamour of the Web, and the emerging technologies, please bear in mind that technologies, of themselves, are not the key to interactive communication.
We have established, beyond any shadow of doubt, that existing media can be made interactive with staggering results.
One exposure to an interactive "Event" properly executed is far more effective than "the reach & frequency" model in vogue for so long.
I am aware Jim that this is a tad too long, I was taught that your company wanted ideas encapsulated into one page!
So let me close on this:
You want a mindset shift.
You want to understand what's important to them, and how you can genuinely connect with them; you must shift your mindset to truly creating partnerships.
Well Jim you can, just bear in mind those wonderful words "Interactive Communication."
Thanks for your time
Paul Ashby pioneered interactive communication to the advertising and marketing communities some twenty-five years ago. The communication issues he addresses have been neglected during the explosive grown of advertising in the 60s, 70s and 80s, these are Cognitive Dissonance, Selective Retention and Selective Exposure.
Would you like to discover the incredible results to be attained by using interactive communication? Well these are revealed for FREE at http://effectiveaccountablecommunication.blogspot.com or contact Paul directly on paul.ashby@yahoo.com
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