Make your brand a platform and customers will dive in.

“Nike executives say that much of the company’s future advertising spending will take the form of services for consumers, like workout advice, online communities and local sports competitions”
NYT 11/14/07

As marketers we’re constantly challenged to “break through.” Direct mail, email and ads carrying highly crafted and polished messages are pushed upon the not-so-unsuspecting public in an attempt to capture their attention. While these messages may be relevant, engaging and impactful, the strategy of interrupting people is clearly showing diminishing returns.

A traditional creative process might start with the question, “How do we find an unique way to get attention and communicate the value proposition?” But why just communicate it through words and images? Why not empower the customer to live it through useful tools and applications? Instead of investing in pushing messages at our customers and prospects, why not invest in listening to and enabling them? The breakthrough may just be that they will invite you in.

Go with the flow
Remember when you used to check your email once or twice a day? Now it’s not only integrated into the flow of business communications, it is the de-facto, 24-7 exclusive sponsor of Getting Things Done. The success of any tool requires that it be accepted into the daily flow of business and I think it’s safe to assume that consuming B2B marketing is typically not on your calendar.

But as in the Nike example above, there probably are things on your schedule that companies can help you with. Rather than interrupting you and telling you what to do, leading companies are starting to figure out how they can truly impact your day and empower you to do it.

Companies are already experimenting in this space. Visa recently launched a small business app on Facebook that gave users access to small business advice and $100 in Facebook advertising credits—a form of engagement that goes directly to the audience’s needs.

Listen up!
This transformation will ask some new things of your marketing efforts. It requires that companies invest more in listening than talking, in finding problems to solve rather than people to sell. You need the ability to listen: through data, through social networks, and through real-world engagement with your customers. And when you listen you may discover something interesting—your company is not just selling products or services, your brand does not simply signify your quality or the lifestyle your consumers covet. Your brand is a platform, a defined space that empowers your audience to do what they want to do better, faster, slower, etc.

Understanding your brand as a platform can revolutionize your approach to customer engagement. It will allow you to activate passive relationships and those who embrace this approach will find that the Web is rich with breakthrough integration opportunities.

At B&J we’re delivering engaging, valuable customer experiences for clients including PunchStock, IBM and Sterling Commerce.