BRAND MEDIA STRATEGY

The customer base for a company looking to push their brand can’t be viewed strictly as customers or rather, consumers anymore.The explains that, “Communication should be about focusing on people rather than consumers… They’re not a number on a spreadsheet”. This approach, from consumers to people, has come about because of the shift from mass media to the digital age, where people exercise greater control over their media content selection and access. In an effort to “focus on people rather than consumers,” many companies have begun using Storybook, a facebook app that allows individuals to share their personal experiences with a product or brand directly with the company that made those experiences possible. According to Mashable, companies who use storybook are able to create deeper, more meaningful connections with their consumers while keeping the conversation focused on their brand(s).

When people are able to access content in such a non-linear fashion, marketers and communication strategists must take greater care in understanding who exactly is consuming what content and for what reasons. Companies must gain insight into the behaviors, wants, needs, and impulses of the consumer. Insight must now take precedence over analysis. Instead of trying to target a giant audience for a message, communications strategists must now consider how they can influence the brand perception of small groups of people. One example Young talks about is “microtrends.” Microtrends “can be created by as few as three million people, or about 1 percent of the US population. Even if that group doesn’t grow, it can still have enormous impact on society,” .

In chapter six, Book discusses the power of conversation and its effects on consumer brands. Book notes that word of mouth advocacy for brands and products is the most influential marketing technique today and that there are three aspects to it.

1. Word of mouth instills confidence: “Many recommendations come from people you know, which reduces the emotional risk of following a recommendation,”.

2. A personal stake: Nothing creates loyalty like advocacy.

3. Increased perceived value.

Another strength related to word of mouth is that it raises awareness of the brand or product. Book notes how much power word of mouth wields by noting, “a stunning 3.3 billion word-of-mouth brand impressions take place in the United States each day,”.