brand marketing blog

In a previous post titled "The demise of traditional advertising" I talked about how the new marketing model is generally cheaper than traditional advertising. I did however add a caveat that it requires a lot more energy and commitment to execute on an ongoing basis.

Here are the primary differences between the traditional "TV Industrial Complex" model of marketing as described by Seth Godin, and the new viral and social network marketing model.

TRADITIONAL MODEL = Passive marketing
Clients hand over responsibility and control of their marketing and advertising campaigns to an agency. This 'hands-off' marketing model simply requires a bag of money (i.e. expensive!) and a desire to advertise.

NEW VIRAL & SOCIAL NETWORK MODEL = Immersion marketing
This model thrives on authenticity, honesty and relevant content. You can’t just throw a bunch of money at an agency to spend on your behalf. If you want to effectively engage in the online viral and social network space you have to do it yourself (i.e. cheap). Sub-contracting would be a fruitless and expensive exercise.

The upside is that those individuals or organisations that commit to putting in the hard yards will find they are in the marketing minority. The lazy ones will still throw bags of money at advertising agencies and continue to get disappointing results. Thankfully this effectively reduces your competitive challenge within the medium.

Once you have developed an effective online marketing strategy with the help of a professional (highly recommended considering the ongoing effort you will be putting in), the rest is up to you. The payoff is not as immediate as a traditional campaign, but the lasting value of a consistent and regular online marketing programme will pay dividends as buyers continue to use the web in more meaningful and necessary ways.