Are you open?
It’s no surprise to marketers today that the age of exclusively pushing media out is over. To some degree or another, the new focus is on pull tactics using a variety of new media in order to capture a consumer’s attention and attempt to win some brand love. The book that delivers on this concept flawlessly is The Open Brand by Kelly Mooney http://theopenbrand.resource.com/
Kelly addresses the market reality that brands need to embrace, encourage and facilitate two-way dialogue. As Kelly Mooney puts it: “The open brand is an avid advocate of consumer participation.” In order for brands to be relevant to consumers, they have to subscribe and act according to the notion of O – P – E – N:
On-demand
Personal
Engaging
Networked
Everything has changed: traditional purchase funnels, traditional consumer profiles, traditional communication strategies…you get the picture. In order to stay on top, or even in the game, brands must adapt and do what they can to pull consumers into brand participation in meaningful and unique ways. Those that do it successfully will no doubt be the brands of the future.
My 2 Cents
The spirit of being ‘open’ seems to be everywhere right now. Social networks and technology have made it easy for consumers to collaborate, participate and listen. That said, the degree to which brands are jumping in and joining the movement is not as swift as one would think. And who can blame them? In order to be considered ‘open’, brands have to move away from controlling every aspect of their communication to leaving some degree of power and autonomy in the consumer’s hands. And whether they go forward and do this willingly has no bearing on the degree to which it is happening with or without them.
Kelly Mooney sums up a cultural movement in one precise, creative and eloquent book. It’s a quick, easy read and all seems so entirely obvious yet brilliant at the same time. Through a number of relevant and recognizable examples, she is able to draw connections between her theories and real-life examples of brand mavens that are doing ‘open’ well.
I consider The Open Brand a must read for every marketer, regardless of channel or discipline.
