Ubiquity Never Looked So Sweet!

I met up with a good friend this week who works for one of Australia’s large food manufacturers. Our conversations always inadvertently resolve into a heated debate about the pro’s and cons of new marketing and Monday was no different. Our focus was on co-creation systems this time, which just so happens to be one of my key areas of interest.

My friend, let’s call him Joe, is experiencing the challenges associated with a campaign that calls upon consumers to participate in the evolution of an existing product. Whilst the co-creation approach he’s adopted isn’t new, it demands a level of commitment and transparency it seems his organisation wasn’t prepared for. Unlike many of his peers, Joe has bravely entered into ubiquitous territory; a place where he no longer has control. When I questioned the approach his answer was simple and direct. “In a connected economy success and transparency are intertwined. Australian’s own this brand, not our company, so it makes sense to get their buy in.” This totally surprised me, not because I disagree but because in the same breath Joe likened the experience to ’stepping out onto the ledge of a 30 story building without a harness’. Let’s pause for a moment and focus on that.

Being a champion of such behaviour I am often met with the argument that it’s a risky business to be fully transparent, that losing control of your message is the next best thing to committing brand suicide. Perhaps? But equally I’d pose the question – are we ever really in control? In a poignant post titled ‘On Falling and Flying‘ Chris Brogan highlights what many of us feel but never talk about, that for every win there is almost always failure and that ‘there are no blueprints’ for success. We are all making them up. We will fall. But then, we will fly.’

Having had my share of professional failures I can attest to this. Learning to navigate the ever shifting landscape of new media has taught me some invaluable life lessons, so much so that I’d go as far as saying that it’s no longer about control anymore, the learning is in knowing ‘when to let go’. Instead of expending valuable energy on being ‘controllers’ of communication, the full measure of success can be realised via the collective if we become ‘facilitators’ of it. It’s a subtle shift but one that creates a dynamic interplay and ongoing cycle of open innovation between brand and consumer, enabling a brand to move from being a static entity to an active participant with the potential to shape the conversations and interactions around it.

Like most industries impacted by the global recession, Joe understands that his company needs to evolve to survive. This is no small feat for an organisation of his calibre but he’s bravely taken the first step by acknowledging the need for authenticity and transparency with consumers. He also recognises the old systems and processes for marketing his brand no longer work and that a whole gamut of opportunities for value-based engagement and shared ownership exist. Whilst some people may think he’s crazy being out on the ledge – Joe is absolutely committed to redefining the brand-consumer relationship by involving consumers in the evolution of his product.

In an article which I wrote earlier this year for a DRAFTFCB thought leadership publication I discussed the ‘connected agency’, a hypothesis first presented by Forrester’s Mary Beth Kemp in 2008. It suggests that in the future agencies will evolve to nurture communities and then ‘match make’ them with brands. I elaborated on the strength of weak ties, drawing upon the notion that the influence of strangers plays a crucial role in forming a bridge between clusters of strong ties (our close friends). My intent was to reinforce the relevance and power of social networks to connect people, resources and ideas, to drive creativity and innovation forward.

In the context of Joe and his campaign one could argue there’s a paradigm shift taking place, toward a community whereby everyone participates, everyone contributes, to foster the best possible outcome. He understands this and respectfully so, has called upon consumers to become a voice for his brand and to make a difference. Does this make him crazy? I think not. But whilst he may not have all the answers (and the community is still reeling in shock at being asked) I commend him for his courage to step out onto the ledge into a situation where his peers would otherwise shrink back into a typical, known campaign trajectory. I wanted to share his story with you because I think there are some valuable lessons to be learned from Joe’s experience.