Comments on: One more time…can marketing be a conversation?

By: Austin Hardwick

Austin Hardwick — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:45:56 +0000

Francois,

I appreciate you commenting on my response to your post. Also appreciate your insight. What I love most is that we in fact created a conversation… Great stuff.

By: Austin Hardwick

Austin Hardwick — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:45:00 +0000

Francois,

I appreciate you commenting on my response to your post. Also appreciate your insight. What I love most is that we in fact created a conversation… Great stuff.

By: john cass

john cass — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:47:21 +0000

you do have a great point there. I often think it is a matter of confusion about goals and strategy. We all know the end goals are sales, but that does not mean you have to use a sales strategy to get there. Rather a marketing strategy can be used. That’s what great about social media, by listening, you understand what customers want and need, and can choose to provide a better product if it is profitable, but through listening customers evangelize your company and so you achieve higher sales. I know this happened with Macromedia’s blogging efforts from my 2005 case study.

By: francois

francois — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:42:41 +0000

Hi Joe – I should have brought it up as it would have made for a good discussion. I twittered about it a little and then felt like I wanted to think this through myself before making a statement. But as I digested the whole thing in the next 24 hours I came down to the same conclusion I did 6 or so months ago and decided to write about it.

I would love to continue the conversation when you are back. It was good seeing you again in person!

By: francois gossieaux

francois gossieaux — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:03:41 +0000

Hi John – thanks for commenting on my blog. Markets are conversations – there is no question about that. You gave a good example of a company listening and responding to the conversation.

What I am trying to say is different. Marketing departments in most companies will continue to be measured on traditional metrics – awareness creation, PR, lead generation, sales, etc. What I am saying is that in order to achieve those goals in a conversational style, most will screw it up and develop real bad habits. Look at communities like the P&G Vocalpoint community. Is P&G engaging in conversational marketing or are they recruiting shills that are commercializing (and thus potentially destroying) personal relationships?

By: Joseph Jaffe

Joseph Jaffe — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:44:49 +0000

Francois, why did you not raise this pov in the Q&A or afterwards when we spoke?

We should continue this discussion another time when I can help you see the error of your ways.

Until then I’m off to bed in Copenhagen.

By: john cass

john cass — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:53:59 +0000

Sorry, I cannot agree with you on this one.

One online example that comes to mind is a case study I did with Microsoft a few years ago. Microsoft was going to discontinue support for a version of some software. The company blogged the dropping of the support because Microsoft could not provide the support and make a profit. Customer’s reacted by saying, hey we want the support and we will pay extra. Microsoft said, okay, kept the support, making the customers happy, and Microsoft profitable on the support. That’s a conversation to me.

By: Somabus » Blog Archive » Responding Appropriately

Somabus » Blog Archive » Responding Appropriately — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:23:58 +0000

[...] Emergence Marketing posted a thought about how marketing is not a conversation. [...]

By: francois

francois — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:53:28 +0000

Tom – I agree that some will succeed, but I am afraid that the majority of them who will do it wrong will pollute the waters for the rest of us.

Katie – I agree that conversations about brands do happen. I also think that most marketers are mistakingly thinking of those as brand-driven conversation, when in reality they are user-centric conversations in the context of a brand. But what this says is that markets are conversations, not that marketing is or can be. Maybe I am off in my thinking…

Thanks for taking the time to comment on my blog.

By: Tom Guarriello

Tom Guarriello — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:45:18 +0000

Well, Francois, the market will reward those marketers who ARE adept at the kinds of interactive engagements that the market experiences as authentically conversational. Some will fail dismally, as you suggest. Others will quickly learn the new melody and begin composing unique lyrics. I’m looking forward to having conversations with the smart experimenters.