J. Walker Smith writes
These days, the best way to get people's attention is not to engage consumers with a brand, but to host or facilitate a context for people to engage with one another. People don't want to see ads; they want to see their friends. And while they're doing so, they'll do business as well.
The Internet hasn't put brands into the conversation; it has simply changed the technology people use to come together with one another. In the process, the Internet has emerged as a new marketing medium because it is the new medium of social engagement.
In this age of consumer resistance, people are avoiding brands while seeking one another. Brands must shift away from the single-minded focus on engaging consumers and instead become adept at enabling people to engage with each other. This will give brands the edge they need in tomorrow's marketplace of social engagement.
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