marrying content with product

For years, we as consumers have watched television shows and movies and seen commercial products being flogged subliminally (as we ‘ve enjoyed the content) BUT, truly we were only passive observers in that process.

Yes, we were the intended target - the potential customers - that multinationals, medium sized corporates and others wanted to sell their products and services.

But, that was really about 20th century style marketing.

Now, with the birth and growth of the 21st century - with the 4th Industrial Revolution - (traversing areas as wide as the Internet of Things, Social Networking and Digital Marketing) now also breaking into a sprint……

it is surely the right time to re-examine the position of the consumer (not as some kind of idle bystander) but as an actual principal in the selling process.

In recent years, the behemothic dominance of the tech companies:

- Alphabet (Google/YouTube),

- Microsoft,

- Amazon,

- Meta (Facebook) ,

- Apple,

- Netflix

has been largely responsible for driving 1) this shift in cultural behavior and 2) the exponential growth of online marketing.

As the world has catapulted from analogue to digital, the playground has been driven from a Top-Down “We command you to Browse on special occasions” to a Bottom Up “Let us Shop and Watch 0n Demand” ecosystem.

This has removed barriers to entry for Everyday Folks to take more control over their consumerist lives..

Rather than having to be a Money Bags Client or a slick Advertising agency intermediating the choices that people have - anyone with a camera and audio, with adequate lighting and some gumption can simply kick-off their own potential empire.

Forget celebrities and “old style” public figures - the general public has cottoned on to the fact that WE ARE OUR OWN BRANDS…WE ARE OWN CEOs.

So, let’s set our own agenda, take absolute agency and get THIS PARTY STARTED!

The more authentic the voice of the Content Creator, the more likely it is that Followers will (FIRSTLY) come and will (SECONDLY and MORE IMPORTANTLY) stay with the Producer of the Content.

Which leads to wider influence and potentially to power across the cultural and societal landscape.

Wherever consumers venture, brands will NEVER be far behind.

So we now have a RE-ARRANGED (and much more equitable) triangular relationship in which content creators can NAME THEIR PRICE with the brands because of their unique connection with their audience (the ultimate consumers).

“BUILD IT AND IT WILL COME” said “Shoeless Joe” in the guise of the late Ray Liotta in “Field of Dreams”, the classic 1989 movie starring Kevin Costner.

And, that is what millions of people are doing EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Brothers and Sisters of every race, demographic, nation, continent are truly DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES!

LONG may that continue…!