Everybody talks about the need for disruption and how brand owners are looking towards creating a whole new definition to brand preference. That being said, what really is disruption?
Simply put, this is the alteration of activities, processes or events.
Every brand manager has a history of researches carried out around his/her target audiences. What kind of platforms interest them? Are they predominantly male or female? Do they really have the purchasing power? etc… These are questions that shape your marketing ideas and campaigns. However, this is rapidly changing at an alarming rate. I mean, you are more likely to see someone who can barely afford to spend 5,000 naira every week, using an Iphone6s. This change is happening rapidly. It can be attributed to different factors:
Online Access to Information: The internet contains the largest amount of information in the world. Online users are most sophisticated than ever. The social media has totally changed the way in which we consume information. So rather than go to search for information, we simply wait and information just come, hitting us straight in the face. This has changed behavioural patterns as people now believe they have the power to make a choice and make their voices heard.
Lower Attention Span: No one pays attention to a brand message anymore. Every online user understands that brand messages are just a waste of time and wouldn’t want to dwell on them. So, as a brand manager, if you constantly push out brand messages, don’t ask why the online space isn’t generating great returns on investments. You just haven’t been innovative in your approach.
Having mentioned these, your target audience of today was not the same target audience 5 years ago. They are not the same target audiences of 10 years ago. Technology and information has changed their behavior. Now understanding this, what is the current behavioral pattern of your target audience? Answer: There is no behavioral pattern. They are unusual. They are unpredictable. They are disruptive!
In order to get their attention, your brand has to be disruptive. Do unusual things to catch their attention. Perhaps developing a fashion campaign for an FMCG brand or a music concert for an oil and gas marketing firm. These may sound absurd, but they may capture your audiences faster than you think.
Monitor: Always make sure that you keep an eye on your ‘target audience’ daily. What do they like? What are their interests? How did they react to a certain story or content? Our monitoring service captures all these behavioural patterns effectively and in real time. Read more about our monitoring service here.
The bottom line is to be very fluid in your marketing campaigns. Status quo works but it isn’t as effective as before. Also, if you don’t try, you may never know.
