A while back, Bob Stacey, the president of the Association for the Advancement of Relationship Marketing, asked me a provocative question. What is the future of marketing?
 
I gave him two answers.
 
The first is an area in which I am deeply involved—the need to switch from marketing products to enhancing the experiences customers have in the consumption of these products. More on this below.
 
The second involves understanding and capitalizing on the radical shift in customer-business interactions brought on by the Internet. When customers use Internet search or subscribe to RSS feed (real simple syndication) they are signaling interest and intent. Companies need to devise ways use these channels to get beyond the sale. They need to see it as an opportunity to avoid price driven commodity business practices, and a way to pursue sustainable profits and relationships.
 
Bob’s question has apparently tweaked the interest of many business leaders. His organization has decided to host a Summit on The Future of Marketing. Apparently, my first answer resonated with many people. As a result Bob has asked me to speak at the event and help define the program.
 
So, here’s my question to you. What is the future of marketing? What are the challenges the field must address? Secondly, who are the untouted visionaries that can speak to the issues and point to solutions?
 
I want to hear from you! You can comment to this blog or email me directly (email John). Check www.aarm.org for information on the summit.
 
Here’s a little more on my first answer.
 
Technological Singularity defines the point when technological progress and societal change has accelerated to a point where most people lose the sufficient ability to comprehend and reliably predict what’s happening in their world. This perceived loss of control is happening today!
 
These are the new realities:

• Abundance and overwhelming choice have turned the business of selling products into a commodity game that business cannot win on a sustainable basis.
  
• The uncertainty brought on by rapid change, innovation and the time pressure of a 24/7, always on world contribute to all-time high rates of aggravation, anxiety, stress and alienation in the marketplace. This predisposes customers to become indifference and closed-minded.
  
• Distrust is at an all-time high. Customers enter into relationships with companies, their people and products with suspicion. This means they take a defensive, win-lose approach. Even trustworthy companies get tainted by the same brush.
  
• Illegibility, the inability to understand how systems, processes and products work, is pervasive.  This contributes to stress and disengagement. When customers are less than fully engaged in their experiences perceived values are diminished.
  

 
None of these situations are good for companies that want to build sustainable, profitable and growing relationships with customers.
 
But customers don’t like the situation either. In the face of abundance and choice, they are shifting what they value from an extrinsic means-to-an-end (utility), to the intrinsic satisfaction of an emotionally and psychologically gratifying experience. Yes, they still need things, but increasingly treat them as commodities bought on price. They will scrimp on commodities to enable themselves to splurge on the products that lead to gratifying experiences.
 
Customers want relationships with companies that reduce the confusion, stress and anxiety of dealing with them, their people and products. They want relationships that engage them in emotionally and psychologically gratifying experiences. They want to regain a sense of personal control. They also want authentic relationships with companies, and will these reward companies with commitment and advocacy.
 
The Future of Marketing lies in developing and deploying systematic and deliberate programs to help customers and companies deal with the realities of today’s marketplace.

Posted by John Todor on Thursday, February 2nd, 2006 at 8:35 am.