For some reason, I'm on a Microsoft developer's email list. (Stop laughing. I used to code.) And I like getting the emails because it lets me know what's going on, and occasionally, I will go to one of their events. So in my mailbox today was this:
Once I was able to hear myself think over the strains of "Ebony and Ivory", my first thought was "I'm not going because I wouldn't be welcome. I can't see myself at this event. It is not for me."
Here's the thing. These look like two very nice men that I would probably get along with and who might even take my "Picard is TOTALLY better than Kirk" arguments seriously. But if they are the archetype of who should come to this event, well, the event is not for me.
I know that marketers can't literally put a face of everyone in their target group in their ads. And maybe I'm just picking on this one because it showed up after a recent series of "Holy Crap, where are all the chicks?" moments (conference speakers, geek dinner attendees, inductees into Marketing Legends), and it was the proverbial straw.
In all of this, what is a marketer to do? Do I have to make sure I have a white girl and white guy and a black woman and a black guy and a Chinese woman and a Chinese guy in every ad, ad nauseam? And of course the answer is NO because it's not that simple. Is "having a better segmented list where I had more information about the recipients so I could tailor creative and message to their expectations" the answer? Well, its getting closer.
Here's my real point.
Marketing is hard work. Building a relationship with your customers is hard work. Slapping together a TV ad, buying prime-time slots and thinking you'll REACH x million people doesn't work anymore. It's segment by segment, niche by niche, influencer by influencer. Maybe not one person at a time, but one evangelist at a time. And that is much more difficult and challenging to do.
Technology gives us a lot of options and enhances our ability to reach customers on their terms. The kicker is that our customers are familiar with these technologies; they have mastered them. They now expect us to have mastered them as well. Ask one of your engaged, active customers - how would you like to be marketed to in email? They probably know how to create a list, create targeted/relevant creative for an audience, send it out .. and even track the hits.
We're no longer behind Oz's curtain. Our customers have pulled it back and are manipulating the levers faster than we can.
So, back to the topic. It does matter that you make me feel welcome as your customer. Because you have the ability to do so. Not having the know-how is another issue. Time to get it.
"After a Fashion" is a small group for Canadian women who want to explore Second Life. Shopping (especially bargain shopping) was the initial impetus, but we'll expand that to the preferences of the group as we go along.