The changing media landscape means that marketers have to change their ways.
McKinsey Quarterly reports that changes to the way consumers perceive and absorb marketing messages will force marketers to change not only their thinking but also the way they allocate spending and organize operations.
In their report, McKinsey states how the traditional "paid, earned and owned" forms of media don't accomodate emerging trends in new media. McKinsey identifies to new forms of media, namely "sold" and "hijacked".
"Hijacked" media is described as an asset or campaign which becomes hostage to consumers, other stakeholders, or activists who make negative allegations about a brand or product. The description paints a negative image of consumers, with the word "hijacked" suggesting consumers acting like terrorists against marketers.
While "hijacked" media does include instances where consumers "make negative allegations about a brand or product", there are also instances where consumers are providing legitimate negative feedback in response to marketing activity. Marketers have to be aware of this and learn from their mistakes.
I have found many marketers can be ignorant and/or arrogant about their marketing strategies and how they use new media. This is especially the case with social media — many marketers just don't get it, usually seeing it as an extended form of traditional media. They don't understand that it's a participatory form of media, where power has shifted away from marketers to the consumer.
In order for marketers to be successful with new media, they must first understand the power consumers have. Secondly, they absolutely must respect this. Thirdly, they must adjust their strategies to assume consumers will respond to and share *all* forms of new media. Fourthly, marketers must take responsibility for the dialogue that occurs as consumers respond to and share new media. And lastly, the role of marketing must extend out to the medium as well as the media: marketers need to participate in the dialogue that occurs.
This approach is appreciated by consumers. Marketers will make mistakes, they will get the message wrong, they will anoy consumers. But as long as marketers participate in the dialogue with their consumers, the mistakes made can become valuabable learning experiences.
