Review: Connected Marketing

Brand Republic 17-May-06, 08:00

James Kydd, the brand director of Virgin Mobile UK, made a comment recently about 'Connected Marketing', which made me pick up this book. He said that if everyone read it, which you know they won't considering the number who have their heads in the sand, 100% of marketing plans would change, writes Guerrilla's Paul Fifield.

And now, having read Paul Marsden and Justin Kirby's 'Connected Marketing' from cover to cover, I can only agree. This is pretty high octane stuff which epitomises what thought leadership should be but rarely is. Here is a collection of viewpoints from people that are genuine pioneers talking about how buzz, WOM and viral can really work for a brand. It's pretty much essential reading for all marketing innovators that would like to make a difference to their brands.

We live in a world where scepticism about marketing is the order of the day amongst most young consumers who today are texting, listening to their MP3 player and checking their email online.

And tomorrow?

They'll be watching telly on their mobile. So, traditional media no longer has their attention. The marketing world is changing: that reality is with us. And savvy marketing professionals will now be looking to adjust their business strategies accordingly. No marketer can argue that the effect of traditional media channels isn't decreasing -- as somebody said very wittily recently, "it's like trying to shoot a fly with a cannon". Therefore, the choice facing all brands it to innovate or stagnate.

For the street-smart marketers that believe it should be the former this is a guidebook providing non-proprietary views, scientific analyses and case studies from 17 contributors who are experts in their specific areas. Connected marketing is all about harnessing connectivity and stimulating brand talk between customers, clients and consumers -- tapping into that powerful media to drive demand and business growth.

One chapter in particular really appealed to me -- Justin Foxton, who is CEO of CommentUK and a guest lecturer at The London Business School, writes about live buzz marketing. The company specialises in live theatre that supports marketing campaigns. For example, they might be asked to create some theatre to support a cinema ad and this live communication will be repeated across the country. Incredibly, one such campaign for Transport For London achieved huge recall figures, as much as 85% and was voted by Campaign in 2003 as one of the greatest cinema ads of all time.

The way that marketers like Foxton are thinking is all about the future, rather than raking over the past. This clearly goes far beyond rhetoric and actually delivers results and clear ROI for brands. This one is essential reading if you want to re-invigorate your brand marketing.

Paul Fifield is the managing director of Guerrilla.

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