Never underestimate the power of a message said many different ways. You can more effectively move people if you decentralize the messaging and tap human passions instead of focusing on human clicks.
This is the opposite of what we’ve all been taught these last few decades, but I’m seeing more situations where a “cell marketing” approach is yielding excellent results. In a decentralized marketing campaign, social media engagement stats skew lower than in a traditional branding approach, but the number of humans showing up skews higher. And isn’t that the ultimate purpose: to move real people (not just their fingers) to do something?
Do you know exactly what you want people to do as the last step? Be sure you know before you start.
Working definitions:
Brand-based/Centralized Marketing: when a product, service, or movement’s identity is strictly visually defined, and messaging happens in a tight, regulated way, by only a few people. Social media engagement is broadly sought, but brand development is not.
Cell-based/Decentralized Marketing: when a product, service or movement’s visual identity evolves in real time. Messaging happens by many, in a cross-pollinated, evolving way. No singular style of contribution is lauded, and few are discouraged. Social media sharing is limited, because the creators and actors are creating and acting – not clicking. Mission becomes deeply installed in the participants, and they are invested in the outcome.
86 expert-based marketing: what restaurant people know
A bit of background: I work in event marketing, and am self-taught. My background is in restaurants, which means I know how to do teamwork and fight-for-your-own-survival in an changing, harsh environment. I also know the importance of customer service, avoiding the need for it in the first place, and knowing why you are there: to feed people and make them happy. Restaurant people are skilled at handling ever-shifting priorities, functioning as ‘strong solos’ in a communal environment, and winning over nearly every kind of person.
Several recent event projects had outstanding results utilizing decentralized marketing. Results are defined as: real people buying, participating, and/or taking action in the real world, not just engaging with content. Isn’t this what we REALLY want when we spend marketing dollars anyway? Not just a digital blip like a “like” or a “share”? Clicks are a means to an end, so I suggest focusing on the end and help everyone envision themselves at that point. Cell marketing supports this unwinding-from-the-finish approach in a many of ways, by utilizing the creativity of all kinds of people, building real-world momentum which culminates in an emotional ‘party.’
Case Study I
A brand new block-party style music festival. I was hired to “do marketing” along with several other people. The budget was very low, the team barely knew each other, but it could not lose money. To make matters worse, a competitor scheduled a similar, free community event the very same time.
What happened: the independently-acting team promoted the event in tandem –without meetings or plans. Each person shared their own graphics via public posting — so public media served to inform insiders what was happening. A creative tech person made a single informational/purchase url, but the graphical representations of the event often looked different and the messages were multi-faceted. Result? A very successful event, solid profits, loads of happy faces and a positive energy that will help fill the place again next year. The audience was also very engaged in the physical event, not just the social media. Volunteers took pride in their contributions, guided participants how to enjoy the event, and visitors did active marketing on their own too, because they were empowered to.
It’s kind of like having a bank of five-star reviews… for something that hasn’t yet happened. Everyone contributes to the direction of the movement toward end point, not just the professionals.
Case Study II
My town had a school budget referendum. There was little time to organize a response. Many individuals in town began hand-making signage, posting their concerns/pleas on social media, texting friends, etc… Each person did this in their own way, explaining the situation in their own words, using their own graphics. No central branding. The sample ballot wasn’t made available for weeks, so determining how to best craft memorable messages was challenging: should people vote “yes” or “no” should they “approve” or “reject”? No one knew. A wide variety of signs (all on one side) began popping up: “Reject the cuts” “Approve the budget” “Approve the arts” “Say No to cuts” “Say Yes to students”
When the sample ballot was released it was framed by choosing between Approve or Approve: a quip-makers nightmare.
Independently, a hive of townsfolk began building on and sharing one another’s work. A hodgepodge of images and messages- – but all underpinned with: VOTE. IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT.
And vote they did. The largest turnout for a referendum in the town’s history protected school funding by 4 to 1 margin.
I was one such ‘cell’ in this effort. I made a graphical version of the ballot, marked up so an older relative would not get confused in the voting booth. I shared it and it was shared some more. And mine wasn’t the only one. While the marketing people got nervous about ‘branding’ we were all just busy getting our neighbors out to vote. ?
Analysis
In retrospect, I think having dozens of uniquely-crafted, varied messages, engaged every kind of citizen. If you see that dozens of different signs ‘kind of’ pointing to a single thing, it forces you to investigate what it is. The other inherent message is: you can clearly join in if you want: no brand expert will poo poo you. One perfectly-crafted, corporate-made sign plastered everywhere? Maybe not as effective.
Social media has changed us and the way we value individual contributions. It’s only because of like/follow buttons that we are dopamine-trained to click like Pavlov’s Dog. But the ‘likes’ aren’t what do the trick. Human investigation, participation and creativity is.
Beginning with the end in mind, watching the signs, and empowering people to take action requires patience and faith. Have something that needs real people to show up? Maybe it’s time to get a conductor, not a brand-maker.
Key ideas to come: Decentralization is the greater digital power • How decentralizatiobn relates to algorithms and emerging AI • Connection to “grass roots” movements
Just for random musical inspiration, here’s Allison Russell, “I’m going to give it back ten times more before I’m ready… ”