At first glance, transparency puts marketers at a tremendous disadvantage.
Before the Internet, we could communicate our message through "one-way" media -
newspaper and magazine advertising, for example, which consumers received but
could not interact with. Opinions about us were largely limited to a handful of
"critics" and travel writers. No longer; our critics can now be ubiquitous. But,
in fact, this democratization of opinion has an upside if we use online
marketing wisely. This is because the sheer number of comments and opinions on
sites like TripAdvisor means that the truth about us will come to the surface;
there are simply too many independent opinions to manipulate or distort the
message unfairly.
So, looking ahead, what do we need to do in order to master this transparent
"brave new world?" First, we need to market to individuals, not groups. Much has
been made of the importance of "generational marketing" and the need to target
specific demographic groups. And, there is no doubt that different generations
behave differently. Baby Boomers, we are told, search the Web less but send more
email than Gen Y. Gen Y will continue to affect older and younger generations
through its wholehearted embrace of all things digital.
We have a worldwide aging population that has its own needs when it comes to
online marketing, including things as simple as being able to read a computer
screen. Many countries are already wrestling with issues of discrimination in
regards to the digital age.