The events of the first week of 2021 (or in my view, the waning days of 2020+) were predictably unpredictable. Who would have imagined a storming of the U.S. Capitol Building akin to the burning of the Reichstag in Berlin in 1933.
"This week has been a hell of a year.”
- Michael Strahan on ABC's Good Morning America
One of my pet grievances about the state of our union is the disease of civic ignorance, captured best by these two quotes from the newest Senator from Alabama (sigh):
But despite this opening, the purpose of this post is not to dwell on those events. Plenty of other people have and will write about the insurrection for days, weeks, and years to come. The purpose of this post is to remind us of who we do our work for, whether we are in business or government, sell services or products, are leaders or supporters.
Name your audience
When our world was more mass-market oriented in the mid-20th century, the goal of marketing a product, service or person was to reach as many people as possible with a message that resonated with as many of them as possible. But in today’s hyper-targeted environment, the assumption is that every individual has a unique need, and they need to be presented with a message that is specific to them. Some of the companies I work with help marketers do this, though the depth of “personalization” they enable varies by the offering and the sophistication of both the company and their prospective customers.
At the moment, personalization using technology only really works in broad strokes. It is very hard to make this work in detail (for example, I consistently get emails featuring the women’s line of a number brands I subscribe to). Privacy challenges and ever-intensifying data regulations will continue to put the squeeze on the ability to achieve true personalization in marketing and customer experiences. .
People and companies don’t spend enough time thinking about the kind of relationship they want with those they serve. This might be oversimplifying things, but here’s one way to define those relationships:
Customers. People who buy things, but where the interactions are more transactional than relationship-based. Even if the relationship is monthly (like streaming services or SaaS software) the customer orientation is important because it recognizes that everyone is buying a defined offering. Target and other retailers refer to their customers as “guests” to indicate the service of retail, but the store doesn’t change to accommodate each visitor as they walk in.
Clients. With a client orientation, customization of offerings and service is expected. Clients demand more attention and ask a lot more questions, and based on the value of the relationship are entitled to do so. When you buy a new car, you are a customer of the make and model. When you buy car insurance from an agent, you are a client because the policy is selected and customized to be unique to you.
Constituents. This the hardest one to define, because not everyone that is a constituent has raised their hand to be one. This is where so many of our elected officials fail us, serving only the people who voted for them. Even if you won 60% of the vote, you’re still supposed to represent 100% of the people in your district. As has been made clear in the last few years, this is clearly not common practice. Brands have constituents too, people who may not actively buy the product but consider what your brand stands for.
Who do you appeal to?
Brands have been challenged in the last few years to take a stand on political issues. Some have risked alienating one audience in service of another. Others have remained neutral, taunting both sides of the vocal population. The issue of whether a brand should take a stand boils down to this question of who you serve.
If you focus on customers, and define them very clearly, you leave the option of buying something up to them. Your focus is on marketing to them, but the item in the “box” is the offer. Taking a stand means you’re likely to alienate some, and engender increased loyalty among others.
With clients, you’ll adjust your offering depending on who you want to serve. But in today’s more polarized environment, client-oriented companies work hard to keep opinions to themselves, and focus on delivering the value they built their reputation on.
Brands that have constituents appeal to them differently. You may not be a football player or don’t like full-fat ice cream, but when Nike and Ben & Jerry’s take a stand they are appealing to constituents members of their brand. You may not have voted for them with your wallet, but you may talk about them or consider them when that purchase does come around. They serve those they want to serve, and as a commercial enterprise have the right to do that as they please.
Clearly, the social platforms have constituents they serve, and have made or delayed decisions on what to do until they felt they had run out of runway and found that the normal channels of discretion -- government intervention -- were not going to help them decide the best course of action.
Who do you want to serve?
Based on this, here’s a way to consider your audience:
“One size fits all.” You serve customers and need to convince them they need what you’ve made. Feedback is important, but it goes to longer development efforts.
“We’ll fit your needs.” You have a client orientation. You’ll offer value beyond your core offering, with a higher price tag, but with more effort per customer. Feedback is immediate, and requires constant attention.
“Do you fit into my story?” Constituents are not buyers, but they are an important part of your ability to influence. If you want to engage them (as brands and politicians do) you need to understand who you want to engage with, and who you are willing to tick off or ignore. And deal with the implications of that.
Who do you serve? Can you or your brand serve more than one audience? Reply or comment via twitter on who you think you are working for (besides your boss, of course!).