The New Quid Pro Quo

My mate Ben and I have an article in this week's Adweek in the USA, in which we quote Bill Hicks' famous exhortation to marketers.

It grew out of the win - win communication or branded utility idea, where marketing delivers some value to earn the attention of the brand's desired audience.

Today, in response to an aversion to advertising, some of the world’s leading brands have begun to craft an entirely new model for communications to help them earn the right to talk to consumers. They’re doing this by making their marketing valuable, developing brand communications that deliver a genuine service value to consumers, free and with no strings attached.

To build a successful value-added campaign, companies need to identify something that is both useful to consumers and relevant to their brand. Most important, there must be an equitable value transfer. Consumers must enjoy a genuine utility in return for consuming the communication. At their best, brands can create a win-win marketing model whereby consumers get a useful service and the brand builds engagement with its targets.

You can read the whole thing here or download the pdf here, if you want.