It’s time for a rethink of the notion of brand community, says our guest Mark Schaefer. Instead of the transactional, customer self-service model so common today, marketers must build communities that deepen emotional relationships with the brand. In this new model, customers learn from each other, and marketers learn from customers. It’s a win-win, delivering marketing that heals the loneliness found among consumers today. Schaefer explains how to think, how to execute, and how to measure the results of this new approach to marketing communications.
Mark highlights three trends that point to community as the future of marketing:
- Decline in effectiveness of traditional marketing and advertising.
- New technologies enabling community.
- Dramatic mental health concerns. People are longing to belong.
Join us for all this, and a bonus topic: Mark’s take on why AI-driving writing tools like ChatGPT will create a tsunami of change for communicators.
Three takeaways:
- Marketing communications have been ephemeral, but within a community, they can be long-lasting.
- Think about measuring community the way you measure public relations and brand building.
- Community can help heal the world, especially now when people feel so separated from each other, and can even make marketers proud of their work.
About our Guest
Mark Schaefer is a globally-recognized keynote speaker, educator, business consultant, and author. His blog and podcast — The Marketing Companion — are at the top of the charts in the marketing field.
Mark has worked in global sales, PR, and marketing positions for 30 years and provides consulting services as Executive Director of Schaefer Marketing Solutions. Mark is also an advisor to B Squared Media and several tech startups.
He has advanced degrees in marketing and organizational development; holds seven patents; and is a faculty member of the graduate studies program at Rutgers University.
Customized for every audience, Mark’s inspiring and memorable programs specialize in marketing and strategies for content marketing, digital marketing, social media, and personal branding. His clients range from successful start-ups to global brands such as Adidas, Johnson & Johnson, Dell, Pfizer, The U.S. Air Force, and the UK Government.
Mark is the bestselling author of nine path-finding books including the first book ever written on influence marketing. Mark’s books are used as textbooks at more than 50 universities, have been translated into 12 languages, and can be found in more than 750 libraries worldwide.
Mark is also a popular and entertaining commentator and has appeared on many national television shows and periodicals including the Wall Street Journal, Wired, The New York Times, CNN, National Public Radio, CNBC, the BBC and the CBS NEWS. He is a contributing columnist to The Harvard Business Review, and Entrepreneur Magazine.
Meet the Hosts
Cyndi W. Greenglass is a founding partner and president at Livingston Strategies, a data-informed, strategic consulting firm that helps clients develop, execute, and measure their customer communications with a close focus on results. Cyndi has razor-sharp strategic skills matched by impeccable on-the-ground savvy and tactical abilities. She is an Adjunct Instructor in the Data Marketing Communications online master's degree program from West Virginia University.
Greenglass has twice been named into the Top 100 Influential BTB Marketers by Crain’s BtoB Magazine and was the 2012 CADM Chicago Direct Marketer of the Year. She is a member of the Board of Advisors for BRAND United and has taught, trained and presented at over 50 conferences throughout the world.
Ruth P. Stevens consults on customer acquisition and retention, for business-to-business clients. Ruth serves on the boards of directors of the HIMMS Media Group, and the Business Information Industry Association. She is a trustee of Princeton-In-Asia, past chair of the Business-to-Business Council of the DMA, and past president of the Direct Marketing Club of New York.
Ruth was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Business Marketing by Crain’s BtoB magazine, and one of 20 Women to Watch by the Sales Lead Management Association. She serves as a mentor to fledgling companies at the ERA business accelerator in New York City.
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