Having taken many steps to neutralize daily stresses and maximize positive outlook, the desire to overanalyze has lessened; however, when it comes to willingly losing control it is another story. In attending another fantastic HubSpot webinar this afternoon regarding "Viral Marketing and World Wide Raves" (http://bit.ly/1mcZ6D), Professor David Meerman Scott author of "New Rules of Marketing and PR" as well as "World Wide Rave" brought an excellent point to the forefront.
He mentioned how many businesses historically have shuddered at the idea of implementing viral and social media campaigns as they were unfamiliar with the idea of "earning" exposure as they had been buying it through advertising campaigns, etc traditionally. It would seem that "earning" this reward would be counter intuitive to many who have not reaped the rewards from "teaser" campaigns and word-of-mouth buzz. One counter example far beyond their time which resonated with me was the Grateful Dead.
David brought to light that the Grateful Dead not only "lost control" of their music in a classical sense as they initiated the art of "jamming", but they also did not disallow fans from bootlegging their shows and photographing their experiences at a time when many others upheld strict regulations with respect to the control and sharing of product. Due to this laissez-faire attitude and continual devotion to their brand's value proposition, the Dead's following grew exponentially resulting in the creation of a widespread subculture and their propulsion to superstardom. (http://bit.ly/4ongB) Regardless of popular skepticism, the Dead's mantra yielded them dedication and an incredible trust from their fan base as well as spectacular monetary gain.
While still, many seek the "quick fix" in today's cut throat world, it is crucial and worth it to be a bit more patient and speak the language of your target audience as you cater to their needs. Losing control and letting others experience your greatness proves extremely beneficial.
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1 comment:
Great example of using the Dead here. The Dave Matthews Band is another great example. The band owes a good deal of its success to letting its fans record and share shows through tape trading (now, mp3 or flac killed the tape trader).
Although DMB spearheaded the campaign to prosecute people from trying to sell these live shows, the band still allows for fans to set up microphones and record the show. I personally have downloaded many of the shows I have been to. And for the record, I bought the band's latest album on CD and vinyl.
While it is successful for the Dead and DMB, I think this particular strategy works for bands that have a unique appeal. No two shows are alike for DMB. Each night a solo sounds different or a special guest may jam with the band. Imagine an act who plays the same setlist night in and night out try this? It probably wouldn't help them much. Those acts need to buy their exposure.
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