Consumerology, Media Plans and the Fluid Fog

What could we do if we could see all that you do?

Marketers have budgets and a need to connect solutions with needs via a communication plan.   Consumers have a myriad of options to consume information, transact, and communicate; they don't really care about those plans.   But, what if we could see across content, commercial, and communal sites?  What could we do?

A colleague has suggested that we could produce a Consumerology, or blueprint of how consumers interact and transact.   (Book of same name)   This would provide insights into how people actually progress along the customer journey - what content, what devices, what sequence and what result.  This would be particularly valuable in a category like 'retail.' An HBR blog post from frog design illustrates a mapping approach to the journey. 

Going beyond the research and strategy there is one other option when you have access to all of this data:   Create the Media Plan based on three elements:

• Content Consumption Habits:  what types of content do people consume when?
• Device and Place Preferences: how and where do consumers use content to aid their journey?
• Path and Flow Rates: what scenarios exist in the landscape that maximize media efficiency and effectiveness?

Since marketers must deliver results in the face of an ever-changing media and technology landscape, anyone who can help devise plans from the myriad of scenarios has a distinct advantage - and possibly a seat at the table as a key member of the agency roster.

The idea of converting data into media plans came about based on a discussion I had with Varolo,  a company that pays people to watch ads.  While too small to provide substantial reach it could be used as a research platform or more interestingly as a platform for creating media plans by profiling what members who like an ad do.

And if you integrate consumer transaction data, the story gets more powerful.