Choice Marketing

What is the next evolution of marketing?

It has been said a million times: Marketers are no longer in control.  Self-expression, technology and media fragmentation have fundamentally altered the flow of information.  As a result we live in a "fluxed-up world" (found that on an agency bio) which is a bit more earthy and descriptive than the fluid fog.

So, if we're not doing business as usual then we shouldn't be doing marketing as usual.  So, what augments Brand Marketing, Direct Response Marketing, Content Marketing, etc.?

How about 'choice marketing'?

People are going to make choices, they will decide regardless of what we do.  Since we can't limit the information they use to reach their conclusion or where they access it, let's flip the table and ask the question:  What can a brand do to facilitate a person's choice?  How do we make it easy to choose us?

• Do we understand the needs and aspirations?
• Do we know the intent of each interaction along a journey?
• Do we know the emotional and rational drivers of the decision?
• Do we know how various types of content influence that decision?
• Do we understand why and how a consideration set is formed?
• Do we know the shortcuts people take in making a decision?

Since a brand is a proxy for information (Chris Anderson from wired's view) or an emotional short cut to a decision (my view) maybe a brand is simply in the information business; it is an aggregator and sometimes filter. 

Actually, 'choice marketing' would be what an agency would sell to its clients.   An altogether different view would be to focus on 'facilitating choice'.   While the wording change may seem simple, the implications of taking the consumer's point of view could be rather striking.