New Rules of the Marketing Environment

This is the first in a series of whitepapers that focus on the changing marketing environment and the opportunities for businesses to establish themselves within it.

“We are now in a total media ecosystem, interconnected, ubiquitous and accessible by all—and no brand is exempt,” says Steve Ennen, president & chief intelligence officer of Social Strategy 1, a Dallas-based venture focused on managing digital and social media channels for optimal business growth and enhancement.

This ecosystem runs on new technologies and new ideas—but it’s also cluttered with hype and bright shiny objects. So, how can marketers seek out and connect with consumers in an environment where their once hierarchical relationship has become shared and equalized?

Understanding the changes at the heart of the relationship is the first step. The next step is learning how to weave your brand’s identity throughout the environment, so consumers can find it no matter where they are.

The Media Environment

In this tech and information age, each new product and idea season starts with energetic talk of change, but 2011 seems to be setting a new standard for combative interaction between brands. “Good luck getting a meeting” read one Ad Age headline during the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, where Motorola’s Zoom and other tablets were all the rage, the Android army was on the move, and Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile each revealed plans for next-generation network supremacy.

In this intensifying environment, competition for consumer attention is increasing in all fields, challenging marketers to master ever-evolving technology and adapt marketing plans accordingly. “As markets continue to mature and competition within industries grows fiercer, companies will not succeed purely on the basis of what products and services they offer,” explained David Wozniak, assistant vice president of brand and advertising at Lincoln Financial Group, at a January 2011 conference.