We hear alot about the erosion of the power of traditional media. It used to be easy to hit a consumer. Three networks, a couple of radio stations, a newspaper and you were done. It’s not so easy now. The media audience has fragmented. It’s hard to get the massive mindshare you used to. But you know that.
So now look at places. You used to have a 50-50 shot. Consumers were either at home or at work. And that’s where we marketed. And then came along the marketing idea of the “Third Place“. It’s the place you occupy that’s neither work nor home. It could be a bar. It could be Starbucks. It could be the gym.
But what about the Fourth Place like Second Life? Or the Fifth Place like your mobile/ipod/blackberry world? Etc. Etc.
The decline of media power is nothing next to the decline of places.
As the masses become more individualized and each person occupies a niche that they’ve created either online or offline means that you’re going to have to find them before you can market to them.
So what’s the answer? The obvious one is permission based marketing and creating communities of users who want to be involved in your brand.
But what about consumers who could benefit from your offering, but don’t know it yet? They’re not seeking you out and you don’t know where they are.
That will be the true challenge of marketing in the next few years.