September 13, 2005
traffic mag interview
Traffic, a magazine based in Vancouver just interviewed me. Both the paper and online editions are now out:
TRAFFIC: Does the concept of Expressive Capital further blur the lines between marketer/marketee? How, and is it a good thing? For who?
HM: The more informed the market, the blurrier it gets. Whether it’s a good thing depends on how informed you want your customers to be.
Educating your customers is an expensive process, so choices have to be made. Bounty paper towels, for example, are happy to buy thirty seconds of time to educate you about how great their paper towels are (which they are). They’re not willing to send you to college at their expense to teach you, however.
The best thing for a brand is when the customer base elects to educate itself, either individually or in groups, with or without the help of the manufacturer. Apple and Windows are two classic examples. As is Harley Davidson.
[FURTHER READING:] “The Porous Membrane”. Why Corporate Blogging Works.
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