Rules of Engagement

There's an interesting article at Media Post from Jay Suhr on the "Rules of Engagement" for what's referred to as Invitation Marketing. He outlines some specifics for reaching out to the consumer in this brave new world, including avoiding the "mushy middle" (which he defines as work that plays to the common denominator and, hence diffuses the message) and striving for relevance. Establishing relevance means putting some effort into figuring out what the audience really wants, why a product or service might be meaningful to them, and then getting them involved in the development and decision making process.

The author's points are right in line with so much of what others are talking about in consumer engagement -- cultivating the powerful 1%, market segmentation, etc. It will be interesting to see how all these concepts come together in a meaningful and universal set of guidelines (part of which I'm trying to provide in my book!)

Oh, and on a totally unrelated note: a few weeks ago I blogged on Webkinz, which is now getting some attention in the brand development world. By way of reminder, Webkinz is the online world for real live kids and their cuddly "plushy" pets. It combines an offline product (stuffed animals) with an online world, where the formerly inanimate objects can frolic and take on entire personalities. Check out the recent commentary on this topic.