I came across an article this morning that Zuckerburg has abandoned the metaverse.
Can’t really blame him — he’s sunk 20 billion into the project for what has amounted to a really bad video game that reminds me of the graphics from Nintendo-64.
Now those that have known me for a while will know I was very bullish on crypto (still am), had put the groundwork in place for a women’s sports charity NFT (only for the world of NFT’s to tank around me so I abandoned ship), and even considered buying land in the metaverse (but didn’t).
Safe to say, I was wrong about these high-tech advancements. And while I learned a lot from this, I think what I was missing back then, was this:
When Facebook first entered the scene, it provided all of us with this incredible opportunity to feel more connected. While it felt high-tech at the time, it seemed to understand the need for real relationships and the feeling that we were cared for.
Looking back, I’d say the early days of facebook made us feel more connected, not less. It was a complement to the real-world rather than something that took away from our ability to be present in it.
Of course, a lot has changed since then, and I think the sentiment is very different.
Earlier this evening, I was at the beach watching couple after couple glued to their phones, oblivious to a pod of dolphins who were swimming right in front of them.
It was bizarre. Hundreds of people were at the beach (which people usually go to because it’s scenic) but they were completely unaware of the scene.
Which brings me to my point.
We’re high-tech, but low-touch.
And I think that is showing up in consumer behaviour.
We’re dying to feel connected.
To be heard, cared for, and understood.
To be acknowledged, appreciated and connected.
To be a part… not apart.
There is a real hunger for intimacy and experience.
Which means for brands like us — who ultimately provide services — we need to be human, authentic and approachable.
Brands are no longer memorable jingles on a TV advert. They’re no longer a catchy slogan.
We buy into brands that are projections of us — our values, our beliefs and our actions.
We buy things from people we like, trust, and who make us feel like we belong.
Which means that the way we connect, build bonds, and attract our prospects to us must fundamentally change.
We cannot advertise as if it was the 1990’s.
We cannot rely on a jingle, a slogan, or stock images.
We must rely on empathy, connection, and a framework for understanding marketing that allows us to attract with “pull” strategies, not turn off with “push” tactics.
Because in this new age where consumers have fought and won against brands who lied, kept secrets, and controlled the narrative, an old-school understanding of marketing will continue to fail you unless you see this ‘reset’ for what it is.
And it’s this very reset which will be the topic of this month’s Alley-Oop newsletter.
So if you want to find out how to bond with prospect’s in a post-truth era and benefit from an era where the consumer is in control, click the link and subscribe below. It’s going to be a belter.
– Karl Goodman
