P-Comm - Participatory Commerce and the next wave of Social Marketing

Its been called Crowdsourcing, Social Merchandising, Social commerce, and a host of other names. My favorite name for it is Participatory Commerce (P-Comm), which I'd love to take credit for (I will take credit for the shortened version - P-Comm), but Mark Pincus (founder of Tribe Networks and Zynga, which counts Mafia Wars, Cafe World and Farmville among its addictive online games) coined the phrase in October of 2005. Essentially, it means that the classic one way model of the marketer developing his/her product or service in a lab or back room, and then using mass marketing with a lowest common denominator messaging strategy to sell it to consumers is quickly disappearing in several categories.

In the era of social networking, everyone is not only a critic, but can also become part of the product and marketing process. Some of the key aspects of Twitter reflect P-Comm, as their users created or defined many of the key elements of the service (including the name Tweets, #tags, and retweeting). The founders stepped back and let the users decide how their service should evolve, and then fostered initiatives that seemed to gain traction. Data indicates that ratings and reviews improves conversion rates on E-Commerce sites, as 70% of online consumers indicated they trusted opinions posted by other visitors (Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey, 7/09). Blogs attract over 80 Million unique visitors, and mommy bloggers have become a key marketing partner for advertisers looking to reach mothers (At 1800flowers.com, we worked with Mommy bloggers to launch our Spot a Mom campaign last year, with strong results). Youtube has enabled anyone with a digital camera (or digital phone) to create their own mini-movies, and the world is a better place now that everyone can share the antics of their adorable pets. Last, but certainly not least, Facebook has reconnected millions of former roommates, boyfriends, girlfriends, and stalkers while providing a steady stream of what is going on in their lives.

P-Comm will take social networking and E-Commerce to the next level. How about asking your customers to create a new product or service for your company? Or asking them what offer they'd find compelling? Maybe they could develop your logo as part of a contest? We've already seen user generated commercials which advertisers have aired on the Superbowl, so why not outsource your advertising to your most loyal customers? The opportunities to have your customers create products, services, offers, and messages that are relevant to them turns one way marketing around and creates ownership. And if customers feel part of the process of creating and marketing your product or service, they'll be more loyal and more likely to provide the most effective marketing ever created - positive word of mouth.

Go to where the people are

Retailing hasn't always been as simple as setting up a store, either physical or virtual, stocking up with merchandise that people wanted at a price they were willing to pay, and then marketing to let customers know you were open for business. Centuries ago, merchants had to go where the people were. They'd stock carts with goods that weren't readily available and then go from town to town selling them, pricing them at whatever price they thought the customer was willing or could afford to pay. They'd go to town squares, churches, synagogues, barn raisings - wherever people gathered - so they could sell what they had brought into town. They'd get to know their customers, building relationships over the years. They'd be welcomed as an honorary member of the village (unless someone felt cheated, in which case they'd be run out of town). It was social, relationship based commerce, and it continued with Avon, Tupperware, Pampered Chef, and other door to door and house party retailers.

In the modern age, the rise of mass merchandisers changed mobile commerce to destination commerce. People started going to retailers, searching out what they want to buy rather than waiting for it to show up at their door. Retailers knew that if they marketed, they would come (or they could send them a catalog so they could shop at home), and having a relationship with your customer was secondary to having a range of products at appropriate prices. The Internet started the same way. Sites were built, banner ads were purchased, people came and shopped. Like catalogs, they used e-mail and affiliate programs to reach customers in their virtual homes or at sites they were surfing, always bringing them back to their site store.

Now that the the Social Web has transcended teens to include baby boomers, it is time to consider going back to bringing the store to where the people are and building community based relationships. Stores need to be within social networking sites, offering products relevant to customers while they interacting with them in their virtual villages. You need to be welcomed in, allowing people to discuss what you are offering, both positive and negative, and even allowing people to haggle if they want. But by engaging with them in their "town square", you have an opportunity to bring back the connection the shop cart owner had with his customers. It is the era of "social commerce". How will your business adapt?