Engagement Marketing - Engagement Marketing As Philosophy

Engagement Marketing As Philosophy

Greg Ippolito, creative director of the engagement marketing agency Annodyne, wrote that the key point of differentiation between engagement marketing and other forms is that the former “is anchored by a philosophy, rather than a focus on specific marketing tools.” That philosophy is that audiences should be engaged in the sales process when they want, and by which channels they prefer.

He argues that traditional top-down marketing results, largely, in the production and communication of white noise. Whereas engagement marketing assumes a different approach…

Think of a salesperson who walks up to you in a store. You tell him thanks, you’re okay, you’re just looking. But he hovers and looms, finds ways to insert himself into your activity, and is a general annoyance. That’s what typical marketing feels like: intrusive and disruptive. Engagement Marketing is the opposite. It’s a salesperson who hangs back and engages you if/when you need help. Who can sense what you want to do, and help you arrive at that decision. Who will contact you directly with exclusive sales information, if — and only if — you request it. (The traditional high-volume, low-percentage communication approach is inherently flawed. The average person doesn’t want “constant contact” from her best friend, let alone a company.)
Engagement Marketing, done well, means connecting with audiences who want to hear from you, in relevant, meaningful, interesting ways. If you can pull that off, everything changes.