Many marketers decided to stay in Marketing 1.0, didn’t take the risk. There are some other marketers who dared to explore the second scenario and keep practicing it to show that Marketing 2.0 has a lot to offer. On the other hand, only a few have reached 3.0.
According to Philip Kotler’s “Marketing 3.0”, the three major forces of this trend are: the age of participation, the age of globalization paradox and the age of creative society. These three forces are changing people into a more collaborative, cultural and spiritual consumers. They also suggest that companies have the challenge to analyze their consumers as whole human beings with minds, hearts and spirits.
The age of participation and collaborative marketing
A new wave technology brought us different ways to express ourselves: computers, mobile cellphones, low-cost internet, among others. Technology allows us to express and collaborate with one another. We are capable of creating news, being reporters, teaching, entertaining and shop online from the palm of our hands.
Social media has definitely been the biggest enabler of this age, where we can express (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube), collaborate/ share our knowledge (Wikipedia) and even offer our home as a hotel (Couchsurfing, AirBnB).
The age of globalization paradox and cultural marketing
According to his book, Kotler says globalization is a paradox. He explains that although on one hand globalization opens the worldwide market, on the other hand it is a threat for each country’s national market. It opens up the economy in China but does not change politics.
People have started to feel the pressure of becoming local and global citizens at the same time. In order to create interesting strategies, marketers must understand the paradox they’re dealing with and that requires to put an end to old concepts of marketing. People are paying attention to brands with corporate social responsibility that understand new societies and want to make of this world a better place to live in(even though it sounds a bit corny).
The age of creative strategy
Society is not the same it used to be 10 or 20 years ago. It has matured and has made it clear: it won’t be manipulated by brands. Besides, it is very creative as it is lead by millennials. This society strives to live in a better world, works in order to change it and wants to do it in a creative way. This society is looking for a purpose, happiness and spiritual realization. And here I’m making a pause to introduce Gary Zukav’s quote: “spirituality is increasingly replacing survival as a prime need of human beings”.
As a result of this new society, consumers are not just looking for products to satisfy their needs but also products that bring experiences and business models with social and spiritual goals.
Therefore, providing consumers with spiritual meaning is one of the future challenges of marketing.
