Advertise to Groups, Not Individuals

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By: Dwayne W. Waite Jr.

In the advertising world, we sometimes get carried away with the next shiniest thing in front of our faces and neglect the basics. It is true that new tools and methods have moved to the forefront of AdLand, but the principles of advertising and marketing have not totally changed. If advertising is truly a reflection of society, then we can see what methods will work based on the norms our societies are developing. The most recent norm has been the ability to for consumers to group together based around interests, brands, and likes.

This, of course, isn't entirely new. Back when the marketing academia were the only ones pioneering the aspect of impersonal groups, they called the premise that people gathered together to share, consume, buy similar things and therefore created their own communities "communal consumption." Then the marketing scientists jumped into the mix and called it niche-marketing: little segments of people who buy similar services and products. Now the "thought leaders" have grabbed on to the bumper of the bandwagon and have declared this "recent" phenomenon to be "homophily," meaning "love for the same."

We totally agree that this is where advertising and marketing can be the most successful. People want to belong to a certain group. People need a sense of belonging; it reinforces their own self-worth. But to think that this concept is new is just another indication that AdLand needs some assistance in what advertising and marketing really does. In the blog we linked to, the writer talks about Seth Godin and Marty Neumeier's sage advice for doing marketing well. Of the three points, the first (and only point we're focusing on) says "consumers don't like to be sold but they do like to buy and often buy in groups."

We are tired of the notion that advertising and marketing "sell" consumers. Advertising can help sales, obviously, but in the selling process, advertising is simply a component. Leo Burnett once said that "Advertising says to people 'Here's what we got. Here's what it can do for you. Here's how to get it." And to be honest, much of our advertising today only focuses on the first two statements and, with us being in the information age, relies on the consumers' wits to answer the last statement themselves.

Advertising, whether you like it or not, creates, clarifies, or understands the definitions of our societies. As groups form around brands, activities, and interests, good advertising will be there to help you connect to brands, to people, and to groups that want people like you. And that has always been good advertising. People have just been too caught up with the bad to notice.

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About the Author

Dwayne W. Waite Jr. is partner and principal at JDW: The Charlotte Agency, a marketing and advertising shop in Charlotte, NC. He enjoys consumer behavior, economics, and football.

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