Social Internet

Responsible Marketing Case Study

One of the conversations that has been plaguing my mind since a few days is that of responsible marketing.
In this day and age, what is responsible marketing and what actions deem you a responsible marketer?
As a consumer, the answer is easy to point out: Don’t pollute my space and if you absolutely have to, keep me entertained while you do that.

A great example is watching TV shows on abc.com. Each 40 minute episode is interspersed  with 30 second commercials, usually all sponsored by the same brand/ company. Each episode packs about 2.5 to 3 minutes worth of opportunities to entertain me and lure me away from the episode into wanting to learn more about your product, or buy it. And the funny thing is, because abc.com has been so nice to make their shows available online, I actually don’t really mind the commercial interruptions at all. It’s every marketers dream to have their consumer in a state-of-mind where they will not object to advertising, right?

But sadly, I’ve only seen a few brands do it right. Some companies try to get all funky and cram interactive games within the 30 seconds which frankly, by the time they load, the 30 seconds are done and I’m continuing with my episode. Some marketers have teh same ad play again and again every 30 second. My point - if you have my attention for 3 minutes, atleast don’t insult my intelligence by showing me teh same ad. Be innovative, create a story. Entertain me.

Lucky for those brands because I cannot remember the names of those that do it wrong. But I do remember the names of those that did it right. Great example: Sprint.
In 30 seconds, I learn how to sooth a baby, peel an egg, turbo park, make an instant sorbet etc etc
And by lord, I also remember the URL www.waitless.org

The waitless campaign, is subtly branded and superbly executed. They make my 30 seconds of interruption worthwhile, enjoyable and memorable. That’s not just great advertising, that’s a great example of understanding the consumer’s medium and creating an experience that is rich and meaningful for that medium.

That to me is responsible marketing.
PS - It would be better if Sprint made this videos available for sharing. Free the content!