Consumers Want To Run Your Campaign. Will You Let Them?

Big brands are letting their customers decide what to charge and when to discount. What ever happened to the old-fashioned group of know-it-all ad men spawning a memorable one-liner that changes the face of a brand? Customers don’t buy it anymore. They want to interact, control and share their purchasing. Some big brands are responding, using consumer interaction and feedback as the crux of their campaigns. Here are some non-traditional campaign strategies that are quickly becoming commonplace in the digital world.

Social Discounting
What if the more users “talk” about a product, the more the price drops? It’s happening… Uniqlo’s recent Twitter campaign is offering up to 60% off popular products before they’re released. The price drops in small increments as potential shoppers tweet about it. What’s next? Imagine online brand advocates paying for a product based on a scale of how much they “talk” about a product and how big their following is. In this case, the brand is paying for word-of-mouth from the happy consumer who will tell all of her friends.

Group and Location Buying
You’ve probably heard of Groupon, if only in the last few months. It’s because the system is taking online shoppers and coupon lovers by storm. Groupon sends daily coupons that offer enormous savings, but you’re limited to a single offer per day. The catch- the coupon only works if a certain buyer minimum is reached. Location-based group buying is also becoming popular. Check out GroupTabs, where bars and restaurants offer deals to customers if a certain number of Foursquare check-ins are reached. Bring your friends and save money (but only if you bring enough friends!)

Community Impact
Why not make a difference and increase your brand awareness and credibility at the same time? Many brands are connecting with charities and causes, even teaming up with multiple brands for more impact. Pepsi is making waves with their new campaign, Pepsi Refresh Project. American Express and Fox’s Glee are taking it a step further with their new Members Project campaign, where they go as far as to challenge viewers to make a difference in the community, starting with a social impact personality test. These brands are using a pull rather than push approach with their marketing that puts community first and brand marketing second.

There are fresh examples of these new-age consumer-driven campaigns and applications launching every day. Giving up control and risk taking is really a calculated strategy to spread awareness for brands and products.