The art of generosity: why brands thrive by giving, not taking
By Michael Bartley published in MarTech series, Nov 2023
In a digital landscape saturated with relentless marketing messages, Michael Bartley, Executive Creative Director at Indigo Slate, delves into the transformative power of generosity in marketing strategies. In an era marked by digital fatigue and waning trust, Bartley argues that brands can thrive not by taking but by giving—embracing a community-focused approach to engage customers genuinely.
“Content marketing is the only marketing left”. Seth Godin’s words – still doing the rounds in marketing circles to this day – spoke of the growing wariness of customers towards traditional advertising. Though said a good 15 years ago, this statement rings as true today as it did back then – perhaps even more so.
2023’s digital landscape has become utterly saturated by brands vying for attention. Incessant sales-led “Look at my features!” “Buy Me Now!” messages are seeing digital fatigue dig its claws into today’s average consumer. And, because we have much more control over the content we consume and how we interact with brands – we can skip advertisements, use ad-blockers, and seek out information on our terms – traditional marketing methods have simply become less effective, and sometimes even intrusive.
It’s not just traditional methods turning people off either – clickbait headlines, auto-play video ads, even unsolicited DMs on social media are all creating a negative user experience, leading to a decrease in brand trust and loyalty.
The essence of creating campaigns that tackle digital fatigue lies in taking a generous and community-focused approach. By providing compelling and differentiated content, brands can forge connections with customers who are more receptive to listening, engaging, and even recommending their offerings.
Read more from Michael Bartley in the full article at the MarTech Series.
Publisher
MarTech Series
Illustrator
María Forero