Ads have become so intrusive — now with video and sound that launch when you open a page — that consumers almost have no choice but to install ad blockers. At the same time, they’ll happily engage on social media platforms. Companies need to learn how to talk WITH consumers, not AT them.

This topic is not new, nor are the ideas posed by the Wharton paper. The old model of push advertising has been waning for years and has been replaced by an interactive conversation. Marketers should provide consumers with the information they want to make informed decisions. They need to show how their products can make consumers’ lives better. And they need to try to establish an emotional bond with consumers. Anything less is a recipe for failure.

It could be about controlling turf that keeps marketers from an integrated strategy. Indeed, consumers are in control. But many marketers prefer to believe their ideas, strategies and tactics will move customers. And they’d rather move forward with their beliefs than observe, research and analyze what is really going on.

Professor Wind and Ms. Hays describe the situation perfectly. They mention “points of interaction.” It’s challenging to consider each point of interaction independently and then try to integrate a strategy around them. Whether there is a plan in place to adapt to “in-control” consumers or not, consumers are seeing brands within a continuum of their own pattern of exposure to media and shopping behavior. So it makes sense to capitalize on those points of interaction. But it may take stepping out of your own sphere of influence to work within a larger corporate and marketing framework.

Not sure anything Ms. Hays wrote is actually that new. The power shift from retailers and marketers to consumers began when alternative sources of information first appeared. By far the largest of which was the internet. With its arrival, the consumers found they could locate information online that the clerk in the store was not likely to know. When manufacturers and retailers learned of its potential as an advertising medium many overdid it, and still do. With cookies they can stalk a potential customer and some do. It’s no wonder that consumer block ads. The other elements of the article’s summary have been noted before. Manufacturers and retailers have long been aware of aspirational shoppers, the impact on packaging, the impact of the shopping environment, etc. Silos in companies have existed since the beginning and unfortunately still do. I agree that it can make cultural changes difficult. Knowing all of this and doing something about it are two different things. There are companies that are working hard to make the changes and then there is… Read more »

Shopper reviews, social networks and social listening, one-way to 360-communications, real-time personalized offers, the experiential economy — all these and more are rooted in consumers’ power and are transforming branding and communications radically. It’ll never be the same again.

Those longing for the good old days will have to binge watch “Mad Men” on Netflix — the irony of it all.

Fundamentally, brands must reach consumers through advertising to build awareness and generate demand. Even “new generation” brands like Dollar Shave Club and Airbnb are using TV advertising to create awareness and position themselves in consumers’ minds.

The changes in advertising will be more subtle as opposed to radical because of these fundamental realities. Once a brand is established, it can broaden its marketing approach to include community-building and aspirational messages. However, traditional advertising techniques will still play a major role in creating the identity for a brand.

The ultimate consumer touchpoint is their touchscreen. Nothing puts the consumer in control more than their phone. They’re using it interact with the people they care about and they’ll use it to interact with the brands they care about too — but space is limited. Their phone is the new most valuable real estate and competition for that spot on the home screen isn’t just with other retailers, but everything else in their lives. Merchants need to develop strong mobile strategies now before they get shut out of digital and pushed out of business.

Of course! The consumer has said they don’t like being sold to and they put their money where their mouths are. This has been going on for a while now and smart retailers get it. On the other hand, let’s not confuse advertising with marketing. Subtle though it is, there is a difference. Advertising is where you tell folks what you’ve got. Whether it’s a sale coming up or a great new product. They have to find out somewhere. Today’s consumer likes for these ads to be entertaining. Not a selling piece. Something that shows the product or the deal in a way that draws them in. Look at all the Super Bowl ads. We, here on the ‘Wire, even run a competition on them. Consumers don’t mind sitting back and watching an ad that captures them in some way. Marketing, on the other hand, needs to back waaaay off. Let’s even find a new name for it. Shall we? Since I am on the local CXPA (Customer Experience Professional Association) board here in Atlanta… Read more »

Consumers have been significantly “in control” of the Path to Purchase for the past 15+ years. Long gone are the days of a manufacturer designing a product, retailers building a bigger box, and marketing messaging being limited to traditional media forms, focusing simply on product. I recall a Money Center banker bemoaning some 30+ years ago the difficulty of setting rates when he stated to a Chicago audience, “It’s a challenge to set rates nowadays. The consumer knows rate changes as fast as we do. They’ll kill for one-eighth of a point.” Perhaps he recognized that the consumer was at the center of the equation even then. Shortly after, Illinois opened up to branch banking and one of America’s largest institutions was sold. Advertisers would do well to understand that they, too, have to put the consumer in the center of the equation, lest they find themselves playing under new ownership. Harry Truman offer this thought in 1952 before returning to Missouri, “There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not… Read more »

Consumer habits are formed by changes in the economy, society, technology and other factors. How consumers adapt to these changes correlates with how they interact with brands.

Forward-thinking brands are already anticipating how to guide the consumer and their brand interactions. Look at Amazon, Tesla, Burberry and Donna Karan and you will see them going direct to the consumer.

Consumers are not trying to control, they are trying to adapt. Brand interactions that make this adaption easy, enjoyable and rewarding are key.

Marketers need to capture as many sources of data as they can, both internal and external, to paint a clearer picture of their target audience and build demand and true loyalty. These sources include social (both internal, like call center, customer reviews, etc. and external social channels), local news and local events that affect shopper lifestyle needs and even the local weather. You need to be able to see how all of these forces interact with each other and when that becomes available, you get far deeper insights and are able to improve demand forecasting dramatically. This is the way some innovative retailers are changing their marketing strategies and developing stronger, more personal shopper relationships.

Real simple: take control of your promo. No Wharton-level thinking is needed to say, take control. What does this mean? If a shopper opts out of a select retailers’ ads then never drop them an email and never be a pop-up on their browser. Earn the respect of the shopper. They make one purchase, then send a CEO-level note and thank them, then disappear. If they want you they will come back.

Real simple. Run your network and do not let ad services do the promo for you.

This is happening especially in particular segments where crowdsourcing and engaging in dialogue with peer-consumers and with companies can benefit the individual — say, with health and health care, food, clothing, personal care and beauty, and consumer tech.

The balance of power has clearly shifted from retailers to consumers. Customers have the ability to search and compare products and prices online, read customer reviews and get instant feedback from their circle of friends via social media. Consumers don’t like intrusive ads that are blasted to the masses and aren’t relevant to their individual preferences or needs. They don’t buy newspapers, don’t watch traditional TV, they are a new breed. Ads are on a path of slow death and have been on that path for some time. Savvy retailers are replacing their investments in ads with investments in social media and communicating with customers on a more personal and intimate level. I may sound like a broken record, but “customer context” is the key to effectively communicating with customers and providing relevant and desired information and offers. Real-time retail capabilities are currently available and retailers should understand their customer’s preferences, what’s in their closet, what they have purchased and what they have browsed online. Brands that understand what is happening in this moment, in… Read more »

Get used to it! Consumers can, at the touch, tap or swipe on a screen can delete not only your ads, but your relationship. It’s simple. Get permission to engage with the consumer and then provide them value through the engagement.

With modern technology, consumers can block and shape communications from brands. Marketers need to think about compelling content and activities that consumers would want to receive or interact. Force feeding messages through massive media buys is seeing diminishing returns, while small programs with attractive content and interesting interactions offer better results.

Of course consumers are driving with their control. No longer can companies just put out a message and be the sole owner of brand image. Consumers can block, ignore, respond to, or change any message the company sends. Smart companies will keep tabs on what consumers are saying and doing to create an interactive dialogue.