The Dissident Spin Doctor: Collaborative economy not ‘marketing bollocks’

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by Emma King (@EmmainSA) ‘Collaborative economy’ is one of those marketing buzz words that I’ve seen bandied about quite a bit recently. I’m not a big fan of those marketing catchphrases that everyone loves – ‘marketing bollocks’, as a colleague and I used to call it.

Anyway, ‘collaborative economy’, as bollocksy as it sounds, is interesting and also very relevant to the modern marketplace.

A shift from owning to sharing

A collaborative economy, or collaborative consumption, was named by TIME in 20111 as one of the “10 Ideas That Will Change the World”, and is Emma Kingdefined as “the shift in values from ownership to sharing and access”. What that means in real terms is a shift from owning to sharing – something social networks encourage (beyond over-share, I might add). Think house swaps, couch surfing and similar experiences facilitated by these networks!

We’ve all borrowed or shared things with friends, but the exponential developments in technology in recent times meant we can extend these circles, and start doing this with people we don’t know.

Infrastructure

Social networks have put in the infrastructure that not only puts people in contact, but also supports trust and endorsement. And, with the growing distrust of brands, media and institutions coupled with prolonged tough economic times, the ways in which this can create an alternative economy to one based just on access to products and price will only grow.

So where does that leave us, who are in the business of communications?

In the past, big brands were the only ones that could buy media space. And so they would tell us what to buy, what to consume and how to do it. But in a collaborative economy – where we can all share and communicate with each other – we need to start working out how we, as brand custodians, can participate.

Something more conceptual

Of course, we could look at the basic concept of sharing, and barter or swap our services for goods. But my FD would have a conniption fit if I waltzed into his office and announced that we would take on a big new client, in return for, say, a truckload of mielies.

So, it’s not just about swapping but something more conceptual.

As communicators, we’re well-placed to be part of this brave economy. Our expertise is based around building awareness – vital for collaborative consumption.  We are used to making sure that people engage with us or our brands. We know how to make something enticing, and we know how to get people to get involved – again, vital for anything that wants to thrive in a collaborative economy.

But, most importantly, we understand the value of trust. That it’s not just about saying how great you are but actually acting in that way, resulting in other people trusting and endorsing you.

The vital part

And this is the vital part of a collaborative society – without trust, we will not send money to someone we have only seen on a website, or go and crash on their sofa. Without the endorsement of others – via reviews or feedback or ratings – the economy won’t survive. And isn’t this something that we’ve already been doing for ages?

Emma King is Head of PR at The Jupiter Drawing Room (Cape Town). She is a columnist for MarkLives on PR and communication issues. You can find her on Twitter at @EmmainSA.

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Published by Herman Manson

MarkLives.com is edited by Herman Manson. Follow us on Twitter - http://twitter.com/marklives

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