Societing is the new marketing, because…
1. Societing acknowledges that the world has changed, and that marketers have to change with it. Society has changed, as people are increasingly joining tribes which provide more identity than their job, social class, age or sex. Consumers have changed, because they are actively banding together, and co-producing things. They are tired of advertising, and on the hunt for authenticity. Media has changed, because consumers are not only producing content, but actively sharing it.
2. Societing calls for a reformation of marketing. It joins the steadily growing chorus that challenges the Kotlerian view of the market, and deems it too narrow. All new schools of marketing try to broaden the scope of marketing by drawing beyond, by focusing on elements such as environment, relationships, social groups, or individual experiences and competence. Consider how the following marketing schools draw beyond traditional marketing: green marketing, social marketing, geo marketing, tribal marketing, buzz marketing, relationship marketing or experience marketing.
3. Societing does not only broaden the scope of marketing, it changes it. The sphere of activity is no longer the market, but society itself. Rather than offering a new type of transition, such as the transition from the transaction to the relation, from the product to the service, from the individual to the tribe, societing encompasses all of them.
4. Societing is a bottom-up versus top-down approach. It focuses on consumer/consumer instead of company/consumer relationships. Societing is more interested in becoming the glue between A and B, than the affect of A on B, the control of A on B, or the manipulation of A on B. This makes sense in the new world of tribalism, where people value brands for their ability to link them to others.
5. Societing is the convergence of marketing and sociology. It acknowledges that psychology has a great deal to say about individuals, but less about social groups. In order to better understand the social aspects of humans, societing draws from theory and practice found in sociology, anthropology and ethnography.
6. Societing begins and ends with society and culture. It is a wheel, that both draws upon and gives back. This includes cultural symbols, images, rituals, meaning and values which consumers can find resourceful in their quest for identity and community.
7. Societing is interested in the study of humans as social beings. It studies the actions of consumers and companies on society, in order to learn about social components such as meaning, values, identity, myths, rituals and cult places. By understanding these components companies can do a better job of supporting them.
8. Societing acknowledges that the company is an active part of society. It is not above and beyond other actors. The company is contributing, and learning rather than colonizing and exploiting.
9. Societing acknowledges that consumers have something to offer, and that the company can learn from their expertise and experiences.
Societing changes everything! Embrace change.
References
Badot, O. and Cova, B. (1993), "Societing, Managerial Response to European Aestheticization on", European Management Journal
Cova, Badot, Bucci (2006). Beyond Marketing: In Praise of Societing. Visionary Marketing