Values-Based Marketing
In INC’s February 2005 issue, contributing editor, Allison Stein Wellner writes about values-based marketing, and whether it is effective or alienates customers. Her piece, “The Morality Play,” includes a few quotes from Dwayne Ball, a professor of marketing at the University of Nebraska, in a discussion of doctrine-driven versus other-centered customers:
‘“If you have doctrine-driven customers, you’d better understand their doctrine,” says Ball. But bear in mind that Americans, perhaps because of our long tradition of individuality, generally tend toward an other-centered orientation. Says Ball, “With other-centered consumers, it’s much more a matter of them trying to look into your corporate soul. They are trying to figure out if doing business with you enhances the welfare of the world or detracts from it.”’
Stein Wellner goes on to write that consumers will do a lot of research to determine this:
“They listen to what you say, pay close attention to what’s reported about you in the media – and, of course, they look closely at what you actually do.”
Well, I’d venture to say that most women are born other-centered. They cannot help themselves from taking it all in as they make purchases. Who are the people behind the brand? What are the values upon which the company is based? Can I trust the brand’s authenticity? Who else are they helping with their company profits?
Other-centered consumers are very likely to be attracted to humanized brands, but the brands seem to be marketing on the "being authentic" platform – which I think is different. Shouldn’t humanization, integrated throughout the brand experience and within the internal corporation, be the real goal – with the concept of "being authentic" the end result?
I’ll continue to explore this authenticity/humanization topic here and in my More Space essay. In the meantime, if any of you out there can be a resource for me in regard to the Businesses for Social Responsibility organization (membership requirements?/do they see it as a marketing "plus" these days to be a member?), please let me know…or I may just have to break down and call their media relations department.
