Future of Marketing? We Hope So!

What is the future of marketing, and where are things heading? Will it be something that mankind hasn’t seen before? We hope so. Keep reading as we break down a relatively new marketing method that has emerged in recent years.

Charity or Marketing?

A few years ago, I watched the Super Bowl, and though I am not an avid football watcher, I pay attention to the commercials that air during the Super Bowl. When you invest significant amounts of money into a 30-second commercial, you want to ensure it does what it’s supposed to.

There has been a change in marketing methods with the growth of the internet. Humour has always done exceptionally well when it comes to commercials, but as of late, there is a new style of marketing that is arising. Just before Christmas (2013), a commercial/video went viral by the airline company, WestJet. If you have not watched the video, watch it here.

Not only was this a great message and a way to change people’s lives, but it was also the most brilliant marketing I have seen recently. People watched and shared the video over 50 million times! The video was so well done that you didn’t even know you were being marketed to. The video had a moving storyline and message that touched people’s hearts, leaving them with a warm feeling about WestJet. The video was planned, shot and edited to make WestJet look like heroes; precisely what they intended.

Staged or Unscripted?

My wife and I love to watch the TV show “Undercover Boss” because of the lives that it changes. Every episode features the head of a corporation going undercover and spending time on the front lines of their business. They can see the troubles and challenges of their business from a different perspective and then incorporate those changes once their time spent undercover is over.

Every episode I have watched has segments where the boss speaks to employees who have been through hell and back. To assume the boss crosses paths with these people at random is naive. Though the interactions may not be staged, selecting specific employees is most definitely planned.

At the end of every show, the boss reveals his real identity and financially helps the troubled employees improve their lives. The intent is to leave the viewer with a warm feeling about their company and brand, which works phenomenally.

Though I am fully aware it is an amazingly well-planned, one-hour-long marketing video, I still love and watch the show.

Good? Or Is There Better?

Cause marketing is good and effective, but motives are questioned when a company reaps a benefit by donating to a cause.

I foresee a better form of marketing that will begin to emerge. In the future of marketing, I see people and companies doing amazing, life-changing things without mention. These beautiful accomplishments will be done under the radar but will surface through “word of mouth.” Random acts of kindness with proper motives and no agenda other than the greater good!

I believe this form of marketing will be powerful and effective because it’s about a cause, not a return. There is no better way to change someone’s life than to do something they could never repay. It’s about doing the right thing for the right reason and believing that God will take care of the rest… and He will.

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Ryan Boutin
Owner of Zeal Media, Ryan, is passionate about helping owners take their small businesses to the next level. As a long-term entrepreneur, he has started and grown multiple small businesses for himself and his kids, from building homes to selling online products.
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