A few buzzwords are in trend these days: audience and Community. In my previous assignment, I usually get this briefing from HQ experts on how to engage the audience. I realize soon that using this buzzword with the regional team is a kind of fashion and show-off. I used to wonder why so much attention on the audience and not strengthening the community ties. Acquiring a new customer is difficult, but retaining a customer is easy; we need to talk to them, pamper and engage them with our rituals and get used to our traditions.
So, let’s discuss it; today, what is the audience, and how is it different from the community?
In a movie theatre, generally, viewers are the audience. When someone comes to see the movie, he is a part of the audience, but when a fan comes to see the film of his favourite cine star with his friends, he is part of the community. He belongs to that star; he feels it and shares chemistry with other fans too. Fans of Rajnikant are not just an audience but a community, whereas the rest of Mumbai films start has just the audience. It’s a dream of an actor to command like Rajni sir and create such a community.
People come to a local village coffee shop; they eat, talk, and laugh together. They react to each other; that is community. They know each other, but when people go to any suburban restaurant, they eat, pay the bill and go. This is the audience.
So the audience is not a community but a part of the community.
As marketers, we try to convert an audience into the community. Create the market, and build the audience. That’s the ultimate goal of all marketing campaigns.
Transformation of the audience into the community is an example of upselling or upgrading the customer into a higher package. If you own a hotel, upgrade a customer from a standard room to a deluxe or suit, and he is sold to you forever. Seriously, try it.
Boyfriends or girlfriends are an example of an audience, but upgrading and transforming into married couples is an example of setting up the community. A little-wired example. Isn’t it?
How to transform the audience into the community.
Select your audience 1st – This is the very 1st thing a marketer must decide. What type of audience should be engaged? As a marketer, we can’t entertain everyone. We must select; otherwise, we would not be able to get anyone.
Create rituals and engage your audience.
The audience doesn’t have any culture, but the community has a particular culture bound by rituals and beliefs.
For example, Apple has a culture, they have a strong community, and they make products for their community. Apple is a cult; Apple is an emotion.
Their community members buy each new launch, and that is a ritual. They feel proud, and they connect.
I heard it; I don’t know about it; I am not an Apple user, which qualifies me for the anti-apple community.
Similarly, in politics, A cadre base party is what? The party has a base of workers connected with a belief. Once that belief gets thin, the party start losing the election.
Need more examples?
Remember Archies Gallery in the 90s? College-going teens spotted wandering in Archies gallery selecting greetings cards? So What did Archie do?
They created Valentine’s Days, followed by friendship day, and so many other days after that.
Rituals were gifting to loved ones with cards and other beautiful articles yet affordable by youngsters. Have you remembered searching for the price at the backside bottom of the card in the barcode?
Are you feeling nostalgic? Aren’t you?
Still No? Surprised..! You were never a teen, I guess…:)
- Less Electronics – More Emotion.
Too much electronics is terrible. How these electronics or technology benefit and make someone recognised in the community matters. A marketing team should work on elaborating on the benefits and how that benefits completing someone’s life.
I know you are not convinced.
Remember Onida Ads?
David Whitbread was the original Devil of the early 90s. “Neighbors’ envy, owner’s pride.
Onida, once the second-largest television brand in the country, purely succeeded in emotion.
Ever bought the Dove from a local Kirana soap in the 90s and enjoyed the attention of other buyers and appreciation of Dukandaar?
If you have a strong community, you don’t need to spend on Ads, and the community will drive the growth of your products.
- Give them a purpose.
As a marketer, you should give a purpose to your audience. A calling is required to move ahead. Ever seen Hollywood web series on Zombies?
Zombies are a bunch of individuals without purpose; they run without any objective. Mobs have no control; police personnel get unique training to handle the crowd.
An Army is a community bound by rituals and runs with a purpose and objective to win.
Everyone wants to be with people like them. People want to trade and engage people like them only. That’s fundamental human nature; they always need a leader to lead them. All these events, meet and get together, are part of that endeavour only to assemble the same type of people.
Ever seen in an Indian wedding, Fufas are sitting together annoyed and in complaining mode.
Finally, let’s conclude this article by saying that Rituals, Purpose, and togetherness are some characteristics which convert an audience into a community. If you have something else, please share your thoughts with me.