Marketing in the Participation Age by Daina Middleton - Book review

Marketing in the Participation Age: A Guide to Motivating People to Join, Share, Take Part, Connect, and Engage

By: Daina Middleton

Published: November 10, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 205 pages
ISBN-10: 1118402308
ISBN-13: 978-1118402306
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.










"Reality has been altered in large part because of the connected devices we use to interact with the world. And it is now crucial that companies that operate in this new age understand the science behind participation and action", writes digital marketing strategist and global CEO of Performics, Daina Middleton, in her empowering and meaningful customer relationship building book Marketing in the Participation Age: A Guide to Motivating People to Join, Share, Take Part, Connect, and Engage. The author describes how if people are motivated in some intrinsic way, they will participate with your brand with enthusiasm, and shares the strategies to use this motivated participation as a new form of engagement.

Daina Middleton understands that brands that can capture human desires, through meaningful engagement to build real relationships, will become deeply involved with the brand. The author presents the tools for empowering customers to share in a brand's marketing through fulfillment of their desires. Daina Middleton writes about the ongoing evolution of marketing that moves beyond the traditional one way communications model, and toward one that not only develops relationships, but also addresses the deepest needs and desires on the part of the customers.

The author demonstrates why conventional one way disruptive models are no longer effective in this new involved and empowered marketing landscape. To achieve success in this exciting new marketing environment, brands must find the triggers to motivate and inspire their clientele.



Daina Middleton (photo left) recognizes that the age of participation requires complete involvement by motivated and empowered customers. The old controlled linear tools and philosophy ensures being rendered irrelevant to the customer of today. Instead of the older and now failed attempts at integrated media, the author proposes a fresh examination of customer participation through a richer understanding of customer needs.

Daina Middleton presents a three part framework to facilitate the contribution by customers, and establish and enrich relationships with those empowered clients. The three pillars of the marketing foundation for the new landscape are as follows:

* Discover: Inviting customers to enhance their product knowledge
* Empower: Invite customers to share ideas about products and their development
* Connect: Invite like minded customers to build real community.

For me, the power of the book is how Daina Middle identifies and shares insightful analysis of the relationship between brands and customers in the new and ever evolving marketing world. The author outlines a complete overview of how the marketing dynamic has changed, and continues to transform itself, rendering the old concepts not only obsolete but also irrelevant. For brands and marketers, this potential slide into the abyss is not inevitable if they change the way they interact with their customers, and embrace the necessity of meeting the desires of their customers.

Along with this comprehensive blueprint, Daina Middleton provides the strategies, tactics, and tools needed to bring about this revolution in marketing through embracing the deepest customer desires. To help marketers and brand managers utilize the book and the principles in an ongoing basis, the author includes handy chapter summaries at the end of each chapter. The book is designed to be a practical and hands on tool for marketers, and as a result, is a useful resource to keep at hand.

I highly recommend the perceptive and action oriented book Marketing in the Participation Age: A Guide to Motivating People to Join, Share, Take Part, Connect, and Engage by Daina Middleton, to any business leaders, marketers, brand strategists, and entrepreneurs who are seeking a clear and conise guide to understanding the new world of marketing, building deep and lasting customer relationships, and creating and implementing a marketing plan that recognizes and addresses customer desires.