Demand creation versus demand discovery.

Given all the buzz about the Web 2.0-driven era of "people centric" marketing, I'm surprised by the persistence of some old ideas - in particular, the notion that marketing is something we do to people.

Why do we still talk about "converting" prospects? Are we trying to get them to adopt our faith? Or more to the point, are we hoping to transform them into robots that will buy on command? And what's this about web content having a "hook"? Are we throwing our prospects a curve?

I think it's time we questioned the whole idea of demand creation. Demand is what people want. Can we really create that?

Sure, classic marketing stills works in many situations. But in a Web 2.0 environment, the returns from these covert methods are diminishing. The problem for traditional marketers is that everything has become very transparent. People want unfiltered, useful information, and on today's web, they're going to find it. It's just a question of from whom.

I would argue that demand "created" by means of a conversion or hook is really artificial demand. The link to reality is, at least in part, an illusion. Under the glaring light of a transparent web, these illusions are fading.

Real demand, on the other hand, is discovered, not created. There are people out there who are our best prospects because there is a good fit between what they want and what we can provide. Discovery is mutual - they learn about us, and we learn about them. This is how marketing worked long before the web, television, or even the printing press.

The web accelerates this ancient process. By publishing useful information on a website or a blog, we can create a following, and that can lead to relationships. And as they have for ages, people buy from whom they know.

Those most interested in our insights from day to day experience are most likely to be our best customers. Sharing what we know in informative content is the most direct and natural way to connect with these people.