Authenticity, Relationships and the Economy: Why Little is Getting Bigger

One day last quarter in his Marketing Management class, Medill IMC Professor Frank Mulhern noted that today is the age of the mega-business. Whether it’s through acquisition like many of the media empires or through internal growth like Walmart, Big is where it’s at. Economies of scale. Multi-layered specialization. Reach. To be a market leader, you have to basically take over the market. Become a category killer.

While there’s truth in all that, Professor Mulhern could not deny there’s also a distinct rebellion against the notion that bigger is better. In contrast to the mass industrialization of last century, many people now prefer to own items and pursue experiences that are authentic and as close to one-of-a-kind as possible.

In the world of marketing, this presents a distinct opportunity for the Little Guy. Amid this current Great Recession, many smart, talented businesspeople have turned away from corporate behemoths toward independent entrepreneurial ventures. Whether triggered by a quest for personal meaning or the result of downsizing, these people have joined in a movement. And the movement has legs.

And if the economy and individualism serve as those legs, social media will gladly be the eyes, ears and mouth. No longer is the Little Guy outgunned by access to mass media. The playing field has been leveled.

But don’t be distracted by the tools. Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are leading the Democratization of Media, but they’re just instruments. They serve no purpose if used incorrectly.

The true value of social media lies in personal relationships. It’s almost a return to the days of door-to-door salesmen, but the difference is your business of one, five or 20 people can interact with individual households in Chicago, Barstow and Shanghai – all at the same time.

It’s that personalization that allows small businesses to find their niches and offer consumers what they want when they want it. These entrepreneurs literally *know* their audience. People will no longer tolerate being just another faceless customer. They want to connect.

Consumers prefer building relationships with other people to building relationships with corporations. That’s the power of social media. That’s the power of the Little Guy.

--Daniel Hindin

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Daniel Hindin is the Managing Director of Vitamin IMC and a student in the Masters in Integrated Marketing Communications program at Northwestern University’s Medill School. He loves it when people comment on his blog postings. He can also be reached at DanielHindin2010@u.northwestern.edu.