Horizontal Marketing and Communication
You must have known that the current communication needs has almost become a primary need. I wish to add, maybe now there are four primary needs, clothing, food, shelter, and another communication. Communication media was already very much evolved if not arguably had the revolution. Enormity of such a communications revolution is (of course with tech support), not all phases can we tasted.
For example, some time ago (early 2000′s, even though it was not until 5 years ago), the data transfer technology GPRS class is very qualified, and still very rarely used it. Not until three years, has emerged data transfer technology that touted the 2.5 G EDGE alias. Not until two years later emerging 3G technologies are already carrying around a video-call capabilities. Phone and face to face action brings a new dimension in the activities perkomunikasian.
After all, his fate seemed no better than EDGE, because soon appear again 3.5 G technology with other names HSDPA / HSUPA that age does not seem too long because the alias WIMAX 4G technology are awaiting implementation. WIMAX which according to the calculation of the proportion of cost-benefit provides a more optimal will immediately make 3G devices become obsolete. Need impairment? Possibly, but we enjoy it while it was 3.5 G and 3G services before the time runs out.
Back to the topic of problems, communication with tech support it was also causing a shift in the pattern of personal and corporate approach. Public Relations is said to now have a more powerful force than marketing. Seminar on “how to” his public relations in order to anticipate not only the sidekick of marketing but a new hero has been and still are often held. Self-actualization became the most powerful weapon to get closer to the environment. Method of self-or corporate selling-selling through the media that were the target would provide better feedback and targeted.
So what to do with horizontal marketing? Actually horizontal marketing terminology itself is more based on the fact that today the world is getting flat. Why flat? Because in reality with the help of media dissemination such as facebook, twitter, Multiply, Yuwie and others, almost no communication restrictions associated with geographical factors. Although not new, because the media chat has been around since the early 1990s with the presence of mIRC and ICQ, yet with the presence of such media facebook is able to provide a better interactive experience between one member and another, more able to “average” right world.
In one facebook account, for example, may be someone in Indonesia had a number of friends in various countries, share experiences, and with other mediation exchanging photos, files, etc.. Well it’s new facebook account alone, if he also has a twitter account with a different friend anymore? The true extent of his multiplier effect? It is difficult to measure, but in fact the mailing list more and more popping up, the forums on the internet packed with a bunch of different discussion topics, call it want a discussion about any container available. Even some forums like kafemotor.com, ogled by the car manufacturers are often two-wheeled vehicles to collect customer information that could be the basis of improvement of their products.
So if you want more simple, without wanting to stare at the horizontal definition of marketing itself, marketing is actually more horizontal approach to how a party is able to communicate themselves or their products widely, and how to follow up on feedback from the communication. target communication is also highly dependent on the type of product and segment targeted.
Concrete example is the Harley-Davidson, motorcycle manufacturing company that the name alone has been felt its exclusive air. The bike is worth hundreds of millions of dollars have thousands of fans scattered around the world. How can they become fanatics? Because of the Harley-Davidson is very concerned that they give feedback, HD is very concerned with what customers want. HD even contributed to build and give full support to the HD motorcycle clubs around the world. In addition to generating fanaticism, the ownership of an HD motorcycle provides a sense of self-actualization that is second to none. Why? Because they feel that they have a motorcycle as if it was made just for them. Exclusive right?
And of course, this fanaticism is rooted in the HD itself which provides such great opportunities to its customers to customize the bike. Highly customized bike is then mass produced after receiving a “green light” from its customers. Here is a very important role horizontal marketing, customers are actively involved from the planning, production process, finishing, maybe even get to the product distribution.
By the time the product reaches the customer, almost no complaints from customers since the beginning they had been involved.
Of the horizontal method of marketing is not necessarily applicable to all manufacturing industries, because not all suitable to apply such methods of customer engagement. For the consumer goods manufacturing industry, remains more appropriate to apply the concept of vertical marketing. They perform the production process in end to end from start R & D to distribution, then perform the necessary campaign to educate the customer, either through the media above the line and below the line.
In the end, the application of horizontal or vertical marketing marketing will bring back the debate about the cost-benefits. But the method of self-actualization, as well as mentioned above can still be applied any marketing methods that are applied. Web 2.0 era not only in sight, but it happens. Hundreds of thousands of people in the world already has a personal blog, then why only a handful of companies that looked at corporate blogs as a medium of self-actualization? Blog provides flexibility for companies to get in touch with their environment through the grammar should not be formal.
Building a corporate image not only have to go through a formal language / language of the gods that it was a cause difficulty for the same perception.
So want horizontal or vertical, not individuals or institutions, not individuals or companies, like social or commercial, the importance of self-actualization through communication with any media remains fundamental.
