What does Occupy mean for marketers?

Posted at October 19, 2011 // Random Thoughts

Occupy Wall Street has now been going on for a month and it’s still going strong.

What does it all mean? Hardly anyone knows. My favorite sign was “We’re here. We’re unclear. Get used to it.” (I wish I had a photo, but that particular protester was sitting on a main street which means no stopping for photographs.)

Let’s have a look at the “official” definition of this event:

Occupy Wall Street is leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%. We are using the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to achieve our ends and encourage the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants.

So, how is the rest of the world (or may even be part of the 99%) supposed to respond to this?

As marketers, how can we do our part to address the 99%? 99% is a lot of people.

The change this movement is looking for requires changes at the most fundamental levels of our government and economy. It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s also likely changes that most marketers have little power to actually influence, assuming you’re not part of the 1%.

Basically, OWS wants a better government. A better economy. Or simply said, a better America.

Long term changes will take time. But there are things that marketers can do in the short term.

Focus your messages on how your products make for a better America. Chase cards have their call centers not in India but in Springfield (according to their recent TVC on talking to a live person and not a machine). Auto manufacturers tells us they make their cars in the USA (even if they had traditionally been an importer).

If your product is not making for a better America, well, you’re in trouble.