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© 2010 imc2, LLC. All rights reserved. “imc2,” “imc2 Brand Sustainability Map,” and “Relationship Era” are trademarks of imc2, LLC dba imc2. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. I can still remember the day I realized marketing had changed forever. It was summer of 2004. I was reading an article about Kryptonite, a manufacturer of bicycle locks. It seems Kryptonite had found itself in uncharted territory after someone posted a video on a new site called YouTube educating the world on how to open its tubular bike locks with a simple BIC pen. At first, the company denied the claim’s validity. But as word (and ire) spread like wildfire across the Internet’s budding socialsphere, Kryptonite soon realized it had to change its way of thinking. In a bold move, its leaders adopted a position of transparency and open communication. Not only did Kryptonite replace 400,000 locks, but it also took steps to create a true open dialogue with customers. It didn’t take long for people to appreciate the brand’s efforts and recognize their shared values. Nor did it take long for Kryptonite to earn back the respect of the community and its position of market leadership. INTRODUCTION I love the Kryptonite story. It’s one of the first examples of a company shifting conventional thinking to meet this radically changing marketing environment. We at imc2 went through a similar shift in thinking. Over the years, we’d helped some of the biggest brands in the world enter and flourish in the digital space. But we came to realize that digital was only part of the equation. We had the opportunity to do something bigger and more meaningful. We asked ourselves an ambitious question: “Can we partner with our clients to transform the world of marketing?” The question soon became a quest, and our new approach to marketing was born—a fundamentally different way to practice marketing that’s both extraordinarily effective and intensely meaningful. What we’re championing is a bold new direction, yes, but it’s also practical, giving marketers the means to spend less and get more. More sales. More profit. More engaged, loyal customers. Even more benefits for employees, suppliers, and society. Winning in the Relationship Era outlines this new approach, giving business leaders a guide for leapfrogging competitors in a dramatically different marketing environment. Is our approach controversial? Yes. Is it a model that the next generation of successful marketers will adopt? We think so. introduction After reading, we invite you to participate in the dialogue at www.relationshipera.com, and if you’re so compelled, to join us in this movement to make marketing more profitable for everyone. This is a time of extraordinary opportunity. Together, we can lead a momentous transformation in one of the biggest and most powerful industries on the planet. Winning in the Relationship Era includes four sections: • A New Era in Marketing (p 4), our perspective on the evolution of marketing • imc2 Brand Sustainability Map (p 24), an introduction to a better tool for assessing relationships • Breakthrough Success in the Relationship Era (p 34), five principles for building sustainable brand relationships • Getting Involved (p 48), an invitation to join us INTRODUCTION A New Era in Marketing Section 1 The shifts in consumer media consumption habits are reshaping the ways marketers can—and must—build relationships with consumers. Moreover, the expansion of digital into every aspect of our lives has caused fundamental changes in how people interact with brands, what they expect of brands, and the role of marketing in their lives. Even as brand leaders use new tactics to accomplish their goals, most think of the practice of marketing much as it’s been defined for decades—a way to pers