How a visit to the Fish Market made me a Brand Soldier

Businesses should focus on growing their audience & rewarding the one they have.

Have you ever been to a market of any kind? This usually involves people shouting for your attention and sharing all the reasons why you should buy from them. The fish market in Carenage, Trinidad, is no different. You are greeted by 3 or 4 vendors who basically have the same type of fish on display but each one has their own way of coaxing you. My routine when I approach is to scan their ‘catch’, review how clean their presentation is, then ‘award’ the winner with my purchase. This Saturday, I did my parade and the vendor I chose was the lone woman in the bunch and she not only gave me a ‘lil extra’ piece of king fish, but she also threw in two limes. Now for those who don’t have a lime tree, we folks know all to well how expensive these citrus balls have become. Needless to say, this gesture has won me over and it is likely she has become my first choice from henceforth. As I drove away with a smile on my face, I can’t help but parallel this offline transaction to the online world of Digital Marketing. Most of the brands I interact with usually focus on growing their audience and less about rewarding the ones they already have. Obviously it’s harder to see value in 500 likes on Facebook, but what if you’re engagement was 2%? That’s significantly higher than companies with 10 times the size and budget. These metrics can also translate to other networks such as email marketing. Instagram and so many more measurable platforms.

This is also why strategy is important. We need to evolve the conversation from size of audience and direct sales, to a long term goal of growing brand soldiers. At the end of day, that woman has gotten my business for the long haul. Ultimately, it’s better to have a small army of active customers, than a crowd of bystanders.

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