Let's Go Camping at Wal-Mart

There seems to be a shift taking place with the way agencies and marketing companies are distributing their insights, findings and views. Only a few years ago, rarely could you get a copy of a new report, results from a survey, white papers, or any nugget of information without providing an e-mail address and contact information. Then you were left asking yourself - "Is this content really worth the hassle of the follow-up phone calls and a barrage of e-mails I'll most likely receive?"

Slowly, more and more marketers are realizing that people will take a favorable action without these barriers. Yet the result is a win-lose. On the one hand, the information travels to and reaches a vast number of people. But on the other hand, this vast amount is only a number when the objective is to get data - names, e-mail addresses, feedback, etc. So in this case, are these companies really any better off than before?

And what about marketers who classify their content for internal use only? Tom Martin (@tommartin) wrote a piece earlier this week for Advertising Age (read the article here). In the article, he proclaims ignorance to those withholding good content and keeping their "secret sauce" locked up in a Black Box. Martin's position is that "great marketing is still and always will be about finding and exploiting the untapped consumer insight."  He suggests marketers to share the recipe. Because without the chef (you), the dish (results) couldn't possibly measure up. 


Both approaches to content dissemination (or lack there of) got me thinking of a cross country journey my family and I took for Thanksgiving. With almost 35 hours of driving, we had to make rest stops to re-energize the driver (me) and our family motor home. Being the planner that I am, I began checking out camping grounds to reserve a spot. It surprised me when each facility asked for not just my name, but my address, phone number and e-mail address. It was as if I was checking into a  Holiday Inn. Do you want my weight and favorite color too? I understand this is a place of business, but let's take into consideration the type of business it is - it is a cement stretch of land to park my vehicle or trailer for a few hours while passing through on a family vacation.Unsettled by all this, I realized something: I could stop patronizing this poor lady on the phone and just hand over my information. Or, I could opt for a comfy, no strings attached, no obligation parking spot nestled in the wide open concrete lot of a Wal-Mart. 

Parked safe and sound at Wal-Mart while on this year's family road trip.

Wal-Mart has an open policy that welcomes overnight parking for RV owners to take a break and rest up for the next day's driving. It is well lit, security patrolled and inevitably sits near a highway. Most importantly, I don't have to register, call ahead, or notify anyone. I don't even have to pay. The welcoming policy is successful. The policy's strategy generates incremental sales, word of mouth and nurtures loyal customers.


The same applies to content and its dissemination.Open and transparently valuable content will pay big in the long run. So the next time you are deciding on whether to secure content with required registration, contact form completion, or payment requirements, ask yourself this - "Would giving it away for free and out in the open generate MORE in return?" My bets are on a definite YES!