I was reading an article from Marketing Week about “How Dr. Martens is engaging the consumer beyond the boot,” and there was a quote from their chief product and marketing officer that stopped me cold.
“Nowadays, commerce is a by-product of engagement,” Campbell says.“The consumer need might not necessarily be about buying a pair of shoes, it might be about a favourite band that hasn’t played for two years playing in a Dr. Martens store and they need to get there. It’s about giving them that opportunity so then they buy into the brand while not necessarily having to buy into the product.”
Commerce is a by-product of engagement?
Giving consumers the opportunity to buy into the brand, without having to buy into the product?
This seems at odds with the whole point of doing business. If a consumer ‘buys into the brand without buying the product,’ what’s the point?
Why have engagement at all?