Description
Many consumers engage actively with marketers - they talk to market researchers, suggest service improvements, and submit new product ideas. While we tend to think of companies as "producers" and consumers as "receivers," the line between the two is blurred and becoming more so. Just as political democracies are more robust and more representative when citizens engage in public affairs, companies are learning that letting consumers participate in marketing strengthens their competitive position. In a democratizing marketplace, constructive engagement with consumers should be the wave of the future. This chapter is excerpted from "Greater Good: How Good Marketing Makes for Better Democracy."