Online customers are the new inventors. As Interactive folks, we support their methods of invention through testing, creating, experimenting, and listening. Sometimes, we attempt to put the customer inventions inside easy-to-understand campaigns, emails, functionalities, or interfaces i.e. visit this very useful Microsite, try this new tool, join a vertical community, and share your data if you are 34, tall, blond, wealthy, have kids, and enjoy outdoor sports.

Interactive-active customers and their friends create their own online reality. They appreciate the power of invention and also value utility, price, ease-of-use, simplicity, socialization, and accessibility. If we acknowledge that inventive power has shifted (from marketer/advertiser to customer), our focus is properly aligned.

For example, BMW just launched their new site, www.bmwusa.com, allowing customers to build their own BMW - more than 130,000,000 possible configurations are available. BMW gets it. Their customers are the new inventors. Question: is the customer or marketer responsible for the 198% traffic increase and 10 minute average time spent on the site, or did the marketer simply support the customer-as-inventor understanding? Ever heard of BMW films, started way back in 2001? BMW focused on branded and distributed content before it was popular or even remotely understood.

One item they missed on the new site? After building my $32,500 128i Coupe, I couldn’t share it. Hey BMW, let me share my invention! Or, even better, allow me and my significant other to collaborate as inventors online simultaneously (think Google Docs). Now that will get me to the dealership.

Allison Kent, Business Development