–

Way beyond CRM

MM: Right. What happens is that the “C” in CRM becomes an “S.” It becomes “stakeholder relationship management.”

Yes.

MM: So now, no longer am I interested in just you as a customer, but who you are as an advocate for me in the marketplace.

Right.

MM: A shareholder of our stock. A trade partner. A family member.

Right.

MM: Ultimately, as I’m thinking — 5 or 10 years out — CRM is going to die.

Yes. That’s right. In fact, that’s another thing that I tout internally. CRM. It’s the old school approach. In fact, I’ve got something scribbled on my whiteboard now. We were talking earlier today about this.

The old school idea of CRM — not just for the reasons you state, but also because — as we pointed out earlier. The relationship. The context of the relationship is no longer just between you and me as a company and consumer. It has to be understood in the broader context of other places that that individual consumer can…

MM: Other engagement contexts.

Exactly.

MM: I’ve got this model that I developed elsewhere. It suggests that initially, the relationship is between buyer and seller.

Yes.

MM: Then it becomes between customer and vendor, or customer and provider.

Yes.

MM: Then it evolves into a larger and more-evolved forms. In terms of advocate-partner.

Yes.

MM: Ultimately, between stakeholder and institutional citizen.

Yes.

MM: Where now I’m not only a customer — I advocate on your behalf — but ultimately I am now part of your overall formation of social capital.

Right. Yes.

MM: Thereby closing the loop on social responsibility and sustainability things. Now I’m actually tracking — as a function of our marketing programs — our contributions to literacy. Our contributions to the health and well-being of the stakeholders — of our markets that create the foundation for consumers to buy stuff.

Yes. That’s right. Absolutely.

MM: Wow.

Yes.

MM: We really covered the topic, today. Huh?

Well, I’m sure if you didn’t, I’m sure you wish you had. Mike warned you that I could talk about this for days.

MM: I thought he warned you I could do the same.

No, he didn’t. But I’m glad he didn’t. It’s been really engaging. I’ve loved it.

That’s what’s so exciting in talking with Mike and all the guys over at Alterian. I think the philosophy that you’re outlining is one that we all — maybe separately or who knows how — have arrived at. It’s just a matter of, “Let’s make it happen.”

MM: Yes. Cool. How about if we leave that as the conclusion for our interview today?

Okay.

MM: We’ll pick that up in terms of “making it happen,” in terms of how we get marketing organizations to start eating this elephant or eating this whale of organizational change.

Yes. Right. Excellent.

MM: Fabulous. Again — Thank you so much.

–