Ecosystems are everywhere. In nature, living and non-living organisms interact and respond to related events. New elements introduced into an ecosystem tend to have a “disruptive effect” on the entire community. Cause and effect is continuous. The ability of ecosystems to recover from disruptions is determined by two factors – the impact of a new element and the resiliency of the original ecosystem.

Ecosystems in business are no different. Marketing ecosystems are especially susceptible to disruptive events. Smartphones, iPads, Facebook and Google are all examples of new elements causing disruption in today’s marketing ecosystem. These elements had permanent impact on television and print media. Television is resilient and continues to embrace the impact. Print is evolving, but has yet to demonstrate true resiliency.

How do you plan for disruptions in a Marketing ecosystem?

  1. Know your audience – Define the specific characteristics of your “perfect customer.” Map criteria such as occupation, income, geographic, interests, hobbies, and psychographics. Disney might describe their perfect customer with these traits – Parents of small children; 34 years old; loves travel and movies; drives a cross-over SUV. Using this description, there are many ways Disney can communicate within their ecosystem.
  2. Define your ecosystem – Map connections between your perfect customers, partners and competition. What other products or services do your perfect customers also purchase and consume? What new elements have caused disruption in your ecosystem? What future elements will arise?
  3. Create resiliency – Plans, metrics and analytics are important, but they do not sustain marketing ecosystems. Innovation, thought leadership and engagement lead to resiliency. Apple creates products that people desire and are willing to pay a premium to consume. Dell builds laptops. Apple has created an ecosystem that is resilient. Dell responds to disruptions. Apple is a disruptive force within many ecosystems.