When marketing solves distribution but forgets the customer
Why audience reach still fails to create customer relationships
TLDR
Marketing still optimizes for distribution. That solves reach. It does not create customers.
FreeWater demonstrates how efficiently advertising can fund a physical product at scale. Their business model does not address the ongoing relationship with the individual who picks up and uses the bottle.
Social platforms refined this pattern. They built audiences first. Advertisers followed. Creators were paid (a small portion). Platforms kept ownership of the customer.
The next shift elevates the customer to first-class status. Ad revenue becomes the first product delivered to them. Not the only one.
This post is intended to educate and spark a conversation about revenue diversification, innovation, and its application to product promotion and marketing.
Who is the customer
The discussion starts with a simple question.
Who is the customer?