Though Renegade coined the phrase “marketing as service” we elected not to apply for a service mark. Our thinking was along the lines of IBM when they coined “e-business” and encouraged its use so that they could be at the center of a new industry. In effect, we are prepared to “license” the term marketing as service at no cost to any communications professional who can enhance the movement. So you can imagine how exciting it us for us to see the term proliferate.
This report from the licensing show by AdAge reporter Michael Stone is an interesting case in point:
Corporate licensing isn’t just for consumer package goods. An emerging trend at this year’s Expo is corporate licensing for services. Travelocity is an excellent example. Exhibiting at the show for the first time, the commodity business is looking to build customer loyalty, differentiate itself from the competition, and expand beyond the web and into consumers’ “real” lives. The brand is thus actively prospecting travel product and service licensees in the categories of mobile electronics, youth hostels, full-service organized tours and airport hot-spot lounges, among others. These brand extensions show the breadth and unique capability of licensing to provide consumers with a useful tool they can trust.
Don’t just brand there — do something
When licensing is used like this, it seems remarkably similar to the concepts of “brand utility,” “marketing as a service” or “marketing with meaning” — all of which are gaining attention in the marketing world. Is there any better example of marketing as a service than UPS offering consumers a GPS system (a category it is actively pursuing at this year’s Expo), brought to you through the power of licensing?In fact, it could be argued that licensing represents the ultimate form of marketing as service, since the licensed products (or services) are actually bought by the consumer in a retail setting. This is among the reasons the industry is gaining serious momentum with today’s marketers.
Obviously, licensing isn’t right for every client nor does it always represent a marketing as service opportunity. That said, licensing can certainly be a quick source for a service that can add value to a customer relationship.