The Mass Rail Transit as Marketing Ecosystem

Perhaps there is not better example of what potentially can be a marketing ecosystem unto itself than the local mass rail transit system.

Let's go back to our perhaps overly simplistic characterization of a marketing ecosystem: where buyers and sellers meet, interact and transact.

The mass rail transit system is one such place.

Take for instance our own MRT here in Metro Manila.

We've got a 13-stop system that snakes through 16.9 kilometers of the metropolis' main artery feeding consumers to at least 5 major malls connected to 4 of its stations (not even counting those that are a short walk away).

The system hosts 400,000 rider-consumers each day, with each one staying there for some 20 minutes, including time spent going up to the platforms, lining up for tickets, waiting for the train, riding it, and getting down the exit station.

What can you do with 20 minutes of someone's life? Can you introduce a product? Invite a rider-consumer to try it? Close a sale? Given the proper access and the right tools, you certainly can.

Taking this perspective, the Metro Manila MRT can be viewed as a veritable marketing ecosystem, a living context where a marketer and his 400,000 rider-consumers can meet, interact and transact.

I recently signed a consultancy with the MRT's exclusive marketing arm, Trackworks, precisely because its ownership subscribes to the very same perspective.

After all, in this age of Cluttered Media, how many media vehicles (ooops, no pun intended!) can actually carve out 20 precious minutes in the lives of 400,000 consumers?

So, this is where we start our journey. This blog is about the concept of a marketing ecosystem, and how marketers should seriously consider these as legitimate media and sales options. Read on to find out whether our Big Idea will be validated, or will go up in smoke.

The Marketing Ecosystem

We've heard it all before. We are an overly-communicated society. There is so much communication clutter. We are seeing the death of advertising as we know it.

Because of the above, concepts such as out-of-home media, intercept marketing, personal media networks have gained favor among marketers.

I was struck though when a few years back I spotted an article on the online community of fans of the Grateful Dead. (Sorry, I don't have the link to that right now.) The piece sang the praises of a community of like-minded individuals as a marketing dream.

Fast forward to 2006, and my resume now contains stints as broadcaster, advertising suit, PR practitioner, radio and TV producer, recruitment guy, media salesman and payment solutions strategist.

From this mixed bag of experiences, came the question: wouldn't it be great if you could bring together buyers and sellers in one place, and get them to meet, interact and transact?

And my new fascination with Marketing Ecosystems was born. The idea, I'm sure, is not original. Heck, marketplaces have been in existence for thousands of years.

But given the complexities of commerce in a technology-driven world, the need to look at fostering Marketing Ecosystems seems timely. Using the debater's argument, employing the concept is Practicable, Necessary and Beneficial. At least for the Philippines and for Filipinos, I see some applications. Now, whether that's just a third-world aberration, I have yet to find out.

This blog will take you through my own journey, as we try to experiment with the concept in three marketing ecosystems that are within our influence: the mass rail transit system here in Metro Manila, our Internet radio station and our video portal.