Participant Marketing

Participant Marketing is a contemporary marketing philosophy inspired by the principles of Self-determination Theory (SDT) a macro theory of human motivation and personality. The term “Participant Marketing” was first published in 2008 as a reaction to the changing media landscape.
Overview
Until recently, marketing has been considered a passive activity. New technologies such as online search, social media, and digital video have greatly changed the media and marketing landscape, and allow greater interaction between brands and their customers. Marketing Executive Daina Middleton, CEO of Performics, refers to this new era of marketing as “The Participation Age” and has coined the term “Participant Marketing” as a result.
Participant Marketing can be summarized by the following quote by Middleton “Participant Marketing is a new marketing philosophy that transforms uninformed consumers into active participants by empowering them to contribute, and by developing meaningful relationships that keep them involved.”
Relationship To Self Determination Theory
Some of the early explorers of human motivation include Aristotle, Sigmund Freud, Geoffrey Nunberg, and Abraham Maslow. Thomas W. Malone and Mark R. Lepper defined intrinsically motivating activities as those in which people will engage for no reward other than the their own interest and the enjoyment that accompanies them. More recently, key studies by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan from the University of Rochester codified Self-Determination Theory as a broad framework for the study of human motivation and personality.
Participant Marketing applies this research to marketing by using these theories of human motivation to inform marketers. Participant marketers provide information and opportunities that empower human participants to engage and develop meaningful relationships that keep them involved. It encourages participants to share information or contribute their own, with the goal to nurture participation rather than just deliver a persuasive message.
Examples of Participant Marketing
The 2013 Superbowl featured several examples of participant marketing. Most of these the brands employed crowdsourcing and social media to engage their audiences. Ford brand Lincoln Motor Company created a commercial based on tweets from consumers and promoted by Jimmy Fallon, where users were able to interact with the brand, Fallon and each other around a hashtag. Coca-Cola also allowed users to vote on the outcome of an extended commercial spot.
Benefits of Participant Marketing
Increased Sales and Loyalty: Customer engagement has been shown to increase loyalty and sales.
Improved ability to prove ROI: Because participant marketing tends to include social media marketing and online marketing tactics, user behavior is easily tracked making return on investment easier to prove.

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