Advergirl notes “Doc’s VRM sounds way hard. I don’t want to manage my relationship with Target or write a RFP for a blender. I don’t have an acquisition dept.” (via Doc Searls) about VRM.
At first I agreed with her and then I turned it around and thought; you do have an RFP. Everytime you spend time researching which blender to buy you end up with an RFP. Price, features, location, colour etc. The difference is that you looked at three or four websites to find the one that matched the RFP in your head.
Or use this example (and I hope Advergirl doesn’t take this as sexist); shoes. If Advergirl is looking for shoes she has a notion of they must be red, small heeled, open topped, large buckle and suitable for summer (my girlfriend just bought shoes like this.)
Unconsciously we build RFPs in our heads when we look into buying something. Calling it an RFP is a bad idea but the concept is the same. One real problem though is the process of arriving at the RFP. By shopping around the RFP is built up in bits in reaction to what is available. You weren’t sure if you wanted red or blue but then on looking in a fashion store you found out that blue is this summer’s colour and so your RFP changes to stipulate “must be blue.” Most official RFPs are more intentioned than that, they are formed and sent out before they may change a bit to reflect the market.
We tend not to notice how much work our current marketplaces are. VRM may not be less work but you at least get to control the conversation.
Add New Comment
Thanks. Your comment is awaiting approval by a moderator.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Add New Comment
Trackbacks
(Trackback URL)