Understanding the chemistry of communicating effectively to an audience that is connected and engaged interactively in real time

As social media and mobile technology enable consumers to have more time to engage with brands, the need to provide and leverage relevant and meaningful content has moved centre stage. But what do we mean by relevant and meaningful? Because of the nature of social network connectivity, all marketing communication, including traditional mass advertising, has essentially a real-time live audience that stretches across social network platforms. Although gaining some power over such an audience is a challenge, one can learn much from stand-up comedians. In fact, comedic brilliance is built on principles that delineate relevant and meaningful engagement in real time. This paper explores what it takes to create a remarkable, and hence memorable, live performance and as such provides guidelines on how brands should engage with audiences in the era of digital connectivity.