Bought, Owned, Earned

The world is constantly transforming and these changes are driven by technology. More information will be generated this year than in the previous 5,000 years. There are 31 billion searches on Google every month. Consumers are overloaded with choice.

Technology has had a massive impact on consumers’ everyday lives, on their brand choices and media behaviour.

In a world in which mass media have given way to masses of media, Bought Owned Earned is a framework to understand and manage all consumer touchpoints. It replaces outmoded classifications like “traditional” vs. “digital” and encompasses all managed and unmanaged media. It makes a complex media landscape simple and manageable.

Bought media include all media that you can buy, be they traditional TV or print, online media, paid for sponsorships, or paid for Search.

Owned media are brand-owned properties, from stores, to packaging to brand owned TV programmes to websites.

Earned media are consumer generated. This includes word of mouth, viral and social media.

All three can be made to work together synergistically...

From a consumer point of view, Bought media often reprsent the way in, as they generate awareness and help people shortlist brands. Through Bought media, consumers may be made aware of Owned media, such as a website. They may enter a competition online and Tweet about it, or post their video competition entries on YouTube, generating Earned media. The consumer journey is not linear, but rather a process of investigation, referral and corroboration of brand choice, which often takes them repeatedly between Owned and Earned media.

I presented on the topic of Bought, Owned, Earned at Carat's Future is Now breakfast, held on 20th August at The Establishment. To view the presentation, click here. The presentation will soon be posted on the Carat Australia website.