Conversations that Count are the ones we prize and the ones we return to again and again because they continue to deliver value to both parties.

Value can be as seemingly trivial as a chuckle. Maybe a source of conversation is around the ubiquitous water cooler, or a spot-on product recommendation or bargain find. Anything. Value depends on you, where you are, what you’re doing and what you need. Nothing new there.

Conversations are personal, one-to-one. They have a spark, a reason to exist. They’re about something I’m interested in. They can be put down and picked up without the thread being lost and the best snowball into something bigger, deeper – a friendship, a relationship.

Much has been written about the need for brands to learn from and engage with their audiences through conversations, which we won’t revisit here. We believe that brands can take part in Conversations that Count by thinking differently, by moving away from the quarterly campaign with attendant microsite and DM – towards ongoing conversations based around a value exchange that evolves over time through interaction and engagement.

Conversations that Count take advantage of the perfect storm that sees the convergence of digital-savvy PR, Content, Social Media and Data. It is time for Experiential, Relationship and Direct Marketing to sit up and take the stage. Who else is better placed to help brands find, understand and engage with people across multiple channels and over long periods of time?