Does your company generate collateral gain?
We are all familiar with the term collateral damage. Surprisingly, its antonym collateral gain, besides in the financial sector, is not commonly used, let alone properly defined. And that, if you ask me, is a missed opportunity. I happily devote myself to putting collateral gain in the spotlights.
Definition
In essence, collateral gain refers to any kind of complimentary profit for (an) individual(s) or entity which is either unknowingly, unintentionally and/or unexpectedly generated by another individual or entity. In case this complementary profit is generated unknowingly and unexpectedly, it often goes unnoticed unless the fortunate recipient(s) step forward and disclose their gain. Beware that it is not upon the actor who accidentally generates collateral gain to decide whether the profit actually qualifies as collateral gain. Collateral gain is like beauty; it is in the eye of the beholder. Let me explain this to you with an example from my field of work.
Collateral gain in comedy
During a Comedy Walk, a walking comedy show with the city as the stage, collateral gain could materialise as follows. A stand-up comedian guides a group of people around a city and shares his/her best comedy in the public space. Obviously, in the public space there are numerous other people who do not participate in the Comedy Walk. Think of people heading for work, walking their dog, running errands, or just random tourists. Now picture this: occasionally, during a Comedy Walk, a joke goes over the head of the audience and ‘hits’ an innocent bystander. If this bystander cracks up and laughs out loud or even grins I would assert that collateral gain has most likely been achieved. [if your imagination capacity runs low today, see image]. So, what about yourself? Do you generate collateral gain?
About the author: Laura Daniëlle Kok knows very little about social media marketing. She writes blogs and articles that are fun to read but don’t really help you set up or run a business. She will probably never write a book. Nevertheless, she is co-founder of Comedy Walks and organises hilarious walking comedy shows with the city as the stage. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Or follow Comedy Walks on Facebook or Instagram.