The Brand Must Stand on its own Two Feet
I am working on a talk that I will be giving at DMA Days in NY (June 10th at the Javitz center for those attending) concerning the question is social media be used for direct response. My basic thesis is that social media relies on an expanded form of direct response, which I think of as direct engagement. Consumers today want less fluff from a company and more relevant and authentic information from a company. What that is prompting me to explore is the notion that a brand in this socially converse society must stand on its own two feet in order to survive.
Brands who have a less than stellar product will be challenged in an environment where information can be shared, authenticated, and supported by the actual users. I was working on a client problem where they wanted to promote an offer that was (1) not consistent with who they are and (2) touched being a bit hokey. Their desire was to not support the altruistic nature of the offer (giving away something free) but to get buzz. That would be OK if their product was so fantastic and could live up to the buzz. The challenge is when people go and look under the hood they will see an outdated and unsophisticated product. So, no matter what the conversations that will ensue, the product is not able to really support the conversation. That is a challenge.
You cannot underestimate the value of a good product. A good product is the backbone of any relevant consumer engagement. That has to be a place to start...don't you think?
You got it. Word of mouth happens organically when your product or service is good -- or bad. If it's bad, you should be listening to that word of mouth (and not sticking your fingers in your ears) and making the product or service better, not asking an agency to distract people with some silly noise in the corner.
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