All my good marketing, brand-building work can be easily undone by those that flock together in blogs, forums and newsgroups. One great example is Nike, who has been under attack for using Asian sweatshops to produce their apparels.

 

It would be my worst nightmare that such a think happens, but what can marketers learn from that? Today, more than 80% use the Web somewhere in the buying and decision process. Sites like www.epinion.com give our customers an excellent platform. Such well-known sites can be watched, but should I react to a negative, or even untrue, review? Or what if a famous blogger has made my brand the center of his evil thoughts?

 

Like in my social life, I have accepted the fact that I can’t be everybody’s friend, but as long as I am honest and open about what I do and what I feel there is no way that others can really hurt me.

And I can use all those new platforms to communicate with stakeholders, question is if that is my Marketing job, or should the PR-guy be responsible for that?

 

"You've got to find some way of saying it without saying it." -- Duke Ellington

PR, buzz, hype , spin (doctors), etc, etc, are all words that are definitely out right now.  They've all become associated with the negative side of "milking" media to further one's selfish goals; whether a government, a corporation or an individual.  It is perceived as the masking of reality, especially by the technology-enabled teens and young-adults of today.  PR as it was/is taught in b-schools and we know it today is part of outdated model of communications.  This model is centralized, with a hub from which a single, tightly-controlled message is projected.  Anybody remember 1984, by George Orwell?

What has made the old model old, is precisely technology.  Today, anyone can see right through the spin and the buzz.  Technology today is as widely available and easy to use/enjoy as a Pepsi.  This has levelled the playing field and is starting to make the world a more transparent and honest place.   It makes anyone with £1 in their pocket a potential communicator, editor, investigator and potential endorser on the internet.

In a world of personal disbelief, nothing goes further than the endorsement of others.  However, given the dispbelief you will need a huge number of endorsers to your cause, your brand or yourself...

The question is, taking into account Duke's quote at the beginning, how can I get others to talk for me?  It's about open-sourcing yourself.  Let others define what you (your cause) are and what you could be.  After all, the creativity of millions on-line is probably just a bit greater than your own.

To my great pleasure I have been able to gather a wonderful team of authors for this blog show. You ...   more »

“Help people feel good, look good and get more out of life”. Maybe some of you still remember this brilliant example of corporate waffle. It’s Unilever, launching its new logo in 2004.   more »