A Friendly Reminder from the Universe
August 18th, 2008
Or, should I say, your customers – and even your employees – universes.
Even in this new age of Web 2.0 and beyond, we have do-dad after do-dad after do-dad to “connect” with customers. And my fear (and what I’m seeing) is that more and more companies are applying their old ad mentality to the new world tools and trying to make YouTube, Facebook, blogs and the like, just another one-way communication tool and jam it into the machine. But now they can say one of two things: 1) “But look! We have a blog, too! We’re participating in the conversation!” or 2) “See? We tried that Web 2.0 stuff and it doesn’t work.”
What’s been forgotten is the basic principle that we all learned from the beginning: We cannot be the center of anybody’s universe. They will not rotate around it. Fixate on it. Or make their lives all about your product or service. But what we CAN hope to achieve is to become included in their universe. To be a part of it. To fit within their lives. It’s a common thing to hear around here that “it’s not how that customer fits into brand X. It’s about how brand X fits into that customer’s life.
Yes, a very simple principle, but one that we can’t lose sight of… no matter how cool the do-dads get.
Other posts by Spike.
dave says:
Hey Spike, Dave here. I now officially owe you a drink. Another spot on post, and you already know what I have to say about forcing your way into marketing/social niches so I wont say it.
But I owe you a drink for this:
http://unfilterd.com/post/46431035/spike-jones-srs-bsns
New blog went live this weekend, and while surfing the net this morning, I noticed something and simply had to give you the props you deserve. You’re my hero.
August 18th, 2008 at 8:44 amSpike says:
Dave,
You are FAR too kind with your words, but I’m not one to pass up a free drink, either.
Many thanks!
August 18th, 2008 at 11:16 ambilly says:
What a post!
August 18th, 2008 at 11:34 amRob Williams says:
You are dead on with this. I’m seeing the same thing and it bugs me. Each tool should be used well. What you’re talking about is essentially an abuse of the tools/applications.
August 18th, 2008 at 3:03 pmkamran says:
Right on, brother!
August 18th, 2008 at 3:37 pmConnectedness has to equal a two way conversation- and you guys always have a great and lively dialog going on.
It looks like the late adopters just copied and pasted an article -or worse, for their blogs and do-dads. Tacked on, nothing new.
So many of them ( I am included in that group, I am shamefaced to say) have nothing more than a monologue, with no comments at all.
I will work on it, though- gotta get compelling content or nothing.
Beth says:
So true and easily overlooked. Many do as kamran said with copied and pasted articles. I am a small, one woman show in my business, just starting out. It took me some time to realize my niche in a rather saturated industry and central to it is my customer’s experience and my role in helping them to create it. I recently started my blog and listened to the advice of someone more experienced in online sales who strongly recommended that I do all that I can not to use my blog to simply “pimp my shop”. I strive to develop relationships and connect with my customers and readers through it and expose myself a bit to encourage that connection. Some days it’s easier than others. Big or small it’s critical to maintain a real voice and not fall into an automated release.
August 18th, 2008 at 7:47 pmThe Boring Old Backbone « my thoughts, exactly. says:
[...] real or imagined) espouse this notion that all brands can be such. It was, therefore, nice to read Brain on Fire Spike’s comments yesterday on this subject: What’s been forgotten is the basic principle that we all learned from [...]
August 19th, 2008 at 8:38 aminnerspaeth » Blog Archive » An example of non-navel gazing. says:
[...] the heel’s of Spike’s recent post from the Brains on Fire Blog, this Royal Bank of Canada (henceforth RBC) spot shows THEY GET IT!!! [...]
August 19th, 2008 at 9:56 am