Three points to seeking a seat at someone else’s table
Posted on 05. May, 2009 by Jared Degnan in Advertising, Persuasion, Strategy
Marketing has always been a game of trust. Even back to the first door-to-door salesmen the basics were the same: a message had to be constructed, a channel selected and ultimately the consumer had to chose whether or not they were going to listen.
As the so-called “trust economy” emerges as the new currency in marketing, the funny thing is that we’re still in the same scenario. This time, however consumers are more skeptical of the marketers that knock on their door and more demanding of those they allow a seat at their table.
Knowing what we know now about the roots of the economic downturn, this transfer of power may not be such a bad thing. In light of the heightened attention placed on brands, we now see that consumer trust is a surprisingly accurate measure for how things are going inside of a business. Scott Hildebrand of BoldMouth Inc. made an awesome point in a recent discussion that social media, where much of that skepticism is now being voiced, is an excellent barometer of the public perception of a brand.
As the bottom of this downturn comes into focus, businesses must take a serious look at how authenticity and candor fit into their overall strategies and ask themselves; “would I believe what I am selling if I was on the other side of the table?” To that effect, I wanted to draw out three points that I think are important to getting, and then keeping a seat at the table…
Getting In The Door: Work Harder to Hear Every Side of the Story
Whether or not you’re paying attention, consumers are out there talking about your brand and your company. You’ll never know if what they’re talking about is good or even if it’s true unless you’re willing to listen. Offline or online, you have to prepare your business to integrate that information stream into its everyday life through some sort of social media monitoring initiative.
Now, I work with some talented brand managers but the reality of implementing that kind of system is that most marketing strategies are formed over long meetings and deep deliberation. Responding to a constant streams of information runs contrary to much of the ingrained science behind brand management, particularly those who plan their media calendar out a year in advance.
The point is that business have to commit to listening in order for it to do any good. This takes resources and top-level buy-in but it’s a critical first step to getting you in the door with a consumer.
Getting Them To Listen: Take Smarter Risks by Showing your Real Self
Once you’re in, marketers have to give consumers a reason to hear them out. Sometimes, this requires reexaminations of the playbook more often to ask if the “tried and true” is still effective? I’m not just talking about using different platforms like Facebook and Twitter, either. I’m talking about taking more risks with your brand.
Though many marketing executives pride themselves on keeping a tight watch on how their brands are being portrayed, consumers yearn to identify how brands, like themselves may be flawed. It gives them a reason to trust what you’re saying because they know that the spin is being tempered with some healthy, smart candor about your brands and your products. In fact, one of the most compelling messages may yet be that your product may not be right for everyone.
Again, the point is don’t keep your brand under glass Talk up the things that make your brand tick. Pull back the curtain from time to time and remind consumers that you run a business, not a museum and the reason that they should trust you is that you trust them with your brand.
Engage Them at the Table: Start a Dialogue About the Possible
Finally, once the consumer has let you stay, it’s time for you to give them a reason to let you have a long-term seat at their table. Like any good guest in a conversation, this requires both give and take.
On one hand: you have to think about the conversation in terms of continual value. How much do you really know about the consumer? How would a Customer Relationship Management program enhance your ability to serve them? On the other hand; how much of your brand or product’s future is bring directly shaped by your consumers? Providing a forum for feedback is critical to enhance that feeling of ownership and with ownership, you get loyalty.
In the end, if the trust economy is about anything it’s working harder, responding faster and being more transparent than ever before. In fact, it takes dedicated marketing talent and an eye for organizational opportunity to push larger brands out of their comfort zone. In the end though, it’s about building your brand into something more than a product on a shelf. It’s about creating a strategy defies competitive encroachment because you’ve formed a relationship with the consumer.
It’s a slow process, much more so than selling things door to door. For those that are willing to knock incessantly though, the rewards are there.
Technorati Tags: BoldMouth, brands, CRM, seat at the table, social media, social media monitoring, transparency
