It has always been risky for companies to disappoint customers, at least over the long term. Social media make it more urgent than ever that companies get the basics right, developing and reliably delivering on a compelling brand promise. But it’s wrong to think we’re entering a world in which traditional marketing activities, and brands themselves, will become irrelevant. This time, it’s about the supposed end of marketing as we know it, thanks to the rise of social media and the shift of power to consumers. Virgin Atlantic does this by, for example, including travel tips from crew members on its Facebook page communicating with customers on Twitter in rapidly changing situations offering a taxi-sharing system to enhance its brand and maintaining, a site where customers exchange information, stories, and advice.Īs customers experiment with social media, companies should gain customer insights rather than simply try to increase sales, capitalize on the media’s speed and reach while protecting the brand’s reputation, and carefully follow the unwritten rules of customer engagement online.Īs usual, marketers are turning hype into hyperventilation. An equal if less obvious danger is getting distracted by them and losing sight of the fundamentals.īrands should exploit new media’s possibilities to deliver on four basics: offering and communicating a clear customer promise, building trust by delivering on that promise, continuously improving on it, and innovating beyond the familiar. ![]() The obvious danger is failing to keep pace with social media developments. Yet the scale and speed of social media make it urgent to get the branding basics right: Think of the internet-fueled backlash against Dell’s flammable laptops and Kryptonite’s expensive but easily picked lock. It’s wrong to think we’re entering a world in which traditional marketing activities will become irrelevant.
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