Purity
December 8, 2008
There has been a lot of talk recently that Social Media has “jumped the shark”; that promoters and pitchmen have co-opted social media. This might be the case with some industries or specific tools, but I’m not really worried about it.
The reason is simple - social media is a word-of-mouth tool. And word-of-mouth either “purifies” the tool - or finds a new one.
When testimonials started being faked, WOM went to YouTube.
When reviews could know longer be trusted, WOM went to user/community sites.
When traditional media started re-printing press releases, WOM went to blogs.
When MySpace become a promotional tool, WOM went to Facebook.
I believe WOM will purify social media rather than just find a new medium. This is largely due to the nature of social media; where the individual participants get to control who they talk to and how they interact. Brands and people that use social media just as a pitch machine will be rejected by audiences; often by the very tool that was used to “communicate” with them.
The biggest lesson that companies and marketers can learn is that this era of “new marketing” is not really about marketing at all. It is about people talking about the things they love (or hate). That’s why these rules of great brands are so important:
1. They have a purpose; and this purpose inspires the people attached to the brand.
2. They are driven by people – customers, employees, and stakeholders.
3. They grow because of legends; stories told by the people that drive the brand.
4. They are high-integrity organizations that are naturally transparent.
5. They respect heritage, but embrace the future – as such, they are always relevant.
In short, if you don’t purify your brand before participating in social media, WOM will do it for you.
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IMHO, a company’s brand is its promise. I think it was Shakespeare that wrote, “The evil that men do lives after them, but the good is oft interred with their bones.” In other words, one bad experience can do a lot of damage. Damage control becomes an important part of Brand Management. WOM can do that too.