I love this synopsis:
The primary message to marketers during the two day event was, number one, LISTEN to the ongoing conversation, enabled by blogs, chat rooms, forums, IM, Wikis, podcasting, social networks and innumerable other methods with which consumers can achieve a voice as powerful and widespread as marketers, number two, JOIN the conversation by participating in these new media and three, do not attempt to CONTROL the conversation with bullhorn marketing communications methods of old. That's over. That's so over. Deal with it and move one. Oh, and number four, leave the LAWYERS out of this. If a marketer has an issue with a person denigrating the brand, speak with that person like a normal human being and find out why that person is saying what he is saying. Don't slap a ceases and desist on his ass because all he'll do is post that cease and desist on his blog making the brand look even more stupid, idiotic and out of touch with reality.
"...do not attempt to CONTROL the conversation with bullhorn marketing communications methods of old. That's over. That's so over. Deal with it and move on...."
This is a very powerful statement. I'm currently reading a book called "The Death of Advertising and the Rise of Public Relations". The author seems to feel the same way. As he sees it, advertising for example, has lost most of its voice...its credibility...and its influence. Marketers must seek to identify other channels to successfully communicate with their publics. Move on...
Thanks for a great post.
Posted by: Scott Cohen | October 20, 2005 at 01:15 PM