Citizen Marketers

Recent Brandweek magazines have been discussing the power of consumers in delivering messages about a brand. This includes standard word of mouth, blogs, and now (and increasingly)consumer generated videos via YouTube.

These methods have proven to be extremely powerful. Take for example, the "Ipod's Dirty Secret" that was mentioned in class a few lessons ago. Here we have a video that blew up and ultimately forced Apple to implement a battery replacement plan. The origin of this plan can be pin-pointed to one consumer who effectively voiced his opinion.

Another example includes the Comcast video that was mentioned in the December 4th edition of Brandweek (titled Giving Up Control and Other Scary Lessons). A college student was frustrated with continous internet connectivity problems and finally was able to make an appointment for a technician to come over. Once there, the technician needed to confirm details with customer service but was put on hold for over an hour. Sitting on the couch, the technician could not help but fall asleep due to the extensive time he was put on hold. After getting over 750,000 hits on YouTube and national media attention, the Vice President of Comcast acknowledged the negative implications this was causing to the Comcast brand. He ultimately decided to personally visit the college student with a group of technicians to fix the problem, and show that Comcast really does care.

The point of the preceding examples is to highlight how powerful consumers and consumer generated media can be. Companies acknowledge this and have already found it to their best interest to start producing their own viral videos; take for example Smirnoff's teapartay video which has become popular. This video is harmless. But what happens when companies start disguising themeselves as actual consumers? This poses obvious ethical questions that can harm a company's brand image if found guilty.

The same ethical question applies to traditional word of mouth. Companies are now "paying" consumers in certain ways (coupouns, sneek peek at future products, etc)in exchange for these consumers to put out a positive word for them. Is this ethical? Personally I don't think so.

In class we were shown a video demonstrating poor Sony customer-service. At the end of the video HP computers were being praised as a better product. THis makes me wonder whether the video is made by an average consumer or by HP, disguised as a consumer to increase credibility and effectiveness. Next time a "consumer" generated video disgracing a brand, or even applauding a brand, is blown into popularity ask yourself if it really is a consumer behind it all. I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't.


-John Lewis