I’m beginning to notice a peculiar social networking phenomenon. My interest in hearing what global brands have to say for themselves is diminishing… and quite fast too.
It’s not that I’ve lost my desire for knowing about new products, (unfortunately, that’s the bane of a gadget & media maniac), but how I go about getting the “knowing” that’s changed.
I don’t want their hype, their sales trickery or their commercials interrupting my nine o’clock film (unless, of course, their commercials are really cool!). No, I just want the facts and excellent product images represented on an out-of-this-world website.
And now I want something else that they can’t do…
I want the opinions of everyday people who have already bought the product. I want the down and dirty on the delayed deliveries, the faulty functionality and the abysmal customer service. And what do my friends think? What do my followers say? What reviews are available on expert sites? Only then, when I’m totally satisfied, does a product make it onto my Amazon Wish List.
This can and will be very scary for the big brands. The voice of the customer is the new marketing department, but for those that listen it will lead the way to better products and improved customer realtionships.
Henry Ford once said, “People can have the Model T in any colour, as long as it’s black.”
How out of touch he would be with the online world of today.
