Comments on: Relationship? Relationship?! Sorry, Corporations, Consumers Just Aren’t That Into You

By: Lu (Organic Gnome)

Lu (Organic Gnome) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:04:13 +0000

Very well put, Freddy! Perhaps the S(t)upreme Court will eventually rule that groups of fans of corporations qualify as people too, to promote corporations’ interests even further. Maybe then there will be a reason to follow them & act like we have relationships with them? Until then (and probably even then), I don’t think so. Thanks again for sharing your wonderful perspectives! :-)

By: Stephan G. Kouzomis

Stephan G. Kouzomis — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:32:35 +0000

Aren’t you really diminishing the corporate thought of having shoppers / consumers / loyal users feel that they have, – and believe in- a warm and fussy moment when thinking of a brand and its products.

Surely, there is a difference in buying wire fencing for the back yard, or nails for putting up a fence, vs. a Scotchgard item that will preserve my leather couch and its ‘old
looking’ appearance!

And for the generations that live on electronic
devices and the many offerings of the internet, you better find a ‘warm and fussy’ venue in their minds.

Or, we are back to the ‘commodity’ view of all internet programs, devices, etc.

As, we all know, the Generations of X, Y, etc. are
not easy to please. So for the Brands that are embrassed by these Gens, the ‘warm and fussy’ moment is closer to reality than the ‘no’ relationship offered by some of the commentators.

Freddy’s Comment: Stephan, I’m not exactly clear on what you’re saying, but if you’re asking if there’s a place for likable branding in the marketplace, then you’re absolutely right. I help my clients develop attractive brands that generate goodwill, long-term loyalty and referrals. I love great brands.

I also believe in strong CRM programs where relevant — and that’s the key. Customer relationship management is not always relevant.

The point of this post was to mock the widespread notion — perpetuated mostly by social media consultants and agencies — that all companies need to create relationships with their customers. In reality, only a few companies should bother. The rest can waste their time and money on social media to try to build relationships, only to discover that most customers just don’t care.

Of the hundreds of products, services and brands you contact each and every day — from your toothpaste to your electric company — how many do you want a stronger relationship with?

By: David

David — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:39:36 +0000

Fast forward 10 years into the future… when consumers of the world are united in their virtual communities and aggregated buying groups… corporations’ marketing departments will spend more time paying consumers for their attention (to research our needs) and to win our attention (when we are ready to buy) something useful and relevant…

We are entering an age when consumers rule.

Angies List and e-Bay models will dominate… reputations from corporations and professionals will have to be earned by customers who vote.

Forget invasive ads, relationships (whatever that means)… the future of commerce, especially e-commerce will probably resemble what a few us envision as customer-centric infomediaries (credit McKinsey & Company).

By: Dejan

Dejan — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:08:11 +0000

I so wanna be you when I grow up, Freddy :)