In the July 14 AdWeek article, Why Brands Need a New Kind of Leader, Brian Morrissey discussed why companies need to have a social media expert to lead and control the customer engagement strategies in the social media environment. In the article, Brian discusses two major companies, Ford and PepsiCo, and how they have hired social media experts to run successful customer engagement campaigns. The article really opened my eyes to the lack of participation of the major companies and brands to engage with the customer. Why should the company be afraid of individual customer interaction?
The advances in social media and how it is utilized in marketing strategies have given the consumer a voice and a desire to actually communicate with their favorite or prospective brands in an intimate way. The consumer needs to have the knowledge and understanding that the particular brand will be the best fit for their lifestyle. What a better way to show the consumer that you are the better brand, than on this intimate stage. So, with the tremendous benefits of this type of communication, why are so many companies reluctant to embrace these new technologies? Is it the lack of metrics? The uncertainty of the outcome? The fear of messing up these intimate relationships?
Social media is here to stay and should be viewed as an ally rather than an enemy. The Internet is quickly becoming a point of sale platform where customers are researching and molding their purchase decision by engaging with other consumers, brands, and information resources. Being able to engage the customer on an intimate level at the point of decision is one of the most powerful forms of marketing. Listen, learn, and engage your customer for your brands success.
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