Brand, Be Bold. Brand, Be Quick.

I’ve written about how I think a brand should approach social media (See ‘A Brand Walks Into A Party‘). I find that many brands are afraid to open a conversation with consumers. This leads to stifled social media strategies and formulaic ‘safe’ content that won’t ruffle any feathers. Well, if it won’t get a response, it won’t get engagement either. At the same time, every brand claims to want a ‘personal connect’ with its customers. Brand managers dream of having an actual relationship with their consumers. Why don’t they see that these go hand-in-hand?  You cannot have a relationship with someone who is afraid of you. Relationships are about impacting each other, touching, sometimes displeasing but always engaging with each other.

I wrote a post on my other blog about my complex relationship with a product and the brand that has served me this product for 20 years. The reason I feel like I have an actual relationship with this brand is not because of their superior product. It’s because they have always spoken to me. And with the incident that sparked off that post, it shows they listen too and are not afraid to come back with an answer, retort or repartee.

This, by the way, is not a sponsored post. I’m linking to this post here as an illustration of great social content/conversation by a brand. The post is called ‘I Have A Bloody Relationship With My Pad‘.