Sometimes being wrong feels so right.
Truth and candor are in short supply these days. Perhaps it’s always been this way, but it sure seems like there’s an awful lot of politicians, celebrities, and athletes that have been unmasked as liars and losers.
Soon we’ll have someone taking steroids while cavorting with hookers and debating health care legislation.
But amidst this icky zeitgeist another trend has emerged: Humble Companies.
Not long ago, it would have been nearly unthinkable for a major American corporation to proactively admit it was less that perfect, that its products were anything short of myrrh, or that any of its employees were other than a straight-toothed, sympathetic Adonis.
But now, the admission of suckiness is brand currency.
Domino’s is being lauded for a multi-million dollar campaign that very specifically claims its former pizza recipe was terrible.
Zappos, BestBuy, Comcast and dozens of other companies purposefully provide customer service via Twitter and other social outposts, allowing anyone with an Internet connection the option of tuning in to their shortcomings.
And snack and beverage companies are in danger of pulling a hamstring in their rush to admit their customers are better marketers, as Vitamin Water, Mountain Dew, and Doritos have all fully crowd sourced components of advertising or product development.
Ford decided to forego the test track and let YouTube celebrities tell us what they really think about the new Fiesta in an uncensored, engaging format that makes market research into Web-based reality TV.
What the hell?
I never thought I’d see a day when corporations were the most trustworthy and forthright among us, but it draws nigh.
Maybe admitting you don’t have all the answers is all the social media and marketing strategy you need?
(Happy Bunny is a creation of Jim Benton)
Social media is just expanding. It does make business more honest and ethical. Social media is a very fun way to interact and share knowledge and products. http://funnybunnymedia.com
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