I choose not to listen to any of that. I love being out there on the front lines, listening to what others are saying, engaging with others in the industry or who are foodies, etc. I also have no doubts about our quality. If someone isn’t having a positive experience, I want to know about it before everyone else does.

I’ve never expected anything from social media, nevermind expecting the worse, and have only been rewarded so far.

Justin Levy’s last blog post..Have You Always Wanted Your Own Personal Chef?

I choose not to listen to any of that. I love being out there on the front lines, listening to what others are saying, engaging with others in the industry or who are foodies, etc. I also have no doubts about our quality. If someone isn’t having a positive experience, I want to know about it before everyone else does.

I’ve never expected anything from social media, nevermind expecting the worse, and have only been rewarded so far.

Justin Levy’s last blog post..Have You Always Wanted Your Own Personal Chef?

A client once told me, “It’s easier to get Finance to approve a $30 million increase in ad spend, than a $3 million budget for customer communication.”

Customers, especially heavy category users, are already talking about their experiences. Don’t believe me, do a sentiment search on Twitter. Some of the comments will be bad but, and this may come as a surprise, a lot will be good. Regardless, knowing is important, doing something about it is more important.

It is also profitable. Current customers, especially your best customers, are your business. Keeping them happy, especially in a recession, is vital. It’s your loyal customers who will help you survive.

Social Media can be an efficient tool to do this. It allows the marketer to create value for customers that goes beyond the functional benefits of products. This is what creates brands. Otherwise you have a product with a name and there isn’t any reason why your customer shouldn’t jump for your competitor’s promotion.

And all this from an agency guy

James’s last blog post..Warning – Art Direction Run Amok

A client once told me, “It’s easier to get Finance to approve a $30 million increase in ad spend, than a $3 million budget for customer communication.”

Customers, especially heavy category users, are already talking about their experiences. Don’t believe me, do a sentiment search on Twitter. Some of the comments will be bad but, and this may come as a surprise, a lot will be good. Regardless, knowing is important, doing something about it is more important.

It is also profitable. Current customers, especially your best customers, are your business. Keeping them happy, especially in a recession, is vital. It’s your loyal customers who will help you survive.

Social Media can be an efficient tool to do this. It allows the marketer to create value for customers that goes beyond the functional benefits of products. This is what creates brands. Otherwise you have a product with a name and there isn’t any reason why your customer shouldn’t jump for your competitor’s promotion.

And all this from an agency guy

James’s last blog post..Warning – Art Direction Run Amok

Back in the days when there was substantial advertising in newspapers especially in the Sunday insert section, one day there began a brewing consternation that an advertiser wanted to insert a condom in the Sunday inserts of the newspaper.

A what? A condom! OMG

So the general manager called an immediate emergency meeting in his office to deal with the issue, discuss how much revenue was at stake, the community reaction etc.

After several minutes, someone asked, “Can we see it? What does it look like?

A throughly reasonable question under the circumstances.

So a call went out to advertising to bring the condom up to the top floor for show and tell.

A short time later, an administrative assistant from the advertising department arrived at the general manager’s office aghast at the sudden importance and amount of top brass in the room.

She quickly unveiled the item, a packet of mayonnaise.

That’s not a condom! That’s a condiment! cried the general manager.

The meeting quickly dispersed leaving the issue of squishing the mayonnaise in the inserting machine to the poor folks in the mailroom..

Back in the days when there was substantial advertising in newspapers especially in the Sunday insert section, one day there began a brewing consternation that an advertiser wanted to insert a condom in the Sunday inserts of the newspaper.

A what? A condom! OMG

So the general manager called an immediate emergency meeting in his office to deal with the issue, discuss how much revenue was at stake, the community reaction etc.

After several minutes, someone asked, “Can we see it? What does it look like?

A throughly reasonable question under the circumstances.

So a call went out to advertising to bring the condom up to the top floor for show and tell.

A short time later, an administrative assistant from the advertising department arrived at the general manager’s office aghast at the sudden importance and amount of top brass in the room.

She quickly unveiled the item, a packet of mayonnaise.

That’s not a condom! That’s a condiment! cried the general manager.

The meeting quickly dispersed leaving the issue of squishing the mayonnaise in the inserting machine to the poor folks in the mailroom..