Consumers desire honesty from brands and they want answers to their questions in Internet time not on what’s best for their internal processes. Brand personality, on social media, has to be unique, but above all brands need to be honest about their mistakes and engage consumers as individuals, not market segments.
What does this really mean for brands? [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=””]They need to stop trying to be cute and stay out of political discussions, but Millennial’s also want brands to be socially responsible[/inlinetweet]. For example, Orio’s campaign around gay rights resonated very well with Millennial’s.
Can brands be “real”?
The answer is yes, but it does involve risk. The voice of your brand on social media has to have a keen understanding of your brand’s personality, but most of all of your customers. The days of hiring an intern to implement your social media are long over. You need someone who is mature and understand the key brand equity elements that add to your brand’s reputation.
The other challenge is to ensure that your processes align around your customers, not the other way around. [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=””] If you have to wait for an approval to answer a question or complaint about your brand on social media you’re going to lose a customer. [/inlinetweet] Customers want answers NOW and don’t want to wait.
