Best Buy Apps

Recently, I was sitting at my optometrist’s office, and noticed that their office had laid out issues of ‘Life’ magazines dating to the 1950’s for patients in the waiting room. How cool is that? As I was reading through them, it struck me as ironic that many of the same issues people were concerned about back then are the same issues we’re concerned about today such as; the military, health care and government (I’m generalizing, as my point isn’t about politics).

But what also struck me as different was the advertising, and how different it is from what we’ve grown accustomed to seeing. The tone in which “brands” spoke to customers was very direct. You should smoke these cigarettes so you’ll be as cool as Arnold Palmer. Or, “this car company” is a brand you can trust because we supply the most aftermarket parts. There are other examples, but the main thing I took away is that these brands were spending a lot of time, effort and money telling consumers why they should trust them, much as brands these days do.

The difference is, these advertisements as they appeared in the 50’s carried more weight because of the relatively small number of places consumers could be influenced. It was hard for people to get a good idea what a product, service or brand was all about unless they told you what they wanted you to think about them. And it seemed that the more influential the “endorsement”, the more believable it was. As someone considering a purchase, you could always ask your neighbor, but consumers still had a limited number of places in which they could research a brand. It was also difficult for customers to figure out if the promises a brand was making were being fulfilled. “Am I the only one who was disappointed that the product didn’t live up to the expectations that were set?”

Today, it’s an understatement to say that media, and consumers have evolved beyond the “Tell Me” age of communication. Smart brands have recognized this shift, and are operating under the impression that not only do they need to “tell” customers about their offerings, they need to show them. “Show Them” might be a code word for “Prove It”, because telling them is no longer enough.

Today’s consumers have and endless supply of research options available to them when it comes to choosing whether they engage (transact) with a brand. Online reviews, community forums, blogs, twitter, 24/7 news, Google search results…there are all sorts of easily trackable digital footprints that give consumers a clear picture of what it’s like to interact with your brand.

Are you treating people right, or is that a new thing for you?
Are you offering a quality product, and have you in the past?
What’s your customer service like, and what did it used to be like?
Does your website suck?

If you offer a product or service these days, somewhere, someone is talking about it. THEY are the ones endorsing your brand, whether it’s good or bad. What it boils down to is whether people believe the promises a brand is making. No longer is it simply a matter of running an ad in Life magazines that tells people to “take our word for it”….They are asking – no, demanding – brands to prove themselves every day, and that’s a good thing for customers, because it forces brands that are listening to start thinking about how to do things differently. How to act like customers expect them to act. How to build experiences that exceed expectations vs. simply meet them. It’s forcing brands to contemplate change, and the speed of adopting those changes in a different way.

Brands are no longer allowed to be in charge, it’s the customer who’s in charge, and that’s the way it should be. The sooner brands realize we’re all in the service business, and that they need to prove themselves every day, the better off we’ll be. What are you doing to make sure you’re listening to your customers? I hope it’s not another focus group.