being human harnessing web 2.0

people within marketing are freaked out by the mass of information, concepts, tactics, strategies and technologies around web 2.0

people within marketing are freaked out by the mass of information, concepts, tactics, strategies and technologies around web 2.0

and there is a lot to get your head around

and there is a lot to get your head around

but within this huge mass of ideas, concepts and information there is a single common characteristic which those brands who are succeeding online understand perfectly It is in their blogs their websites their viral campaigns their SEO their analytics their ECRM a single attribute which sets them apart…

but within this huge mass of ideas, concepts and information there is a single common characteristic which those brands who are succeeding online understand perfectly

It is in

their blogs

their websites

their viral campaigns

their SEO

their analytics

their ECRM

a single attribute which sets them apart…

they are all human

they are all

human

… ..how can a brand be more human?

… ..how can a brand be more human?

A famous thinker once described being human like this…. “ He is increasingly a harmony of complex sensings and reactions, rather than being the clarity and simplicity of rigidity.....he accepts others in the same listening, understanding way. He trusts and values the complex inner process of himself....he finds that to be this process in himself is to maximise the rate of change and growth in himself. He is continually engaged in discovering……a growing pride in being sensitive, open and realistic…”

A famous thinker once described being human like this….

“ He is increasingly a harmony of complex sensings and reactions, rather than being the clarity and simplicity of rigidity.....he accepts others in the same listening, understanding way. He trusts and values the complex inner process of himself....he finds that to be this process in himself is to maximise the rate of change and growth in himself. He is continually engaged in discovering……a growing pride in being sensitive, open and realistic…”

Now lets substitute “he” for “brand” and see how it reads…

“ The brand is increasingly a harmony of complex sensings and reactions, rather than being the clarity and simplicity of rigidity.....the brand accepts others in the same listening, understanding way…and finds that to be this process …. maximises the rate of change and growth in itself. The brand is continually engaged in discovering……a growing pride in being sensitive, open and realistic…”

“ The brand is increasingly a harmony of complex sensings and reactions, rather than being the clarity and simplicity of rigidity.....the brand accepts others in the same listening, understanding way…and finds that to be this process …. maximises the rate of change and growth in itself. The brand is continually engaged in discovering……a growing pride in being sensitive, open and realistic…”

So being human as a brand is not about being simple or rigid in your approach its about being flexible and agile

So being human as a brand is not about being simple or rigid in your approach

its about being flexible and agile

Its about accepting, understanding and listening to the good AND the bad

Its about accepting, understanding and listening to the good AND the bad

And its about being sensitive, open and realistic

And its about being sensitive, open and realistic

for a brand being more human is the act of engaging – talking with people, who, through the web are rediscovering their sense of community

for a brand being more human is the act of engaging – talking with people, who, through the web are rediscovering their sense of community

So why now? Before he died Douglas Adams wrote “ We are natural villagers. For most of mankind's history we have lived in very small communities in which we knew everybody and everybody knew us. But gradually there grew to be far too many of us, and our communities became too large and disparate for us to be able to feel a part of them, and our technologies were unequal to the task of drawing us together. But that is changing."

So why now?

Before he died Douglas Adams wrote

“ We are natural villagers. For most of mankind's history we have lived in very small communities in which we knew everybody and everybody knew us. But gradually there grew to be far too many of us, and our communities became too large and disparate for us to be able to feel a part of them, and our technologies were unequal to the task of drawing us together. But that is changing."

Just in case you felt we were underselling this….this is a fundamental, epoch busting se a c ha ng e

Just in case you felt we were underselling this….this is a fundamental, epoch busting

se a c ha ng e

A lot of commentators are focusing on one specific outcome of this - how brands have to focus on “reputation management” (people slagging them off)

A lot of commentators are focusing on one specific outcome of this - how brands have to focus on “reputation management”

(people slagging them off)

If you shout at your kids and your partner is angry do you try to “manage your reputation”? Course you don’t…..you talk, you try and understand why you shouted and then maybe you say sorry…

If you shout at your kids and your partner is angry do you try to “manage your reputation”?

Course you don’t…..you talk, you try and understand why you shouted and then maybe you say sorry…

Part of this new relationship with your customers is about listening to what they don’t like about you But….

Part of this new relationship with your customers is about listening to what they don’t like about you

But….

Its also about laughing with them, talking to them, entertaining them, informing them, telling them no…. it is a dialogue | a conversation | a process

Its also about laughing with them, talking to them, entertaining them, informing them, telling them no….

it is a dialogue | a conversation | a process

so whenever you hear an acronym (SEO, PPC, ABC) you don’t understand Or….

so whenever you hear an acronym

(SEO, PPC, ABC) you don’t understand

Or….

a word you haven’t heard before (folksonomy, semantic web, middleware application layer) Or…

a word you haven’t heard before (folksonomy, semantic web, middleware application layer)

Or…

when you hear about a bit of technology you don’t have the time to use (twitter, pandora, delicious) ask yourself the question…

when you hear about a bit of technology you don’t have the time to use (twitter, pandora, delicious)

ask yourself the question…

how does this help my brand become more human ?

how does this help my brand become more

human ?

Contact mark @ dig for fire mark.bjornsgaard@digforfire.co.uk

Contact mark @ dig for fire mark.bjornsgaard@digforfire.co.uk