So many companies have ventured into social media (and more will continue to) — Pete's already documented the efforts. But one of the biggest problems we see is that companies implement an initiative and watch to see what happens. And it simply doesn't work very well. Think about what you would look like if you behaved like a brand. Imagine a party with a group of people standing together talking. You walk up, introduce yourself,...Read on

I was recently doing some research for work and I stumbled upon the 12 step programs, particularly that of Alcoholics Anonymous. As I read through the steps I started thinking about where marketing is today. Marketing has a problem, and perhaps the best first step is admitting it. So in the spirit of the AA 12 step program, here's a version for marketers. We admit that we are powerless over our customers — our traditional...Read on

To begin, when I say "product" I mean "that which is produced." It could be an artifact (iPhone, coffee mug), a service (online banking, car repair), an environment (hotel room, furniture store), or an experience (theme park, World Series). We all spend a lot of time talking about how the commercial application of social media is really about marketing. Any corporate effort in social media usually lies in the hands for the marketers, all of...Read on

How should a company participate in social media? It's one of the most perplexing issues facing companies today. The trends are clear: people increasingly interact with one another online, amplified by social technologies. But once a company steps in, bad things typically happen. The problem? Firms always place their own needs ahead of their own and they can only think about their product as the subject matter. It's this egoistic approach that turns people off....Read on