Let’s hear it for the average brands

I recently read a very interesting article, on how the internet is churning out by-products of the inexperienced, whereby you no longer have to become an expert or an authority on something to be heard ; you just have to know how to create a Tumblr or upload a youtube video. The author concludes, and I tend to agree, that this is actually an incredible thing, as the internet has enabled us to share our experiences as we learn and, hopefully, learn from others as we do so. It’s a fascinating concept, so what happens when you apply it to brands?

I want to take a closer look at the benefit that the internet (specifically social media) has afforded those average brands – the brands that aren’t quite there yet, that are young and developing, that are still prone to making mistakes. Can these organisations use social media to change the way they do things? Firstly, let’s set something straight…

Social media won’t save you

I want to examine here the benefits of social technologies to a brand that you typically wouldn’t have got to hear about unless you walked past their shop window. What I’m not advocating is that all failing, small or average brands use social media in the hope that it will save them. No. If you have a rotten product at the core, people will still think it’s rotten even if you’ve got a Facebook page. They’ll just say it on there instead. But what social media does have the power to do is to guide your brand, if you listen to what people are saying. This is one of the most fascinating (and, admittedly dangerous) things about bringing your average brand online. The technologies and channels available through social media have meant that the smallest or average brands can get right in front of their target consumers and build hype online, you just need a bit of smarts about you. There are both clear advantages and disadvantages to this.

The first thing to tackle when talking about how the internet has benefited the average brands, is of course, the democratic state of the web. In much the same way that Powazek discusses the fact that you see an awful lot of dross before you get to the good stuff online, the same can be said of brands’ websites. You no longer need to afford a physical premise to serve your customers, you can do it all online for free. While this has bought us some excellent web-based brands in the small business bracket – Wiggly Wigglers for example, this has also clearly bought us some absolute rubbish.

The great thing is however, that as the brand owner, you can choose to listen to what people are saying about your brand and, importantly, act accordingly. The social web has opened up a dialogue with your consumers, which may never before have been possible. It’s what you do with this information that counts.

Knowing when to listen, and when not to

One of the more difficult thing for younger, average brands, is knowing when to listen to what people are saying, and when to block it out. I don’t mean to block it out in the obstinate sense and actually not absorb it, but knowing which feedback is actually applicable to you. The fact is you can never please all the people all the time, and this can be one of the most dangerous things about being one of these brands that’s ‘learning’ in the public eye. What one person wants for 100% free, the other will want a charge for, to get a more premium service. Just as the practising pianist will be subject to a multitude of conflicting advice, so will the young (or most) brands. The average brands that will come out stronger are those that are able to disseminate the advice they’re getting, solicited or not, and make an educated decision as to whether or not this will ultimately improve or tarnish their service or product. Here is where the theory for brands becomes somewhat separate to what Powazek was examining. Whereas someone like the phat gay kid (his moniker, not mine) can choose to ignore the haters and convince himself he’s a good singer by listening to the small group of loyal fans, an organisation that has to make money doesn’t have such freedom.

Bringing your average or new brand online in the era of social media mayhem isn’t an easy thing to do. If you’re an established brand then you already have your brand values in place, you know your key messages and you will have had the privilege of making a lot of your earlier mistakes in private. We all know now however, that very little, if anything, is private any more. It is a brave thing for a new and emerging brand to open up online and be willing to learn and adapt right there in the public eye. If as a brand you’re willing to ‘practice’ in the public domain, you have to risk opening up your core brand to multiple interpretations and learning some hard truths that everyone can see. Just as the person who writes their first blog post or uploads their first dance video will be susceptible to. This isn’t easy for a new or average brand to do, which is why I think we should be celebrating those that are willing to do this.

The brands that I commend, the ones that really have some guts, are those that are actually willing to be receptive to public opinion and advice, to actually change and do something right. The ones that recognise they could be average on their own, but if they actually listen to the people they want to convert, then they can emerge as fantastic. The importance of listening to your consumers, knowing their wants and needs can not be overestimated.

This is demonstrated perfectly by the founder of Billabong – Gordon Merchant. A keen surfer himself, he realised the need for quality and fashionable clothing for surfers, when he attended the surfing world championships. He spotted the winner ripping up his shorts before he went into the water, in order to get the movement he needed -something that conventional board shorts at the time weren’t providing. It was here that the seed was sewn (pardon the pun!) and the multinational brand that we know today was born. What the average brands must never forget, is the power of consumer insight. Sometimes it’s staring you right in the face.

The strong brands are not the ones that ignore the advice and carry on as if they know best, the strong brands are the ones that recognise that social media allows them to learn publicly and go from average to amazing.