Leading edge companies leverage user-generated content to bring their brands alive, engage some of their biggest fans, and emphasize the authenticity of their brand. They don't just solicit customer reviews, collect likes on Facebook, or ask customers to vote on items that they should sell. They actually encourage customers to help them tell their brand story. Paige Beaumont, Assistant Editor of the Post Advertising blog, writes about the impact of user-generated content:
Great user-generated content (UGC) should not exist in a vacuum—it
should be reused, when and where appropriate, to bring color and
authenticity to a brand’s marketing. As brands expand their social-media footprints, many have also
(smartly) placed more emphasis on engaging with their fans. As a result,
they’ve begun proudly featuring selected consumer contributions in
print, TV and online advertising. Dedicated fans often create a gold
mine of content that’s just waiting to be explored, and in due course,
brands have begun to dip into this resource. It’s the easiest and most
direct way to build relationships with customers, because their passion
for their favorite brands makes them happy to respond and share their
stories—messages that are infinitely more compelling than what the brand
might say.
Paige offers some terrific examples in this blog post. For instance, she highlights an advertisement by Target that features real home videos of high school students opening their college acceptance letters. The ad clearly evokes an emotional reaction, and Target appropriately makes a connection to their own efforts to donate a portion of revenues to schools throughout the country.
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