Humility is Key

I bought a pair of jeans from Pacsun last year and as much as I try, I will never look like their models or feel what they promise you will feel when you wear their jeans. I tend to stick to the same 1 or 2 pairs of jeans until they completely deteriorate and after owning a pair of Gap jeans and wearing them for many years comfortably, I am a bit disappointed in my decision to invest in Pacsun as they have deteriorated faster than I would have liked. However, this is the risk that I take in buying any product. Li & Bernoff acknowledge that most consumers expect and understand that products have problems, but "it's the rare retailer or manufacturer that actually fixes them" (p. 193).

So why blog or post about your criticisms on social media sites if no one is going to respond?

The fact is, consumers are chomping at the bit to tell companies what to do. Whether you are ready or not, they are now part of your process (Li & Bernoff). The Groundswell wants to be heard and wants to have a voice.

Are companies able to move past the need to control and instead listen to consumers? "Most stores and brands aren't humble enough to do that" (Li & Bernoff, p. 193).

How do brands or companies create a balance between having their own skill and also having humility to take into account the needs of the Groundswell?

Take Dove as an example. When they launched their Campaign for Real Beauty in 2004 they took a big risk with their message by using average, everyday women instead of using young, slender, models that they had used in the past and that other brands used. While this act was not necessarily a reaction to demands from the Groundswell, Dove was able to let go of some control to win over the Groundwell.

Dove was successful at taking into account the needs of the Groundswell while also maintaining the quality of their product. "And it worked --people were definitely talking about the ad campaign and Dove" (Li & Bernoff, p. 200). Dove gave real women a voice.

So, what do you think? Do you feel heard?