Groundswell: Sharing is more Effective than Shouting

In chapters 5 and 6 of Groundswell, the authors discuss talking with and listening to the groundswell. One of the ways in which they suggest to do this is to create a community. Whereas with traditional advertising, organizations are "shouting" at consumers, Groundswell advises organizations to instead talk with their consumers and create a community in which consumers can learn from one another AND from the organization.

"Once people are aware of your product, a new dynamic kicks in: people learning from each other. Social technologies have revved up that word-of-mouth dynamic, increasing the influence of regular people while diluting the value of traditional marketing. When we surveyed online consumers at the end of 2006, 83 percent said they trusted recommendations from friends and acquaintances, and more than half trusted online reviews from strangers. At the same time, trust in ads continued to plummet." (p. 102)

As the book suggests, the strategies used in marketing and advertising have shifted from traditional methods with the emergence of the groundswell. Consumers no longer trust the "shouting" approach, calling for a change in the way companies communicate with their consumers.

The Ernst & Young case study does a great job illustrating the success of listening and talking with the groundswell to engage consumers. Ernst & Young started talking in social networks through Facebook. The company, a global accounting firm, must hire thirty-five hundred new college grads every year. What better way to connect with college students than through social media sites such as Facebook? Not only could Ernst & Young connect with the students but the students could connect with one another, strongly demonstrating real groundswell thinking.

Not only does Ernst & Young provide information, videos, and other traditional advertising elements on their facebook page, they also respond to individual questions that potential candidates may have. Therefore increasing trust and communication between the company and its consumers:

 Ernst & Young's marketing strategy allows recent college graduates to find information about their company AND develop a relationship with the organization. Instead of being "shouted" at to join their organization, recent graduates are able to develop trust with Ernst & Young through a social network community.

It seems that creating a community results in increased marketing success and the authors of Groundswell were spot on! Recent college graduates are reaching out to the Facebook page and "for a decision as big as where to take that first job, this type of connection is powerful" (p. 106).