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?

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).