Because of the nature of social media, companies can no longer afford avoiding their mistakes. There is an inherent sense of vulnerability that comes with joining the digital world, and I think companies are finally starting to recognize the need to be transparent.
Take Toyota for example. When the recalls first began, they were criticized for not being sorry enough. Next thing you know, they put out a commercial in the U.S. admitting they weren’t living up to the Toyota reputation, and are dedicated to not only fixing the problem, but determined to restore America’s trust in the reliability and quality of their products.
Dominos is taking the same approach. Although their recent campaign has caused a bit of controversy, no one can deny the courage it takes to admit your sauce takes like for Ketchup and your crust taste like cardboard. And as a result of their honesty, not only has there been some significant buzz, but people’s curiosity seems to be encouraging them to try the new pizza out.
For so long everyone tried to avoid airing their dirty laundry, and for the most part, it worked. There simply weren’t as many channels for consumers to share their experiences and opinions. Enter social media. Never before have consumers had so much power, and its forcing companies to listen to their customers and man up to their mistakes.
We recently had a customer of ours post a negative YouTube video. He was upset with the way one of our fabricators was packaging our products, which was causing damage. We acted immediately by calling the customer directly to discuss the problem and ultimately resolve it. The very next day that same customer posted another video singing our praises for listening to his concerns and acting upon it. He now is a dedicated advocate for our products and our brand.
Being honest is key in any functional relationship. Social media helps companies recognize this.
(Image courtsey of http://www.ideachampions.com/weblogs/the_next_step.jpg)
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