Consumer power like never before……

It’s getting increasingly more difficult to manage the image of a brand in these days of instant digital and global news.

A poor experience of a product or service can now be all over the social networks like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube in no time and before you know where you are the brand is under siege and the PR/marketing teams are fighting to redress the balance.

There was a time when as consumers we were told what the brand was and what it delivered; now we are telling each other what brands are and what they deliver. And if it is bad, the whole world will know in minutes!

I had a very negative experience in a new hotel/restaurant locally recently and have found myself passing it on to all and sundry both verbally, by text, email, Facebook, Twitter…..et al. Thousands will have heard of my experience eventually. Will they visit that establishment? Probably not.

What damage has been done to that brand – without them necessarily even knowing it – unless of course they are tuned into the new social networks and the modern way of communicating messages to a consumer-driven world.

The alternative of course, is to get the product right first time, every time – and encourage happy customers to tell the world about it. Simple really………

To listen to just how powerful consumers can ultimately be have a look at this social media video.


Peter Corder
Managing director