When the Today Show picks up your wedding video and then The Office recreates it --- you know you've made it!
Communication is no longer a one way street. Top down messaging is away of the past. With web 2.0 and social networking, consumers get their voice heard.
Actually, it goes beyond just getting their voice heard, consumers, now get an equal say. Who's in control of the message now?
Jill and Kevin got their message all the way to the NBC executives... controlling the media cycle for a brief moment in time (more time than many companies get with their products).
Companies need to be part of this conversational marketing. They must react to what the consumers want, but at the same time be apart of the message through social networking.
Companies cannot afford to not have a social media strategy, now that anyone can control the message.
Everyone has a voice on the web. Anyone can be a someone.
We've created a monster!
14 years ago
I like the video as an example of conversational marketing. Its amazing the reach average consumers/citizens/people can have now with tech advances and digital mediums (youtube, twitter, facebook, blogs, etc).
ReplyDeleteWe no longer need vast resources or popular support to make a message heard (although they help). Now, if your idea is good enough, people will see it and spread it. Jill and Kevin are just normal people with a camera and internet connection. Now we all know them!
This is a great example of a company keeping its finger on the digital pulse, but I'm not sure it's conversational marketing.
ReplyDeleteThe Office writers proved they understand their audience by including this, but, as I understand it, conversational marketing would have been a response to viewer opinions about The Office itself.
Matt - my interpretation was that the original video was conversation marketing and that is how it got picked up by the Office.
ReplyDeleteThis idea reminds me of being at a concert (or a magic show-although I have never been to one of those) and seeing someone get pulled out of the crowd to come up on stage. I always wonder, was that person planted? Or are their reactions genuine? The nice thing about the situation you explain above is that the video was originally picked up by the "Today Show"- something that most people trust. If "The Office" had done this spoof on its own, I may have been more skeptical about the authenticity of the original video.
ReplyDeleteIn conversational marketing, there is a great need for authenticity. We are very sensitive to being "marketed to" when it comes to advertisements invading our social space. It seems that marketers in general, need to work together, across companies and mediums, in order for the consumer to feel like the content they receive has been vetted.