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People trust each other more than they trust messages from companies. The Internet has made word-of-mouth influence global. Communication between consumers will increasingly be person-to-person. Advertisers need to change how they talk to consumers as online and offline data mix.

The "Four Dimensions"

Today's consumers can be understood through four key dimensions:

1. "The consumer is a postmodern nomad"-Consumers act consistently both "online" and "offline," yet marketers often mistakenly treat these behaviors as distinct. The "Internet" has removed physical boundaries, enabling consumers to explore both physical and digital spaces. For example, many restaurants now attract customers from well beyond their local areas. This broader reach has diluted brand loyalty but expanded choices for consumers.

2. "The consumer uses...impact"- With the rise of social media, everyone has a platform, making buyer power stronger than ever. Every individual is connected, and the need for self-expression is increasing. Online content, whether positive or negative, can have a lasting impact. For example, when a video of rats in a Manhattan Kentucky Fried Chicken went viral on YouTube, the fast-food chain's stock value plummeted by 20% in just days.

3. "The consumer shows...emotions"- Emotional connections heavily influence consumer decisions. Certain brands, like Harley-Davidson, Apple, and Guinness, are particularly adept at triggering emotions and memories in consumers' brains, compared to others, for example, Microsoft. The internet serves as a platform for people to connect with others who share their interests and values, reinforcing emotional ties through validation and support.

4. "The consumer is a part-time marketer"- Social networking sites enable individuals to build their brands. As consumers become more engaged in marketing themselves, they also become more discerning about corporate marketing tactics. Blind acceptance of top-down advertising is fading, with transparency and authenticity becoming increasingly important for businesses to maintain consumer trust and engagement.

Consumer Change

Consumers have changed a lot because of the Internet, but many advertisers haven't kept up. They still use old methods that don't work well with today's technology and how people use media. For example, 30-second TV ads are not as effective as they used to be because people are more aware and have more options.

To be successful, your advertising should involve consumers. Apple is a good example of this. They ask users for feedback and ideas, which they use to make their products better. This helps build a stronger connection between the brand and the customer. When Apple launched the iPhone, they listened to what people were saying online and quickly fixed issues like battery life and camera quality with software updates.

What's the plan?

Advertising and marketing professionals are evolving into "Conversation Managers," skilled at listening to and engaging with consumers. While some believe that only consumer-focused businesses benefit from this approach, every brand, regardless of its target market, is subject to public discussions. People of all ages and income levels enjoy sharing their product experiences, particularly positive ones.

For a Conversation Manager, the brand is the focal point. Establishing an emotional bond between consumers and the brand is crucial, as people are more inclined to pay a premium for brands they know and love. The stronger the connection buyers feel with a brand, the more successful it will be.

Traditional advertisers sought "reach," aiming to engage as many consumers as possible with crafted messages. "Conversation managers," however, use ads to spark online and offline discussions. For instance, when Universal Studios announced new "Harry Potter" attractions, Cindy Gordon, the company's vice president of "new media marketing," informed seven key Potter fans, who then shared the news across blogs and forums. Within two weeks, over 250 million people heard about the attractions. Conversation managers actively engage, listen, and observe customers, promoting brand dialogue and audience interaction.

Empower loyal customers.

At sports games, you'll spot fans wearing their team's colors and logo. Sports fans often feel so connected to their team's brand that they use the word "we" when talking about the team's performance, even though they're not playing. This strong connection to the brand shows a level of loyalty that lasts even through tough times.

Being a fan of a brand is fun, but it doesn't always mean people will stick with that brand forever. Consumers can be unpredictable; if a product doesn't give them the emotional connection they want, they'll switch to a different brand. To build a strong relationship between your brand and your customers, having a great product isn't enough. You need to create an experience that connects with your customers. When people talk positively about your brand online and offline, it boosts how others see your brand.

Advertising is a way to get people to notice your brand, but the real goal is to get them to respond to your message. Once you've reached your target audience, you want them to interact with your brand in a way that makes them want to tell others about it. The best messages make people want to share their content supporting the brand. For example, when a customer writes a positive blog post about your brand or makes a YouTube video about your product, it brings more people to your brand.

Activate your brand successfully.

Effective activation centers on the brand, not the campaign's specifics. If people discuss the campaign without linking it to your brand, it's a missed opportunity. True activation involves getting influential people to talk about your brand for the right reasons. For example, early adopters are ideal influencers for technology products, as they share positive experiences, driving genuine interest. "Harry Potter" fans, for instance, spread their passion to new readers, while students promoting "Temptation Island" merely to mock it may have boosted views but didn't benefit the show's image.

Messages that elicit the most powerful, positive reactions meet specific "sticky" criteria: They convey a clear, uncomplicated concept that includes a surprising element and captures the consumer's attention. They are concrete enough for individuals to grasp quickly without needing further clarification. They possess added credibility, thanks to comprehensive research or an engaging spokesperson. Additionally, they emotionally connect with their intended audience. You can achieve these criteria by sharing relatable narratives.

Conversational Mastery

Consumers freely express their opinions about brands both online and offline. They expect brands to take their feedback seriously and appreciate when companies respond. They actively engage in conversations initiated by brands and start their discussions.

To manage conversations effectively, follow these three steps: First, "observe" conversations around you to learn from them. Pay attention to online discussions to understand the user experience. For example, Kraft learned that customers struggled with calculating the calorie-per-portion ratio for their foods. This led to the development of the "100-Calorie Pack," resulting in a 27% growth in the first quarter of 2005. Second, "facilitate" conversations by creating communities and forums where consumers can openly discuss their experiences with your brand. Third, "participate" in these discussions genuinely and transparently. Consumers can easily detect and reject marketing language. Engage in a conversational tone, ask thoughtful questions, listen closely to the responses, commit to following up, and be open to sharing your emotions.

Manage conversations 101

Shift your marketing focus by adopting five key strategies to move away from traditional advertising and become a master at managing conversations:

1. "Develop a structure to acquire continuous market insights" " Use technology to monitor conversations and gather insights. For example, a brewing company discovered that people used its product to grill "beer chicken" by monitoring sites like Flickr. This knowledge helped shape its marketing strategy.
2. "Product management is dead. Long live experience management!" " Providing a quality product or service is essential, but creating a unique, emotionally resonant experience is key to engaging users and sparking positive word of mouth.
3. "Give something back" " Brands that show social responsibility are favored by consumers. Creatively offering occasional freebies makes customers feel appreciated and promotes positive associations.
4. "Don't position brands, position people" " Consumers use brands to show who they are. For example, if someone wears a Harley-Davidson t-shirt or drives a BMW, they're trying to show their aspirational self-image. Make it easy for your target audience to do this kind of positioning.
5. "Together we are strong" " Co-creation creates a bond between the brand and the customer. Lego relies on its 2.5 million users to suggest ideas for new products. When Lego uses a customer's idea, that person gets royalties.

Conversation managers make sure that every part of their marketing plans is about starting and managing conversations. They create a mix of media that will get people talking online and offline. Some brands should stick with traditional mass media, while others should mix old and new media. Any media plan must be able to change if consumers or the market changes.

Keep 20% of your budget free. Look for chances to use your products to make your customers' lives better. For example, when it got really hot in Romania in 2008, Lipton put up hundreds of misting machines in public places to spray cool water on people enjoying its iced tea.