Bill Thomas
An Accomplished Web Developer
Specializing in E-marketing

If you're not making the consumer your number one focus, wake up. The 2nd generation of the Internet (Web 2.0) has made consumers more influential than MBA brand marketers.

Whatever a consumer feels or thinks about a brand or its advertising, within 24 hours they can:

1. Post an opinioned video on YouTube.
2. Post a comment, review, or dissertation in blogs, social communities, consumer forums, and message boards.
3. Spark an online debate.
4. Have their ruckus featured on CNN.

Don’t believe me? Ask Unilever. When their “Dove” line advertised the “self-esteem” campaign defending young girls against the evil ‘beauty’ industry, they were lovingly embraced. But, when it became known that Unilever also advertised young women falling at the feet of men simply because they wore the “Axe” body spray cologne, the consumer reaction changed.

Outraged that Unilever talked out of both sides of it’s corporate mouth, defending young girls on one hand and then showing them become slaves to a seductive male scent on the other, the public outcry was swift, loud, and far-reaching.

Homemade videos mocking the Dove 'onslaught' ads rose to top-10 status over night on YouTube. Blogs and forums rang loud with debate on both sides, and CNN ran a piece on their nightly news about the public outcry.

All this because the Internet not only provides consumers the means to find out Unilever markets both products, but because it also offers those same consumers the means to instantly share their praise or outrage.

Try doing that on TV.

Okay, so what’s this all mean? It means marketing possibilities have never been greater. Never before in history have marketers been able to reach so many passionate consumers with the means to share their likes and dislikes so broadly and so quickly. You can argue that Unilever, Dove, or Axe got roasted in this new killer medium, but there are others who just as fast think they struck advertising gold. All that free publicity. All that dialog about their products. All that brand awareness. You can bet your bottom dollar that Unilever’s collective marketing teams are carefully considering their next steps.

What it really means is that the days of one-way message broadcast advertising are over. That’s right – Over! It’s a new day, and unless the 'Grinch' can steal the Internet it’s here to stay.

Consumers are not going to be silent anymore, nor are they going to let slick-talking, clever tag line writing, manipulating ad men tell them what to think, feel, or do anymore. The consumer is now a huge part of the conversation, and the marketers who ignore that fact will pay the price, or at least the market share.

Consumers are demanding:

1. Quick responses to questions and inquiries.
2. User-friendly web sites.
3. Less manipulation, more communication.
4. Product demos and videos.
5. Real customer reviews and opinions.
6. Free samples and/or coupons.
7. The ability to participate in new product development.
8. Kept up-to-date on new innovations and offerings.
9. Personalization capabilities.

You don’t have to go far to see this, just ask yourself – how important are customer reviews when purchasing a product? How important is having your favorite sites remember your account information and product history? How important is it to get an email notifying you of new products that match your interests?

According to a Deloitte and Touche study, very important. In fact, it is customer reviews and opinions that have the most influence on purchasing decisions, and the Internet is by far the number one location to seek such information.

This is not your parent’s marketing anymore.

However, for traditionally trained marketers who have built careers on 30-second TV spots and one-way broadcasted brand messages, change comes slow.

Traditional marketers recognize that change is inevitable, but they remain unsure how to proceed. This is where having the right e-marketer in place can make all the difference.

One who can lead the way educating the marketing folks on the new tools and methods of e-marketing, create team partnerships with technology, public relations, sales, consumer affairs, and promotions. To address every online project with a 'customer first' attitude with focus on building relationships and gaining consumer insights.

In the end it's all about the consumer. To succeed, organizations must begin recruiting and empowering talented people who know what to do - and how to do it.