Remember the promises of flawless matching of supply and demand and limitless consumer power when the web burst onto the scene a dozen years ago?
The last couple of years have not disappointed (Consumers are already enjoying near full transparency of prices and in categories like travel and music, and of opinions as well.). 2008 could be the year when this kind of transparency really starts scaring non-performing brands, forcing them to shift focus from exerting their pricey influence via parts of the media to taking more stock of priceless consumer opinions.
Word on the street is that more than a few big name consumer technology brands are already moving PR budget away from funding massive product review efforts toward closer monitoring of more naturally occurring reviews – those cropping up all over the web, written by consumers for consumers.
What this means for big technology publishing empires like VNU, Incisive and Ziff Davis, remains to be seen – product review issues, say for cameras, printers, or DVD players, are big advertising earners. But for the brands and their PR teams – surely getting closer to what the consumer thinks of your product or service can be no bad thing.
Clear View On Transparency
June 11th, 2008. Posted by Giles PalmerRemember the promises of flawless matching of supply and demand and limitless consumer power when the web burst onto the scene a dozen years ago?
The last couple of years have not disappointed (Consumers are already enjoying near full transparency of prices and in categories like travel and music, and of opinions as well.). 2008 could be the year when this kind of transparency really starts scaring non-performing brands, forcing them to shift focus from exerting their pricey influence via parts of the media to taking more stock of priceless consumer opinions.
Word on the street is that more than a few big name consumer technology brands are already moving PR budget away from funding massive product review efforts toward closer monitoring of more naturally occurring reviews – those cropping up all over the web, written by consumers for consumers.
What this means for big technology publishing empires like VNU, Incisive and Ziff Davis, remains to be seen – product review issues, say for cameras, printers, or DVD players, are big advertising earners. But for the brands and their PR teams – surely getting closer to what the consumer thinks of your product or service can be no bad thing.