Comments on: The Cluetrain Manifesto is 10 today http://www.fumoir.com/2009/04/28/the-cluetrain-manifesto-is-10-today/ Sit back, chat, and light(en) up about marketing, disruption, innovation and the Web Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:43:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Craig Newmark - Hilton sisters, Hot or Not? CluetrainPlus10 | Social Capital Value Add http://www.fumoir.com/2009/04/28/the-cluetrain-manifesto-is-10-today/comment-page-1/#comment-236 Craig Newmark - Hilton sisters, Hot or Not? CluetrainPlus10 | Social Capital Value Add Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:11:39 +0000 http://www.fumoir.com/?p=241#comment-236 [...] 18. Companies that don’t realize their markets are now networked person-to-person, getting smarter as a result and deeply joined in conversation are missing their best opportunity. Ivan Croxford, The Fumoir, @croxy, The Cluetrain Manifesto is 10 today [...] [...] 18. Companies that don’t realize their markets are now networked person-to-person, getting smarter as a result and deeply joined in conversation are missing their best opportunity. Ivan Croxford, The Fumoir, @croxy, The Cluetrain Manifesto is 10 today [...]

]]> By: Ivan Croxford http://www.fumoir.com/2009/04/28/the-cluetrain-manifesto-is-10-today/comment-page-1/#comment-234 Ivan Croxford Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:41:26 +0000 http://www.fumoir.com/?p=241#comment-234 Yes, I do believe that today many companies are striving to be customer centred - to champion them in fact. But that doesn't mean that they are engaging them as equals on terms that really matter to them. My view is the biggest offender is the marketing department that is blinded to customer engagement by the tricks of the trade: segmentation (always interesting rarely useful), focus groups and so on. For the 'best' businesses its misplaced efforts rather than intentions that are the issue today. I think the Walkers campaign did resonate with consumers and bring them into a dialogue with the company about the product. Sure, its a form of market research, but it was based on getting people interested and engaged. We'll see post May 1 (when the campaign ends) how Walkers intends to follow up on this, but I think what they did with this campaign is commendable. If businesses seek to game the ratings or shout down customers on third party review sites, then that will inevitably reflect badly on them in the court of customer opinion. I think the job of the platform owner is to set the rules of engagement, and provide a place where people can have that discussion about and with a business on understood terms. It's a very hard balance to get, but many businesses are already successfully doing this with tools like Get Satisfaction or Salesforce.com Ideas. I think the mindset of businesses (SMBs and Corporates) is changing and that change is accelerating thanks to the social web that is making online world more conversational. All that said there is a lot to do and let's hope it doesn't take another ten years for the job to be completed! Yes, I do believe that today many companies are striving to be customer centred – to champion them in fact. But that doesn’t mean that they are engaging them as equals on terms that really matter to them. My view is the biggest offender is the marketing department that is blinded to customer engagement by the tricks of the trade: segmentation (always interesting rarely useful), focus groups and so on. For the ‘best’ businesses its misplaced efforts rather than intentions that are the issue today.

I think the Walkers campaign did resonate with consumers and bring them into a dialogue with the company about the product. Sure, its a form of market research, but it was based on getting people interested and engaged. We’ll see post May 1 (when the campaign ends) how Walkers intends to follow up on this, but I think what they did with this campaign is commendable.

If businesses seek to game the ratings or shout down customers on third party review sites, then that will inevitably reflect badly on them in the court of customer opinion. I think the job of the platform owner is to set the rules of engagement, and provide a place where people can have that discussion about and with a business on understood terms. It’s a very hard balance to get, but many businesses are already successfully doing this with tools like Get Satisfaction or Salesforce.com Ideas.

I think the mindset of businesses (SMBs and Corporates) is changing and that change is accelerating thanks to the social web that is making online world more conversational. All that said there is a lot to do and let’s hope it doesn’t take another ten years for the job to be completed!

]]> By: Heather Yaxley http://www.fumoir.com/2009/04/28/the-cluetrain-manifesto-is-10-today/comment-page-1/#comment-232 Heather Yaxley Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:16:27 +0000 http://www.fumoir.com/?p=241#comment-232 Do you really think that companies see their customers as king? Isn't the real issue that they look down on the customer rather than seeing them as equal, let alone, vital for their businesses? The Walkers campaign is an interesting example, but has the company actually engaged with customers beyond sending them off doing its market research? If companies do engage with customers on review sites, how many will seek a genuine conversation rather than trying to fix the reviews in their favour? Have we really seen the mindset shift that Cluetrain called for? Do you really think that companies see their customers as king? Isn’t the real issue that they look down on the customer rather than seeing them as equal, let alone, vital for their businesses?

The Walkers campaign is an interesting example, but has the company actually engaged with customers beyond sending them off doing its market research?

If companies do engage with customers on review sites, how many will seek a genuine conversation rather than trying to fix the reviews in their favour?

Have we really seen the mindset shift that Cluetrain called for?

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