Sometimes things are just better left the way they were. Lately, through the thousands of social marketing tools that have entered our world, customers are getting a chance to speak out like never before. Here are a few recent examples of how customers have responded and some questions about what is really going on here.
Case Studies
PepsiCo announced this week that they will be scrapping the sleek redesign of Tropicana orange juice cartons that launched just three months ago, and go back to the old style of packaging next month. What gives? Consumers spoke and PepsiCo listened. Although, I tend to be a fan of a sleek and clean design, I can understand where Tropicana fans are coming from. The old packaging included the longtime Tropicana brand image, an orange with a straw in it, which I have to admit, I tried to do with my own orange and straw when I was younger. Customers expressed their views on the redesign in letters, emails and phone calls. Do a Twitter search, and you will find a ton of buzz around the topic as well.
Facebook caused quite an uproar last week when they changed their terms of service, which included language that would allow them to keep user information in perpetuity, even after your account is deleted. Needless to say, FB users were not happy about this one. There were Facebook groups formed, Twitter was blowing up, and people were posting article links about the topic on the FB page and updating their FB status to bring attention to the situation. And as We The People cried out, Facebook responded and went back to the OLD terms of service immediately.
Last November, Motrin posted an ad on their website that caused a big uproar with moms all over the country. It was in reference to carrying a child in a sling or a wrap, rather than pushing them in a stroller or carrying them in your arms. The evening it came out, it was the most tweeted item on Twitter. A Motrin Ad!!! The ad was promptly pulled from the website and Motrin’s VP of Marketing released an apology.
You can see a trend in these three stories and the trend is Social Marketing. Through email, Facebook, Twitter and blogs, these subjects became highly talked about by consumers and they were talked about quickly. So quickly, that these major companies made rapid changes to what caused the uproar.
How Do You Feel About This?
I feel torn on where I stand with having this kind of power as a consumer. First, I think the power of social marketing is shining bright in these situations. Consumers have an opportunity to come together and voice their opinions at a rapid pace.
But, secondly, what does this mean for future redesigns, change or terms, et cetera? I think we have all learned in our professional careers, that there are always going to be complainers; people that can absolutely, positively complain about everything and anything under the sun. And if there is change, whether significant or small, some people will accept it or be happy about it and some will not.
Just a Gimmick?
But, could this also a marketing/publicity gimmick? Something to get the consumer talking about their product? I mean, really, who sits around and discusses OJ? And in an economy like this, I would venture to say that most of us are buying what is on sale at the grocery store. But, if you do a Google and Twitter search of Tropicana people are really talking about this! Ditto with the Motrin Ad and Facebook Terms of Service. We talk about it and tell a friend about it, and the next time our friend is at the grocery store and sees the OJ, they think about your conversation and buy it.
I am not really sure how to end this, except to say that I would love your feedback, thoughts, questions or any other similar situations you have recently heard of (please, spare the comparisons to New Coke back in ‘85 though!) The value of these social marketing tools is indescribable and the voice it gives to consumers is a huge advancement in an era where things have become so mechanized. But at the same time, everyone has an opinion on everything… although, I think I am erring to the former, because we have all been treated inhumanely by someone or a company before (hello, airlines!!) and it is good to know that we as consumers can have a voice and be heard.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Now that there’s so much power in the consumer’s hand, businesses are forced to listen to what they have to say. Today the market is closer to a two-way street than it has ever been before. Marketers who are not in tune with their consumers are going to wish they were, especially on the day when something goes wrong.
I agree on the consumer having a lot of say on things today. I think that with the Tropicana thing it had more or less to do with brand recognition. I recognize the old style Tropicana carton but not the new one. IF they went sleek with their old orange with the straw thing that might have looked better. It looks almost like an off brand the way they packaged it.
I don’t know why Pepsi is trying to change everything. They changed their logo too which made consumers unhappy but then they stuck to that one.
Word of Mouth seems the way to go and the only way you can generate interest in online and being proactive.
Thanks for the insight.