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Why is most b2c communication negative?

March 23, 2007

The answer is fairly simple: in most cases the company and the consumer are adversaries. Jake and I were in Florida yesterday talking about social networks with a client and I thought a concept he brought up was worthy of a short blog post this morning (before I catch up with the numerous emails and phone calls I need to address).

The oldest form of company-to-consumer communication took the form of a company telling a consumer something through advertising. More recently companies created channels for their consumers to talk back. This two way communication results in conversations that at times can be somewhat adversarial ~ i.e. us vs. them. Imagine a communication channel that wasn’t about ‘us or them’, instead what if you could both talk about something else, something you both inherently cared about ~ i.e. a higher calling?

If you can determine what your company’s higher calling is you can direct your communication with your clients through this new channel. By working with consumers to answer this ‘higher calling’ the communication is no longer adversarial, but cooperative. Building a community around a higher calling can be very effective and fruitful for both the consumer and the company. You are no longer ‘company’ or ‘consumer’ but partners working toward a positive goal you both care about. What do you think?

Written by Alexander Muse · Filed Under Blog 

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  1. mike girard Says:
    March 23rd, 2007 at 4:20 pm

    You’re close to the mark on w/ this post. IMHO the ‘higher calling’ as you call it is Engagement. The fact is that we live in the post-Tivo era where the rule is to ignore you if you’re a brand. The thing brands have to figure out is how to create a valuable relationship w/ them. You have to give something in order to get consumers to give back. Thats’ the core of what we do - we give a high value experience in the form of free, educational content . Trust me it works.

  2. Texas Startup Blog: Web 2.0 and Social Media » Blog Archive » Social Media Starts Offline Says:
    March 25th, 2007 at 8:59 pm

    [...] ← Why is most b2c communication negative? [...]

  3. 10,000 Marshmallows Daily Links 2007-03-30 - 10,000 Marshmallows - Marketing Accountability: How to eat 10,000 Marshmallows Says:
    March 30th, 2007 at 10:29 am

    [...] Texas Startup Blog: Web 2.0 and Social Media » Blog Archive » Why is most b2c communication negative? “Imagine a communication channel that wasn’t about ‘us or them’, instead what if you could both talk about something else, something you both inherently cared about ~ i.e. a higher calling?” [...]

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