Communicate What's Real In Your Product

Principle
In traditional media, marketers could afford to trump up products and candidates with glowing generalities and distorted facts because the message was pushed to consumers via one-way channels.  Alternatively, the Internet delivers maximum choice to the consumers as they can tune out any message that isn’t appealing. It is essential to mold compelling messages that reflect the Social Web’s emphasis on community and sharing. 

Best Practice
Admit shortcomings candidly.  Skeptical modern consumers automatically assume there are things wrong with your product or candidate.  Face it—they’re right.  If consumers think you’re being straightforward, though, they’re more likely to accept the portrayal of your offering’s positive aspects. 

Context
Eric Clemons, Professor of Operations and Information Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, argues that Internet advertising is doomed. In a blog post, he posits that consumers “don’t trust ads, don’t want ads, and don’t need ads.”[i]  Clemons presages a shift in the way brands will interact with customers online.

Recommendation engines such as Yelp.com, OpenTable.com, and Facebook.com (yes, Facebook) are lowering the value of overly generalized mass marketing messages. Word-of-mouth has always been a large factor in the success of local businesses, such as restaurants, medical practices, and body shops, to name a few. Now word-of-mouth advertising is available on an even broader level via the connectivity made possible by the Internet.                

The market is already voicing its support for recommendation businesses; OpenTable had the most successful public offering of a stock since 2007.[ii] 

Case Studies
The incredible interest in Scottish singer Susan Boyle on YouTube and other video sharing sites demonstrates how effective authenticity is in creating demand online.  Boyle is certainly a talented singer, as her video clips demonstrate, but her talent alone does not explain fully why her online videos gained immense viral popularity (Boyle’s performance of “I Dreamed a Dream” has garnered nearly 77 million views on YouTube as of Oct. 14, 2009). Michael Sheehan thinks her success in generating incredible viewer response lies in the believability of her story and act.

“Susan Boyle for instance, wasn’t scripted and was pretty awkward, so she didn’t seem too put on,” Sheehan said. “To me that’s believable. You can certainly be yourself and it not work, like Richard Nixon.  People can tell when someone is prepared and rehearsed, but may not really believe what they’re saying.”[iii]


Mark McKinnon said an aura of authenticity helped President George W. Bush communicate effectively with voters. Bush, certainly one of the least fabled public speakers of this generation, could still convey his beliefs in a manner that resonated with the electorate because he didn’t pretend to be someone he wasn’t, according to McKinnon. When editing President Bush’s introductory video for the 2000 Republican National Convention, McKinnon said he decided to keep a blundering moment of President Bush talking about the births of his daughters in the reel to heighten the emotional connection audiences would have with the candidate. 

“He mangled what he said in this section, but…it was a flawed moment and one that was very funny,” McKinnon said.  “He was never going to be a good public speaker or the world’s greatest orator, but he believed what he said and knew where he stood on issues.”[iv]  McKinnon said efforts like this led to more voters indicating that “they would rather have a beer with Bush than Kerry.”

 

[i] Eric Clemons, “Why Advertising on the Internet is Failing,” March 22, 2009, http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/22/why-advertising-is-failing-on-the-internet/, accessed October 2009.

[ii] Lynn Cowan, “OpenTable IPO Rises 59%; Critics Sneer,” The Wall Street Journal, May 22, 2009, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124291890055943611.html, accessed October 2009.

[iii] Michael Sheehan, interview with Three Ship Media, October 7, 2009.

[iv] Mark McKinnon, interview with Three Ships Media, October 6, 2009.