ExpoTV recently ran a research study to determine how do consumers relate to each other. While this isn’t Forrester Research, so I will not defend, nor explain their methodology. It’s rare that analysts point to research other than their own, if I put your interests first, you’ll continue to come back to me.
Blog ExpoTV found that:
55% of customers in their survey want to have an ongoing discussion brands Respondents were most anxious to talk to the product design (49%) department, followed by customer support (14%), marketing (14%) and pricing (13%) 89% said they felt more loyal if they knew the brand was listening through a feedback group (attention insight community vendors) WOM: Sixty-one percent of survey respondents said that they told at least 10 people about the last brand they liked. WOM: Eighty-one percent of respondents will tell at least five people.
Despite this evidence, it’s interesting to note that a recent WSJ Article that Most Corporate Blogs Are Unimaginative Failures featuring a Forrester report shows that many corporate blogs (a common way companies talk to customers) isn’t going that well. One common mis-step is that corporate blogs are focused on pushing their own agenda, not that of the readers/customers.
Only small companies ever even bother, talking is too much hassle, a 10 million yapping voices, all demanding and yelling, thinking they should be Product Designers. Easier to cast the demographic net and form focus groups, talking is the least efficient method possible.
Commodity grants good product and value, but distance and retail churn with part-time “service”. Local/Small biz grants craftmanship and high-level service, but limited variety and higher costs. Life is full of trade-offs.