Listening to the Groundswell Presented by Stacey Evoy, Dustin Syler and Alicia Wallis

your brand is what your customers say it is Marketers say they define and manage brands Your brand is whatever your customer says it is. The company is a tool to create value for the brand.

what do we mean by listening Companies listen to their customers by market research. Market research very good at finding answer to questions, but not so effective at generating insights ◦ Syndicated research sources ◦ Surveys ◦ Focus groups Most thoughtful people don't do those things

listening to groundswell reveals new insights Groundswell is a way to observe your customers in their natural habits. Analyzing activity problems: ◦ You will not hear from everyone. ◦ The people you hear from may not be representative. ◦ Volume.

Two listening strategies 1. Set up your own personal community 2. Begin brand monitoring For either strategy, you need a plan to act on what you learn.

national comprehensive cancer network: listening with a private community Communispace community is listening machine that generates insight. Research information versus community insights: ◦ Example: Doctor perceptions vs. Patients ◦ Waiting times Research is one way, community offers lasting value by allowing people to converse.

the real power of listening Own the resource that generates the insights and you have clout. Popularity of private communities has spread because they deliver actionable insights.

mini usa: listening through brand monitoring Problem: How to keep brand relevant in a year with no new models? Brand monitoring helped reveal: ◦ How Mini owners felt. ◦ Enable Mini to measure the effects of its own marketing efforts by monitoring buzz before and after.

monitoring spawns a radical idea - marketing to existing customers Mini owners see themselves as members of an exclusive club of people who belonged together. Mini USA needed to strengthen community, which would itself go out and proselytize others to the brand. When online promoter activity went up, sales went up in the following month.

listening to the groundswell: what it means to you 1. Find out what your brand stands for. 2. Understand how buzz is shifting. 3. Save research money and increase research responsiveness. 4. Find sources of influence in your market. 5. Manage PR crises. 6. Generate new product and marketing ideas.

your listening plan Check the Social Technographics of your customers. Start small, think big. Make sure your listening vendor has dedicated an experienced team to your effort. Choose a senior person to interpret the information and integrate with other sources.

how listening will change your organization Likely to change the power structure of your organization. Instant availability of information from customers can become like a drug companies can get addicted to. No-more-being-stupid factor. Listeners inevitably feel the temptation to respond by talking within the groundswell.