Elections, Distractions, and Brand Reputations!

I'm writing this article during the run up to the UK General Election (July 4th) which is happening alongside the ongoing debates for America's next President, continued unrest in Ukraine, Gaza, Kenya, and several other South American countries.

Trust is a precious commodity for journalists which, like all social goods, is easily destroyed, but not easily created. source BBC.com

Maintaining trust in the era of social media gets harder every day, as conspiracy theories go viral, accuracy is too often sacrificed at the altar of virality, and the very idea of truth is so contested.

Social media is where Gen Z consume their view of the world, and for many other generations associated with a letter of the alphabet social media is also where they go to help inform their bias.

So, what does all this have to do with business and branding?

Today we can access and consume content anywhere, anytime, and on any device.

Without Zuck we wouldn't really have had the huge take up on social media, without LinkedIn morphing into a business network site, it would simply be a place to connect with people who can (fingers crossed) help us get a job.

What have brands chosen to do with this exciting new medium, yes, they have simply missed the whole point and moved the 'advertise, promote, and talk about me, me, me', mindset into what is a social environment.

Trust has always been the basis on which we make decisions.?

It's the currency for sales and marketing today and will no doubt be no different in the foreseeable future.

Every process and every interaction you have with a customer (and an employee) in today's socially savvy internet empowered world will either create trust or destroy it.

Every interaction you have in the sales, marketing, human resources process will create or destroy trust.

In the digital economy the customer has the right to opt-in as they do the right to opt-out.

We’re now living in an accelerated state of “digital disruption.”?

This means technology has transformed work and business as we know it and consumers are looking to evidence a brand to help build trust.?

Consumer behaviour and expectations have changed, and organisations must evolve to meet the changing needs of their customers. Those that didn't adjust the business mindset are now paying a hefty price for 'business as usual'.

Today's socially savvy prospects and customers are checking out your 'social proof' as part of the 'trust' building process, not your website.

If your a company that spews out promotion after promotion messages, with 'paid advert' after another it seems that today's consumer is sending you a huge signal.?

Today they've been empowered to switch you off with their own tactics such as ad skipping, ad blocking, and good old GDPR.

Because that's how today's social savvy consumer 'experiences' what you say you do which in turn is a significant factor in building and earning trust.

Being on social media today requires an enterprise wide strategy because it's not a bunch of ad-hoc tactics that's executed by the girl with the tattoo or the guy with the beard in marketing.

Your move!!