Our world is noisy! Very noisy!
It’s full of bad news and fake news.
Right now, the U.S. Women’s National Team, Nike and TikTok are teaching us a lesson about marketing that your business cannot afford to ignore; the best way to stand out is to be authentically you.
We’ve gone through this weird journey where we had absolutely NO TRUST in brands.
The Internet came about and we couldn’t trust it. Then we found that Social Media could be used for good… Then marketers found where we were hanging out. Businesses started to “fake it till they make it.”
And NOW…
Consumers Have the Power
Consumers don’t want you to tell them you’re perfect or that you stand up for what you believe in, they want you to stand up, say this is who I am and I live this.
The USWNT just did this at the World Cup. They went into the tournament hearing, ‘you’re going to win and if you don’t, you’re a failure.’ So they went into their games confident and won. They scored as much as they could and they celebrated accordingly. Regardless of how it made them look. Because that is who they are.
The best part was that they were accessible throughout the entire process. Each of the women were on social media sharing their thoughts and their experiences. It’s crazy for me to say, but i felt closer to all of these ladies after the world cup than I do my Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s saying something.
They Know What They Want
Today, consumers know what they want and they’re willing to do what they have to do and go where they have to go to get it. It’s no longer about personas and what your “why” is, it’s about what you are standing up for as a brand and how you are doing it.
Here’s the thing, you don’t have to support Colin Kaepernick to buy Nike shoes, but you also don’t have to buy Nike shoes at all together. No matter which side you are on, Nike has made their statement and they’ve been clear on what causes they care about. You can get behind it or not. The reality is, those who leave were likely going to do it eventually and those who say just became 10x more loyal.
They’re Now Demanding Transparency
We don’t trust people who claim to be perfect, so why would we trust brands who claim to be. Consumers demand transparency so they can connect with those they relate to. To fulfill this need, your brand has to be transparency and authentic.
For us to build trust in a digital world; you have to be willing to lose people who have previously connected to your brand willynilly in order to get close to those who share the same beliefs as you.
We trusted blindly for so long but not anymore.
No More Band-Aids, Crutches & Bullshit
2019 is more than halfway over and The Blame Game should be left in the first half. Consumer expectations have leveled up. Authenticity isn’t optional. Transparency doesn’t equal trust, but it gets you closer. Stop looking for shortcuts.
Put it out there. Admit you don’t know everything. Own up to your mistakes when they happen, not when you get caught. Acknowledge your faults. Give people access to the inside of your business. Empower your employees. Tell your story.
We are all much more alike than we are different and we all have the responsibility of amplifying the good news.
Listen to more on this topic….
Listen to FOMOFanz episode 105 above or on iTunes | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon Alexa