Brand Control

Creating a Consumer-Centric Relationship

In 2015, access to a brand is literally at your finger tips.

Leave a review, make a suggestion, or provide a novel idea, and more than likely, brands will take notice.

We live in a time when the consumer is king. Rapid improvements in technology have caused brand democratization to accelerate at breakneck speed. And as brands continue to democratize, it’s critical that they adjust and play the role of an enabler and partner rather than a dictator desperately grasping to power.

Consumer engagement itself isn’t new. People have been interacting with brands and generating content for years. What’s new is that, for the first time, consumers are in the driver seat and are able to define exactly what a brand means in their lives and how interactions take place. Constant and direct access to brands through social media and a rise in personalized, mobile technology has spearheaded the transformation.

In 2012, McKenna Pope challenged Hasbro by creating a change.org petition that asked the toy maker to update the Easy-Bake oven by making it gender neutral. McKenna harnessed the power of the internet and technology to reach other consumers who shared her opinion. Though Hasbro only changed the color of the oven from pink to purple, it proved a point that technology has enabled access that’s redefined the relationship between consumers and brands.

At Struck, we have a strong history of responding to changes in consumer demands and allowing them to influence our brand campaigns, whether it’s the digital launch of Jack in the Box’s Munchie Meals or creating a social hub for direct engagement with the Utah Office of Tourism. To succeed in the modern consumer landscape, brands must be flexible and responsive to the demands of their most loyal consumers.

As technology improves and direct communication with consumers becomes easier, it’s important that brands continue to listen and find ways to encourage consumers to inform brands about the role they play in their lives and how they can be improved, whether it’s as simple as responding directly to consumer feedback or as drastic as overhauling your brand’s mission to better suit the needs of your most loyal consumers.

Have any thoughts? Have you noticed any brands interacting and engaging with consumers in a new way? Let me know at @cgsimmonds.