CGM & Electronics

David Pogue's New York Times piece this morning centered on "electronics" hits the hammer on the nail.  The piece is entitled "10 Ways to Please Us, the Customers."   What the argument doesn't note, but which elevates the importance of his commentary, is the depth of virality and CGM around such experiences.  As we learned earlier about iPod users (arguably the gold-standard in CGM creation), active users of electronics products tend to shape and spread CGM at higher levels than other segments, which means their good or bad experiences have a greater impact, often intercepting other consumers during the "purchase cycle" or indexing via Google or other search engines where buyer prospects and other "influencers" can find them in a highly targeted needs-based manner. Interestingly, the electronics category produces more indexable or archived CGM than just about any other category.  But let's not get too overly simplified here.  There are many ways to cut an electronics experience, and certain issues drive higher levels of virality. Poque notes: "Thou shalt not charge tech-support fees for thine own mistakes."   He also raises red flags over "rebates." The big "aha" here -- informed by advanced text mining -- is that issues related to "billing" or "fees" in the electronics category elicit a higher emotional reaction, often to the point of outrage.  Depth of emotion and spread of CGM share a symbiotic relationship. Key Takeway for Brands:  Understand how certain experiences catalyze CGM, even at the broader "category" level.