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The Pocket Guide to Defensive Branding

My column in Ad Age today takes on a topic that may well be the title of my next book: Defensive Branding.  Defensive branding, I note, is "protecting and defending brand equity and reputation in an increasingly consumer-driven environment. Think media planning plus actuarial viral risk management."  Here are some excerpts:

"The logic goes something like this: Sandbag before you sell. Protect before you promote. Defend before you dance. Self-critique before you self-destruct.

"Folks, we're vulnerable. Our Achilles Heel just moved up to our chest. Indeed, beware exuberant social-media pontificators bearing gifts. This stuff is hard, and often it blows up in our faces. The digital landscape is littered with social-media roadkill. I've been in the brand-monitoring business since 1999, witnessing what the late Dr. Carl Sagan might have referred to as "billions and billions" of online conversations. It's not all good.

"The era of friction-free feedback is turning Twitter into a 24/7 anywhere and anyplace complaint desk. Facebook pages for raving fans often morph into frying pans. Paid-media gains are getting erased by "spurned media" (earned media gone negative) pain.

"It's not like the negativity dissipates or blow away. Wikipedia and search results never forget brand screw-ups or stumbles. Media reporters, now fortified by social-media tools themselves, regularly source scoop from a cheat sheet of tweeters, bloggers and article commentators. Often, they know things about our brands before we do.

"...it's not that we can't win, but we might be best served by first fortifying the defense and sharpening our brand radar. Listen first, answer next, engage last. Rein it in, folks. Know your vulnerabilities and assume the worst. Think like your worst critic. Heck, put your own products and service to the "torture test" before other consumers do it for you.

Again, read on...

The Latest Domino to Fall: The YouTube Video Itself

This morning I decided it was my duty as a digial consultant and author of a book about the viral power of complaints (Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3000, Doubleday Business), to take yet another look at that disgusting, now legendary video posted to YouTube by two former (and now being sued) Dominos employees.  Aside from the video itself, the comments are a rich source of insights, ever revealing of brand credibiliy and reputation, and I wanted to give them a good look as well.  Alas, much to my surprise, this infamous video -- this "when bad things happen to brands" case study of the year -- was nowhere to be found.  Instead, YouTube, posted the following curious comment:

This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Kristy Hammonds.

Kristy Hammonds is one of the former employees in question.  The specific nature of her "copyright claim" is yet to be seen, although it could be related to her prior record. What I do know is that there are going to be a ton of surprised folks over the curious removal of this video.  I also predict a viral rush to any TV news clip (see example here) or non YouTube versions of the clip on the web.  Once the viral Domino-effect starts on the web, it's really tough to remove.  The good news for Dominos is that YouTube version generated the lion's share of exposure, generating so much link-love that the video now ranks #3 against general "Dominos" queries on Google.  Now the highly incriminating video hits a dead-end...for now at least.

Irrespective of the damage control tactics employed by the brand or others, this incident represents yet another sobering wake-up call for brands about the power (and potential ugliness) of consumer expression. My Ad Age column this week focuses on the power and potential of "earned media" versus paid media (Earned Media May Be More Efficient, But Its Far From Free), but it also seeks to temper our social media exubberance by introducing a new term into our vernacular: spurned media (earned media that goes negative).  Indeed, expression cuts both ways.

This incident also underscores, once again, the importance of understanding the relationship between business processes -- product quality, customer service, employee training -- and word-of-mouth.  Much as we bear-hug viral "campaigns," the most viral word-of-mouth emanates from more foundational business processes.  Just think about the Taco Bell "Rats" incident.  Hygiene and cleanliness in particular is one of the most viral issues in the fast food industry, an issue I've come to appreciate in monitoring buzz for Nielsen and earlier in my founding of PlanetFeedback.com. 

Put another way, know thy talk drivers.

Salmonella Meets Social Media: Health & Human Services (HHS) Dept Starts a Social Media Team

The world moves fast in this new age of consumer control and social-media powered agility and responsiveness, even for government.  Earlier this week ConsumerGeneratedMedia.com took a deep dive on the FDA.gov's web and social media strategy in the context of the Peanut Butter & Salmonella issue.  The upshot, reinforced by in technicolor by the comment feed: the FDA is missing key opportunities to reach out to concerned consumers, or to "prime" its site for consumers "seeking" information.  

But again, things move really fast.  Yesterday, I noticed a Twitter message from Andrew P Wilson of the Health and Human Services (HHS) department -- the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is part of HHS -- who wanted to give me a courtesy heads up that HHS was already making progress against many of the issues outlined in my blog post.  More to the point, as of Friday his department just started a social media team, and he personally is now active on Twitter. Is this the government equivalent of Comcast's Frank Eliason twittering with me, or Scott Monty reaching out on behalf of Ford. (Full disclosure: Comcast is a client in my Nielsen job.)  Time will tell, but a cursory review of his Mr. Wilson's twitter messages suggests that he and his department is making a concerted effort to keep folks in the know across all dimensions of the recall.  One can also glean from his follower list that he's looking to stay wired to folks who have consistently offering commentary on the peanut butter recall. Yes, there's always understandable apprehension -- sometimes paranoia -- about goverment entering any type of conversation, but in this context, it feels like a win-win for all, especially concerned and information-hungry consumers. (Follow AndrewPWilson.)

Reading the Signals and Priming for Action:  How timely is "participation" on this issue? There's no shortage of commentary, and there plenty of fear around this recall issue, and the news just keeps intensifying the apprehension.  If you look at this recent post-recall Nielsen Brand Association Map (BAM), you'll note that once innocent conversation related to a once innocent term like "peanut butter" has taken an alarming turn for the worse.  BAMs reflect the density with which consumers consumers associate certain issues with the core topic. In this particular map, metered across tens of thousands of online messages across multiple expression platforms, you'll note that it's quite difficult to talk about "peanut butter" independent of the term "salmonella."   Whether through BAM maps, free blog search, or other social media tools, the big question is how can businesses and folks like Andrew P Wilson of the Health and Human Services sufficently tuned in so they can serve the unmet needs of concerned consumers and other stakeholders.  Might it impact the nature and tone of messaging, or even the level of empathy one might show toward an issue?  The other day I saw a Google keyword ad purchased by a major food company against the term "Salmonella," and in reviewing the choice of words in the headline, I kept asking myself...how well did they tune into the tenor and tone of the conversation before placing that ad.  Aperture matters!

More Comments from the Field:  It's worth recapping some of the feedback to the original post about what governmental agencies like FDA and HHS should consider in address this recall issue.

Friend and published social media author Dave Evans notes, among other things, that "there is a particularly compelling case for social media around food (and family!) issues given the role of the "Advocate Mom" in her specific online social setting."  He also calls out Wegman's for its use of Twitter to push recall notices. (Follow Dave Evans.) Fred Wilson notes that "open government is coming and it's going to be transformative.) (Follow: Fred Wilson)

Former colleague and first-rate thinker Kate Niederhoffer calls out the FDA.gov site's lack of "social graph credibility."  She notes: "You walk away from the site with the sense that the government thinks this is important, but do your personal friends and trusted advisors? This is where something like Facebook Connect could be an interesting build...anything that socializes the content and lets you know how your social graph is consuming the info, responding to the info, would be helpful." (Follow Kate Niederhoffer.)

Respected social media commentator Peter Kim insists the "FDA needs to transform itself from being a faceless 'administration' and show its composition of passionate and educated public health professionals. Then they'll be able to activate social media and benefit from its expediency, among other things."  He also suggests that the selection of Dr. Sanjay Gupta as Surgeon General may well be a positive development. "Most people probably trust WebMD, Wikipedia, or Google search results more than an official government spokesperson these days."  (Follow Peter Kim)

Sam Decker, a WOMMA board colleague, and long-time social media expert who hails from Bazaar Voice and formerly Dell recommends, among other things, that the FDA "enable consumers to share stories of what actions they took and what they learned. Make that accessible to SEO, and share that across other sites on this topic via javascript widgets. Make FDA be the hub, but allow spokes to be distributed throughout blogs and other sites (even ecommerce sites that sell related products)." (Follow Peter Kim)

Social media expert (with lots of corporate experience) Nick Huhn points to the need for "alternative intersections with social media channels might be demonstrated in this case. Why not partner with Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google, and other daily points of departure to spread the messages a la the Emergency Broadcast System via television? Moreover, dynamically updated information displays should present these notifications to consumers at point of purchase or via email if a retailer knows someone has purchased an affected item from the database of loyalty card transactions."  (Follow Peter Kim)

Lastly, a voice from the younger generation. Chandler Koglmeier, my former brilliant intern (hailing from Middlebury College) who I credit with successfully matriculating me to Facebook three years ago, echoes my point about video but add the following. "Why not post messages from all parts of the supply chain (especially the producer) explaining what is wrong and what is being done to rememdy this situation?  If there is anything to be learned from the Obama team, it's that more information on things which interest the public will be well received and passed around."

Let's keep this conversation going.  Very important!  Very timely!  Relevant to all of us, including our kids. 

10 Ways Social Media Can Improve FDA Communication & Education on the Salmonella Issue

Here's a critically important  "case study" question?  If you were in charge of digital or social media strategy for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amidst this Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak, what extra steps would you take to address consumer concerns and curiosity around the issue?  This is certainly a timely question, as we have a new administration that's already set a high bar on creative, if not breakthrough, use of the web as a communications channel, loyalty builder, and rapid-response tool --  a development the New York Times nicely captured this morning ("Melding Obama's Web to a YouTube Presidency").  Indeed, scarcely a minute after Obama took the oath last week, a new WhiteHouse.gov was up and running for business, receiving no shortage of blog and Twitter mentions and accolades.

Now we have an urgently pressing issue on the citizen-needs plate, and one that seems to share a close relationship with news headlines:  a legitimate public scare about Salmonella Typhimurium (that's already led to a growing number of product recalls).   Close analysis of web traffic trends suggest that consumers, media and other "influencers" are already linking to FDA site content.  But is that enough?  After watching my wife Erika remove a few peanut-butter laced food items and snack bars implicated by the scare from our food cabinets, I found myself wondering whether any business or government agency associated with such an issue could do more to service consumers in this time of anxiety and fear.

Current FDA Site Assessment:  This curioosity inevitably led me to a much closer look and critique of the FDA.gov website.  Overall, it's pretty good.  Relative to other government sites, the FDA.org site seems quite timely and relatively easy to use.  Real estate dedicated to the Salmonella issue is front and center of the website, and the site search engine sits prominently above it to the right (a place usability research frequently cites as ideal placement).  There's a separate, information rich-page dedicated to the crisis, and that page includes both email lists for recall alerts as well limited (albeit not prominently advertised) RSS feeds.  There's a recall-specific search engine dedicated exclusively to the products in question, and blog links suggests its getting decent traction from consumers, media, and other influencers.   I also really liked the fact that the FDA provides simple, rapid turn-around press release templates for food manufacturers to communicate specific recall related news to consumers.  Lastly, all the links on the site add value, including a link to a Salmonella specific page from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Both FDA.org and CDC include content in Spanish, but such content is a bit more readily accessible and visible via the CDC site.

Ten Strategies to Address the Issue

Still, it just seems -- amidst this unprecedented wave of digital innovation we're witnessing (and experienced ourselves) these days -- like there's more than can be done to make it easier for consumers to educate themselves (or others) about the Salmonella issue...and perhaps even take action.  With social media and Web 2.0 top of mind, here's a short list of potential strategies and tactics.  I invite/encourage others to fill the gaps or add additional perspective. 

-- Leverage Video to Address Concerns With Empathy:  There's nothing like the power of "sight, sound, and motion" to reassure consumers in times of anxiety or fear, and this is something the Obama campaign did extremely well with their campaign web strategy, and even during the transition period with the YouTube "weekly addresses."  We also saw this with the Mattel CEO's video response on one of the toy recalls.  Video connects emotionally better than text, and for millions of consumers, it might just be a better, more effective way to walk them through a difficult situation. But then again, let's not make this too complex. The web is now like a TV set, and video is getting easier and easier to produce. In addition to prominent "explain the situation" video content, the FDA or CDC could also leverage shorter-form videos in standard Frequently-Answered-Question (FAQ) formats.

 -- Enable Sharing of FDA Site Content Related to the Scare:  There's something about safety that triggers our desire to help or share things with others.  Put another way, safety and word-of-mouth share a symbiotic relationship.  There's no shortage of ways the FDA can enable more sharing and distribution of its content: Digg This, ShareThis, Discuss on FriendFeed, Save to Del.icio.us, Technorati links, etc.  This is all pretty serious stuff; it deserves to be shared.  We all do this in our blogs almost intuitively, but it's more important than ever in a safety crisis where there huge upside in getting relevant information to the right people at the right time. 

-- Create "Safety Satellites" on Social Networking Site:  With the massive migrations of consumer attention to social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace, government agencies might consider setting up what we might term "safety satellites" on these platforms.  Good old fashioned advertising is an obvious way to get started, but I'm talking about a "co-created" (FDA + concerned consumer "fans") content. There's plenty of non-sanctioned FDA related content on these sites, but the specific and current Salmonella issue is terribly easy to find (and I'm still not sure if its there at all).  Just think about it, tens of thousands of folks became "fans" of the pilot, Captain CB Sully Sullenberger, of the US Airways flight; there's no question lots of concerned parents would join a site dedicated to this Salmonella issue.  The name of the game in these situations is to educate everybody, and not just the folks who visit brand or government websites.  

--  Create Embeddable "Issue Widgets":  In addition to providing "sharing" functionality on site content, the FDA might also consider syndicating widgets that can sit on top of other websites.  Again, when there's crisis, consumers go the distance to share and educate others.  So imagine making the "search engine" focused on finding certain products sitting on "moms" blogs or other sites. Such widgets could be especially impactful with wireless devices.No shortage of possibilities here.

-- Overlay "No Shopping List" Functionality on Top of the Product Search Engine: Second, not unlike an eCommerce site, make it really easy to bookmark, tag, or transfer to a "list" all the products that relate to the consumer. That way the consumer can easily inventory the products they need to clear from the shelf, or avoid while shopping. This too could be enabled through mobile.

-- Build a Simple "Event" Blog on the FDA.org Website:  While I'm a bit hesitant to over-hype the value of blogs -- there are plenty of "bad" examples out there -- I do think can be especially valuable in "event" situations, and a recall event -- where consumers are constantly looking to "reflesh" information is a perfect time to set up a blog to provide a constant stream of readily accessible and easily to subscribe to content. In all the recalls I've studied over the years, I've always been impressed at how well activist groups have leveraged blog publishing to efficiently and constantly share information. Blog content also indexes well in search engines, and much of the government content still feels sub-optimizes in the context of search.

-- Video Shopping Guides:  With the proliferation of iPhones and iPods, there's enormous potential to provide downloadable "video shopper guides" focused on helping consumers navigate the complexity of peanut butter products.  Mobile devices in general dramatically open up the possibilities to provide consumers with critical information at the very shopping experience.

-- Leverage WhiteHouse.gov:  Right now there's an extraordinary amount of "influencer" attention focused on the current and planned social media innovations on WhiteHouse.gov. Right now the site fires back blanks when you type Salmonella, but building type of bridge to the FDA.gov site would not only show administrative coordination, but further expand the "funnel of awareness" around the issue.

-- Help Refresh Wikipedia:  Editing or contributing to Wikipedia is no simple task, but given that wikipedia is such a dominant force in shaping consumer attitudes -- last week's Edelman Trust baromenter found Wikipedia to be #2 as a trusted resource among younger consumers - the FDA has a vested interest in ensuring it's most recent information is "refleshed" in the Wikipedia definition.  The current definition, which is #4 in Google search results against the term "Salmonella," lacks much of the update and essential content on the FDA.org or CDS.org websites, and while I may well be naive here, I can't imagine the Wikipedia a-list editors pushing back on such essential background.

-- Leverage Visual Search in Product Database:  While the "product search" tool on the FDA site is certainly adequate, it could be improved in two big ways.  One (an idea I stole from my wife and sister Gina) is to include photos of the products impacted to help consumers "jog their visual memory" when they are trying to find the product.  Said my sister Gina, mother of two, when I asked her for thoughts,"Photos of affected products is a great link in to layers. Photos, videos, almost always have higher appeal over text.

Again, in times of crisis, how can we make it easier to get consumers the information they need to make informed choices, and do so quickly.  Equally, how do we as communicators (whether on brand or government site) serve those needs?

So that's a start. What do you think?  What's missing? (More opportunities for feedback on FDA site?)

- Pete (www.twitter.com/pblackshaw)

Brands Beware: The Speed of Negative Word-of-Mouth

Important read in USA Today this morning (Laura Petrecca) about the speed with which negative PR travels in this word-of-mouth (Twitter, YouTube, Blog, etc) world. I'm quoted suggesting that businesses in this environment need to think much more like "political advance people" -- always anticipating what can go wrong. Every large and small business, and certainly the advertising community, needs to internalize these realities.  From an "actionability" perspective, brands need to be a really disciplined around two of the key credibility drivers I articulate in my book, Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3000: listening and responsiveness.  Listening is what provides the early radar to determine when things are headed in the right or wrong direction and "responsiveness" is all about how we address those early signals. Brands with strong feedback loops, social media experiments (e.g. Twitter accounts), and "sense and respond" websites tend to be in a much better position to respond to and remedy difficult issues.   Follow On Twitter

Speed of Twitter: Motrin Moms Raise the Stakes for CGM Spread

(Republished from Tell 3000 blog). A fascinating case study is unfolding online regarding a Motrin video and TV commercial triggered a viral backlash among the segment I refer to in Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3000, as "Power Moms."  Recall:

"Power Moms, who often balance their careers with parenting, have little free time and therefore have no choice but to connect and communication in the most efficient way possible. Bound by a sense of community and responsibility, Power Moms will go out of their way to tell fellow parents and other consumers about their opinions on or experiences with products or companies -- particularly those, like cold medicines or diapers or minivans, that have to do with the health and safety of their families."

In this case, the platform of choice for the Power Moms is Twitter, and this puts the controversy on hyper-drive.  Like it or not, Twitter has dramatically accelerated the delivery time of "feedback moments." This particular issue moved so fast that a nine-minute Twitter-montage has already been posted to the YouTube documenting negative reactions to the ad campaign. According to the Crunchy Domestic Goddess blog, the brand has formally responded and retracted the ad. Marketing bloggers are having a field day with the topic -- in fact, they are driving a good percentage of the overall conversation --  and David Armano's thoughtful analysis is one of the best so far.  (My response to his post here.)  Kevin Dugan also weighs in, while Steve Hall at Ad-Rants thinks we're all going a bit overboard on the issue.  Oh, and there's even a counter-video to that effect (thanks, Kevin Dugan, for heads-up).  My wife and I are huge fans of the baby-slings and carriers so I'll conduct perhaps the most important "focus group" on the spot tomorrow morning. 

 

BlogWorld Notebook: Re-Engaging With My Inner Blogger

I feel like a bit of an imposter here at BlogWorld.  I talk about blogs every day -- interpret them, offer strategy to companies about how to create and manage them - but in many respects I've lost touch a bit with "individual" blogging.  The reality is that I'm only updating my ConsumerGeneratedMedia site one every week or so (sometimes longer), and many of the issues or tips or "deep thoughts" I ordinarily would toss on my blog have been cannibalized by Twitter, Facebook, Yammer (internal twitter), and the bi-weekly "marketing meets service" column I now write for Advertising Age. I'm also increasingly self-conscious that if I don't stay diligent, and ever attentive, I'll continue getting lapped by far wiser and prescient marketing industry bloggers.  There are many, and they keep me on my toes.

Still, few experiences have so motivated me to think differently about consumer-generated media (or conversations, or social media...) as my own personal blogging (whether this one or my own family blogs like DosBebes or HybridBuzz) and I'm eager to rediscover some of the blog-love while here at the BlogWorld Expo in Las Vegas.  So in addition to participating on a panel dedicated to one of my favorite topics, Defensive Branding, which builds on my of the themes in my book, I hope to put on my consumer cap and soak in some fresh ideas and inspiration.  As I look across the hundreds of individuals intently listening to the keynote address here, delivered by TypePads Anil Dash and Chris Alden, there's an unmistakable level of passion, commitment, and personal pride in the development of the blogosphere. At times it borders on romantic "blogs will solve all" naivette, but that's overshadowed by the unmistakable reality that these are the new media creators and content curators of the marketspace. From traditional media companies who increasingly connect with readers using blog publishing tools to corporations seeking to dial up a greater sense of authenticity and transparency with consumers or customers, everyone, it seems, is borrowing lessons and insights from the folks in this room.  So perhaps this is where insight begins -- perhaps!  We'll see.  I'll keep taking notes. #bwe08

Twitter Spam?

Just got notification that "Digital Pimp" is following me on Twitter.   Could be a joke, but it looks too close to the truth. I suppose this was inevitable!  Bummer.

Twitter by Machiavelli

Just couldn't resist -- this from both my ClickZ column and a accompanying website to keep the conversation alive.  "Imagine if astute political observer and philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli parachuted back into our world to see all the strange new media specimens of Earth twittering away during their idle moments. Recently, I recklessly bumped into Machiavelli on the street while we were both twittering about, well, going across the street. We decided to sit down over Italian roast and biscotti to discuss his acute observations. He's started to carefully analyze and segment all the curious personality types and behaviors emerging from Twitter-land." Again, here's the list. 

Ad-Tech Diarist: Ten Questions on the "Art of Conversation"

This year's Ad-Tech, which I'm still attending, is very special.  Most importantly, the first "keynote panel" of industry experts focused on an issue that rarely gets top billing at industry confabs: the art of conversation. This is an important shift in our collective industry "attention" and "engagement," and while we're all far from finalizing the perfect white paper or case study about managing relationships with consumers in this age of consumer control, we're finally starting to talk about it, and at minimum, ask the right questions.  I was deeply honored to moderate this first diverse panel of industry experts, which included (right to left after me in the photo) Tom Asher of Levi-Strauss, Beth Thomas-Kim of Nestle, Jordan Warren of Agency.com, Todd Cunningham of MTV, and Rick Clancy of Sony Consumer Electronics.   I was also thrilled to debate, discuss, and vet out all the relevant issues in several spirited meetings and conference calls before the actual event.  (Key learning: the "conversation about the conversation"  as as important as the end result.) You can skim various blogs (or Twitter feeds or see a superb cNet News story summary) that recap the panel, but what I'd like to do here is simply list the key question we probed and discussed. I truly believe every marketer needs to hit the white-board sooner than later on these questions. 

1. In what ways does Web 2.0 or the digital space expand the boundaries and opportunities of having meaningful conversations with consumers? Does it reinforce or add value to what we are currently doing?
2. What makes conversations truly authentic and genuine?  Is blogging the answer, or is it just an entry strategy? What's the right way of setting expectations with consumers?
3. How do we keep conversation with consumers trusted and credible? In the age of consumer control, do we have a higher threshold to meet this torture test?   What is the relationship between search and brand reputation, and how is 'conversation' impacting what shows up on the shelf?  Can that be influenced?
4. If conversation is king, is customer service or consumer affairs the new marketing? What's the true value of listening and being responsive to issues consumers raise directly to the brand?  Nurturing loyalty and advocacy among enthusiasts? Garnering big insights?
5. If we agree consumer affairs is a new centerpiece of managing conversations with increasingly empowered consumers, why is this group so divorced from marketing or media planning? How do we change that?
6. How do we begin to train, or expand the wings, of customer service reps to embark upon these new conversations with consumers, even outside of the company's backyard?  Who else should be involved?  What's the right and appropriate way to enter a blog or online community and address or clarify an issue?  Or is that even appropriate?
7. Who should "own" the conversation among marketing stakeholders? Corporate Communications (Ricks' group), Consumer Affairs (Beth and Tom), the digital agency (Jordan), the research folks (Todd), or someone else?  Or is that the wrong question? How do we use conversation and social media to soften corporate boundaries and silos?
8. In what ways should employees be enrolled in conversational marketing?  In what ways can their passion and credibility be unleashed?  Are employees a more trusted ad channel? Can it go too far? 
9. What is the value of "internal" learning in this area? Can organizations become better primed to exploit the power of conversation, CGM, and social media through internal use of Web 2.0 tools, blogs, and beyond.  What can internal networks borrow from consumer innovation?
10. How does conversation impact the retail channel? What are Apple, Sony, and Levis retail store venues learning about the relationship between "service" and marketing. How does the consumer benefit from this mindset, both offline and online?
11. Bonus Question:  What can go wrong?  What if every marketer jumps into the conversation?  Nirvana or Spam 2.0?   What happens if we lose consumer trust?

Many of these themes will be tackled at many levels -- and with finer levels of granularity -- at the upcoming Word-of-Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) conference entitled WOMM-U.  I provided background about this last week.  Here's more info.

Other Ad-Tech Notes:  Late last night, I was flattered to receive a special Ad-Tech industry achievement award.  I dedicated it to my recently deceased father, William Blackshaw, who taught me all that can be good in advertising -- provided we keep it trusted and credible.   Other industry achievement award winners included Rich Lefurgy and Kate Thorp, both of whom I deeply respect and admire.  My message to the audience was that if we continue to keep the consumer right smack in the center of our radar, everyone wins -- always. I still think there are so many important issues we need to pro-actively address -- privacy, word-of-mouth ethics, ad intrusion, and more -- so while awards are appreciated (even humbling), we still have so much more work to do.  But before we get too serious here, I'd be remiss not to direct folks to the full list of award winners, including "Elf Yourself," which swept three categories.