Has it occurred to you, of late, that you may have more power than you think? Well, if you are active in Social Media, you probably do. You may be surprised to know that many ordinary people have been taking on corporate behemoths and occasionally winning. Think consumer power – the pen is mightier than the sword. The keyboard is turning out to be a cut above!
The modern-day David and Goliath fight, between the online organization change.org and the powerful Bank of America, has gained folklore status within Social Media circles. Based on the sheer volume of online petitions, Bank of America and several other financial institutions withdrew a contentious $5/month banking fee, leaving the customers victorious. Consumer power!
Corporations, big and small, are quickly coming to terms with the power of the masses. Negative press from irrational decisions can snowball and become bigger issues when customers and thousands of their “friends” decide to make it their cause to fight perceived injustices.
On the flip side, you have companies like Unilever. The makers of Dove soap, Lipton Tea, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, and a host of other popular brands, appear to be actively sourcing customer feedback and incorporating it into business decisions. During a recent interview with Harvard Business Review IdeaCast host Adi Ignatius, Unilever CEO, Paul Polman indicated that Ben & Jerry’s, as a brand, does not advertise. With nearly four million “likes” on Facebook, I guess they don’t need to! Taking cue from their “followers”, Ben & Jerry’s even launched an ice cream called “Apple-y Ever After,” in support of same-sex marriages in the UK.
Whichever side of the business you are on, there is a benefit to staying engaged online and through Social Media. Companies are creating services that are only available to “followers,” “friends,” and “connections”. Here is a headline from Mashable: “Pepsi to Provide Free Music Downloads on Twitter”. So, do you want some free music or not?
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