You have the right to remain silent anything you say or do can be used against you ...in a marketing ploy!

I am currently writing, or should I say “attempting to write” an extensive research paper on Brand Loyalty and CRM for my Brand Strategy Independent study. So needless to say, this week’s topic listing piqued my interest. At first glance it seems like there is more information about consumers and their preference made readily available for public consumption through social networking mediums. However at the same time it seems that the relationship between consumers and brands, and consequently brand loyalty, is not getting any stronger.

I will spare you the details of why I think this could be happening. Rather, I’d prefer to touch on the potential for CRM or at least some form of marketing strategy to capitalize on the plethora of information available on these social networking sites. For example I already know the banner ads on Facebook are targeted. The second I changed my relationship status to “Engaged” there were ads for wedding dresses, shoes, and even weight loss aids! Now that I am married I’ve seen a frightening number of stretch mark removal ads as well as baby related ones. I certainly don’t really appreciate the assumptions there! (And that is a rather obvious application, considering we’ve had exposure to such advertising on other sites.)

But, regardless, that is just the tip of the iceberg. There are incredible possibilities here. Facebook and MySpace may not qualify as true CRM because it is more information gathering than relationship building between brand and potential consumer. But, do you think there are some other ways that companies could take advantage of on the growing popularity of social networking, taking it further than just targeted advertisements? And as a counter point, where is the line drawn? How do companies prevent themselves from going too far and causing consumers to feel a sense of invasion of privacy?

Why Network?

I began my reading for this week’s class with the article “Six Degrees of Lois Weisberg.” To be perfectly honest it caught my eye because it reminded me of the game, Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon! As a matter of fact, the article actually did discuss the origins of the game and the theory behind it. However, that is not why I am still thinking about the piece. Truthfully, there was one singular statement in the reading that resonates with me. One of the people in the story said about Lois that “she doesn’t network for the sake of networking.”

This jumped out at me because I feel that in today’s workplace and academic environments there is tremendous emphasis put on the importance of networking. To promote and facilitate the building of said networks there are a variety of measures including speed-networking events, organized networking dinners, even classes devoted to learning about social and business networking! :-)

It seems that people participate in these types things because they “have to”. Particularly in today’s struggling economy it is becoming increasingly more important to have an extensive network in order to generate business, get a job, etc. We are constantly reminded of the saying, “it’s not what you know; it’s who you know.”

Instead, this story tells of a lady who doesn’t even quite realize the extent of what she is achieving. She is not trying to build a network. She genuinely just enjoys connecting with people. She wants to help others. She wants to connect people to each other. She is the type of person that “knows everyone.” And she did it without trying. She is not necessarily the most charismatic person. But she has no fear. She reaches out to anyone and everyone. She has confidence in others and in herself.

I think there is a lot that can be learned from the attitude and approach of this woman. It is quite a different perspective concerning networking and relationship building than you usually hear in the business arena. Perhaps we all need to have a little Lois in us. Take a genuine and active interest in others. Rather than focusing on “I have to do this to build my network,” try to be open to others and form a mutually beneficial relationship. Don’t be afraid to get out there and reach out to others beyond your comfort zone. Keep a positive and open mind. You never know where, when or who you are going to meet. Networking does not only happen in formal situations. It doesn’t have to be something that is orchestrated. The story of Lois shows it is possible to build your network without evening meaning to or even realizing it.

In closing I'd like to pose a question for discussion amongst our blog circle - how do you think Facebook, MySpace, and other social networking tools fit into this idea? Since they are more informal, allow you to reach out to people you may not otherwise encounter... etc. What are your thoughts?

Introductory Blog posting

Welcome to my blog! This is my first post...ever. I am a student at AU and its taken a class to get me to blog! There will be lots more to come. I promise the future posts will be far more witty and insightful than this one. And have no fear - On my honor, all posts on this blog are my own.