Much More Knowledge but Far Less Control

Marketing and brand management these days is one gigantic paradox. Usually in this world of ours if you have the most knowledge you tend to have greater control. The more you know the more you can understand, right? In most cases, knowledge and understanding lead to more control. As a result you can even gain what many consider to be wisdom about something once you have the knowledge and understanding part licked.

Not so much with marketing these days. While some will say that we have more information than ever so it is impossible to be in less control then explain why so many executive level marketers fear social media? If there is all of this knowledge available to them to help them understand their customer base shouldn’t they run to embrace these techniques in action rather than just words?

It’s about control. It’s pretty simple. People who have positions of power in any organization exercise control over people and situations. Some are able to mask it better than others (like the great manager who is so good that their direct reports think they are actually in control themselves). Others are dictatorial and need to exercise control through fear and other less than savory techniques.

So what is it about social media that has brought many of these power players to their knees and set them scrambling for cover? It’s the fact that they no longer control their brand’s destiny like they once could. In the one directional marketing world that most marketing leaders ascended the ladder of marketing power to there was near total control of a brand. It was rare that any dissatisfaction with a product or brand had any real widespread possibility of damage beyond a few people spreading the word. Those marketing brush fires tended to go out with a little help from a PR or Community Relations person and some freebies along with assurances that it won’t happen again.

Today, marketers have less control over their brand and its word of mouth than ever and it has produced three distinct camps of how to handle it.

The first is the “Head in the Sand” group. These folks are quick to say that their industry is not affected by social media and all its cousins. This should be the target group of executive recruiters and resume updaters since these folks will likely be looking for work in some antiquated business that is dying on the vine anyway and likely to be extinct sooner than later.

The second is the “We’ll Do It on Our Terms Group”. These folks are completely aware of the current maelstrom that is swirling around but is still sitting on the sidelines. They say all the right things like “We are aware of what the market says about us and we know that social media is important so we are loking at how we can incorporate these new media tools into our current successful marketing outlets.” That’s corporate gobblety-gook for “We know it’s there, we don’t have a clue what to do with it and we are too scared to actually move forward.” I would say this is still where a lot the marketing higher ups are sitting these days.

The third is the “Damn the Torpedoes” group. These are the front line people that are out making mistakes and having successes and have realized that the social media ship is leaving port right this very minute and they are either on board already, have just gotten on board or are desperately holding on to rope attached to this vessel but they are at least not sitting on the dock like a marketing moron. Some great examples of these companies are Humana and innovators like Greg Matthews and Whole Foods. I love Whole Foods and their attitude because in the long run their open approach and willingness to not bend to pressure will prove them to be the better company.

So where are you and your organization? If you are honest and have placed yourself in either category one or two from the above list then I suggest you get a move on. if you are in the third group, do not look back and keep innovating. What other choice is there really?