@MackCollier Such a counterintuitive yet powerful insight! Letting customers vent directly to you not only shifts sentiment but also transforms negative experiences into opportunities for stronger brand loyalty. It's all about owning the conversation, especially when things go wrong. As David Ogilvy said in his book Confessions of an Advertising Man, 'The consumer isn’t a moron; she’s your wife.' Understanding and listening to your customers’ frustrations is key to building trust and loyalty.
I miss our marketing conversations too! You always challenged my thinking and helped stretch my perspective in ways that pushed me to grow. Those discussions were truly invaluable. Let’s find a way to keep them going!
Definitely relate to: "Which is honestly a bit unfair to the company, when you think about it. Because we didn’t reach out to them and give them a chance to help us with our problem." We always told people, let us know if there is an issue we are happy to figure it out, but if we don't know, we can't do anything about it. I hope that we can start to relate directly - especially with small business made of people to work together to solve issues rather than dehumanize the process with anonymity and reactive reviews.
Well said, Megan! We really can't complain about a problem with a company if we don't alert the company that there IS a problem. We have to give them a chance to make it right
This is a very interesting topic. I was recently reading a report that highlighted the fact that Gen Z actively looks for negative reviews as a way to gauge authenticity. Having only 5 star positive reviews might negatively impact your overall brand perception if younger consumers see that as “stat-padding” or false advertising.
Great observation, Jack. About 10 years ago I spoke at Bazaarvoice (they add customer review functionality to company websites), and while there I got a chance to talk to the CMO. She explained that their clients had found that 4-star reviews were generally more valuable than 5-star reviews. 5-star reviews were generally dismissed as being inauthentic to your point. But 4-star reviews are viewed as being real.
Truth: In our hyper-connected world, the most valuable conversations about your brand are often the ones you're not part of, lol.
What you suggest demands a culture of openness to criticism and a system for addressing concerns quickly and effectively.
If businesses do it right, the potential payoff seems enormous. Imagine converting a fraction of that 95% of silent sufferers into satisfied customers.
PS I love macaws - unrelated to the article, but you know.
@MackCollier Such a counterintuitive yet powerful insight! Letting customers vent directly to you not only shifts sentiment but also transforms negative experiences into opportunities for stronger brand loyalty. It's all about owning the conversation, especially when things go wrong. As David Ogilvy said in his book Confessions of an Advertising Man, 'The consumer isn’t a moron; she’s your wife.' Understanding and listening to your customers’ frustrations is key to building trust and loyalty.
Hello Alexandra, I love that quote! Thank you for reading, I miss our marketing chats!
I miss our marketing conversations too! You always challenged my thinking and helped stretch my perspective in ways that pushed me to grow. Those discussions were truly invaluable. Let’s find a way to keep them going!
Definitely relate to: "Which is honestly a bit unfair to the company, when you think about it. Because we didn’t reach out to them and give them a chance to help us with our problem." We always told people, let us know if there is an issue we are happy to figure it out, but if we don't know, we can't do anything about it. I hope that we can start to relate directly - especially with small business made of people to work together to solve issues rather than dehumanize the process with anonymity and reactive reviews.
Well said, Megan! We really can't complain about a problem with a company if we don't alert the company that there IS a problem. We have to give them a chance to make it right
✨🙏✨We have to give them a chance to make it right✨🙏✨
This is a very interesting topic. I was recently reading a report that highlighted the fact that Gen Z actively looks for negative reviews as a way to gauge authenticity. Having only 5 star positive reviews might negatively impact your overall brand perception if younger consumers see that as “stat-padding” or false advertising.
Great observation, Jack. About 10 years ago I spoke at Bazaarvoice (they add customer review functionality to company websites), and while there I got a chance to talk to the CMO. She explained that their clients had found that 4-star reviews were generally more valuable than 5-star reviews. 5-star reviews were generally dismissed as being inauthentic to your point. But 4-star reviews are viewed as being real.
Truth: In our hyper-connected world, the most valuable conversations about your brand are often the ones you're not part of, lol.
What you suggest demands a culture of openness to criticism and a system for addressing concerns quickly and effectively.
If businesses do it right, the potential payoff seems enormous. Imagine converting a fraction of that 95% of silent sufferers into satisfied customers.
PS I love macaws - unrelated to the article, but you know.
Happy New Week bro - I hope you have a good one.
Thank you Neela, yes that’s exactly the culture that’s necessary, and exactly why most companies won’t do it lol
And yes, I do know, thought of you when I saw that pic. Happy Monday!