July 31, 2014

Digital Graffiti

Tuesday's Ad Contrarian post called "The Consumer Is In Charge. Of What?" didn't exactly go viral, but it went kind of semi-bacterial.

Here at the Ketel One wing of The Ad Contrarian global headquarters, we pay very close attention to the social media commentary about our blog posts.

Okay, maybe not very close.

Okay, maybe not at all.

It's not that we don't respect the opinions of others, it's just that we don't really give a shit. (Try it. It's liberating.)

Nonetheless, we studied up on the commentary generated by the post in question. As the title suggests, the post concerned the digi-doofuses who think "the consumer is in charge." As I expected, it generated a lot of hot air about social media being the way consumers are banding together to control everything.

This is me giggling.

Social media whining is to marketing as graffiti is to politics. It is little more than the drumbeat of the powerless trying to get the attention of our corporate masters.

The people who post "McDonald's Sucks" on Twitter and think it affects anything other than some poor bastard locked in a "social media war room" (gag me) in a basement in Chicago are totally delusional.

Do you think the United Airlines guitar guy didn't teach the big boys a lesson? Do you think they don't know how to neutralized your social media bedwetting? Do you think the  corporate PR monkeys haven't figured out how to handle your digital graffiti yet? Do you think the $5 coupon they send you when you complain on Twitter is anything other than lip-service?

Social media complaining is the opiate of the asses.

Amigo, you are not in charge. Get used to it.


Cecil B. DeMille said...

You know one of the other 2.6 trillion things more powerful than social media? Amazon reviews. People look at the number of stars a toaster has before they buy it. If it has enough good reviews and enough stars, they buy it over the one that doesn't.

It wouldn't matter a gimpy goddamn if the toaster was on fire or exploding or eating babies all over Twitter. "Hmm, 4.7 stars and 97 reviews! Seems legit. *click to buy*"

That is where the consumer is in control. Unfortunately, they're only in control of what an insignificant amount of other consumers do.

Matt Lashley said...

Funny. If every complaint results in a $5 coupon, who's really winning? Sounds like a nice strategy. " Hey you! Twitterer guy! Tell us how we're doing and get $5 off your next purchase of a set of overpriced somethings or others."

Matt Lashley said...

Amazon reviews make me sad. Tainted love. "Once I ran to you ,,, now I run from you."

Charlotte said...

The value I see in social media is the response to something really lame that a politician or other “important person” does. Twitter lights up with smartasses. Social doesn’t make me buy anything. Just like Amazon reviews -- I read them for entertainment. BIC cristal pen “for her” is a classic. That’s why I read AdContrarian . . . and all the comments.

The smartest guys in the room.

Mark Pilipczuk said...

I always counsel my clients to monitor what's being nattered about on social media, but not to do anything until tomorrow. Within 12 hours, any noise has died down the echo chamber of a bunch of 40 year old virgins sitting in mom's basement. No need to address those guys, unless you're selling Cheetohs and Mountain Dew. Then you might want to send them a few coupons to assuage their hurt feelings.

Jonathan Rodgers said...

I usually comment on your insightful content, Bob, but this time "the Ketel One wing of the Ad Contrarian global headquarters" made me laugh out loud. Which is more than most advertising does these days. I think it's time to consider a comeback.

Patrick Scullin said...

Smart corporations monitor their social feeds and dispatch goon squads with lead pipes to shut them the hell up. It's kind of old school, but effective.