Few phrases are filled with such contention as the customer is always right. The customer may be right, yes, but it’s also possible that the customer is completely wrong. And for a brand to suspend disbelief and pretend that the customer is always right does little good to anyone. But we’re looking at it all wrong. Customers and brands shouldn’t exist on opposite sides to begin with. They can stand together as one entity, each enriching the other, through crowd-express.
Crowd-express is the idea that brands can, and should, harness the wisdom of the connected crowd. It’s about aligning with consumers instead of alienating them. There are literally millions of people out there who are willing and able to help improve a brand’s product. It’s no use locking those people out. A paradigm shift is needed—a massive change in attitude regarding brand‚Äìcustomer relations.
Brands the world around are beginning to do this. Last week, St. Louis’s Urban Chestnut Brewing Company announced plans for a consumer research bar area. According to the brewery, this is an area “where beer drinkers will be able to provide instantaneous feedback on test beers via their cell phones, tablets, or other ‚Äòsmart’ devices.” And the New Zealand government, cognizant of its lack of design skills, recently began the process of changing its national flag by opening submissions to the general public. This resulted in over 10,000 design proposals from around the country, and, at a referendum this spring, voters will get to decide on the final design.
Today’s best brands are those that give consumers the most credit, and the most control. They recognize the tech- and brand-savvy of their global consumer base, and see an opportunity for open collaboration. They understand that the customer is not always right, but know that they aren’t either. And, most importantly, they realize that the more everyone works together, the less likely anybody will be wrong.
Trends inspired by trendwatching.com/premium