Mueller & Co.

The social web has begun a profound and irreversible cultural change.  The ease and speed at which information is transferred and the ability to share knowledge and opinion with each other, enable us to align ourselves in numerous flexible ungoverned groups. The alignments, immediacy, and interactions that take place give us a feeling of belonging that is core to what it means to be human. Our busy lives in modern western society have largely limited these types of analog interactions and the Social Web is filling the gap.

At the same time, this profoundly affects business.  A company’s “brand” used to be pretty much synonymous with corporate identity.  In the past, a business could gain consumer awareness though advertising, project their message though numerous media channels upon the consumer or audience who could not quickly or easily respond to the company nor share sentiment with each other.  Now, in 140 Characters, from anywhere, anytime, on the go, the audience can share sentiment and this changes the nature of what a “brand” is and how companies must approach the customer.

So how should we think about “brand” to allow us to see and act in respect to all the factors that influence brand.  I like how Marty Neumeier thinks about brand.  He says that brand is  ”the gut feeling your customer has about your product, service, or company.” I would say this idea can be extended to personal brand as well, “the gut feeling that people have about you”.  For some reason, it seems really easy to share opinions, feelings, ideas, and knowledge in 140 character bursts and in the process of doing so people get a “gut feeling” for each other and align themselves accordingly.

But how does this all affect your business and why are you, now, in a unique position at a unique time to benefit from the shifts that are taking place between business and culture?    Customers are demanding more from the companies they do business with and their expectations are high. The ease and speed at which they share sentiment makes your customers a significant force in shaping your brand.    Marty also says that you could be said to have achieved “brand” when a critical mass of customers share a similar gut feeling about your product, service, or company.  The right gut feeling about your brand leads to customer loyalty and lasting long term financial returns.  Over time it reduces your costs, increases your sales, and raises your profit margin.

Brands are just beginning to realize the potential of the social web. My goal is to help you use the social web to deepen your customer relationships, strengthen your brand, and leave your competition wondering what happened.

Call me and I can tell you more (831) 239-6745 or email andrew@muellerandrew.com