80%] It’s a reasonable question. In journalism three is a trend, which makes five a phenomenon, and if I was looking for an original angle on the most overexposed ad event of the year, I’d glom on to this consumer-generated-content thing too. Why not? It’s an interesting sign of the times when John Doe can knock out a decent Doritos spot for less than it costs to top off your average ad exec’s martini.

76%] But just as TV commercials are often mistaken for the sum-total output of a marketing department, so consumer-generated content is in danger of obscuring the bigger story here, which is that we’re entering a new ad era — the conversational marketing age. CGC — yes, the acronym elves have already entered it into the jargon journal — is the noisy herald to a quieter but arguably more important movement.

Power of the public

100%] Of course it is in part about consumers’ access to video-production and -distribution technologies, but it’s also about the increasing sway they hold over any product’s success. It’s about the honest insight and information they offer that can help a company identify problems and opportunities on corporate and brand levels. It’s even about their willingness to co-create with you the products they will later consume.

Spreading beyond tech

80%] Diane Hessan, president-CEO of the fast-growing social network Communispace, is a student of the shift who points to, among other examples, Starwood Hotels, which recently invited hundreds of travel-savvy consumers to join a private online community and took their advice on everything from the name of its new brand to the design of the hotels.

88%] “Consumers want to be directly involved in providing advice that will lead to better products and brand experiences, and they want to be heard,” says Hessan. “This, not just ads, is at the heart of today’s consumer-in-control marketing movement.”

‘Conversational marketing’
100%] I’ll revisit Battelle soon, but in the meantime let’s keep Doritos’ $13 ad in perspective as just one voice in a much larger conversation.

The consumer-driven stuff is all well and good, but in the end organizations have to take responsibility for messages that really speak to their audience. Great article!