Corporate communication: letting the consumer take control

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Technological democratization has changed the order of factors and, now, that brand that does not attend in a personalized way to its client, is condemned to ostracism. If you want to have a powerful brand, what you need to do is to tell stories and let the consumer take control.

A new dictatorship rules in corporate communication, whose messages has the virtue (or defect) of being preached in 140 characters. Not one more. This is an effect of the great revolution that has taken place in recent years, from broadcasters or traditional media (TV, radio, press) to the broadband empire or the digital environment.

Yes, the world has changed and companies must adapt to a reality where the consumer, today, is the absolute protagonist; which means that if a company wants good numbers, it requires incorporating communication strategies 3.0 (Social Video, E-Commerce, Augmented Reality?), that goes beyond social networks and that revolve around the existence of content as an element of communication and brand generation.

Certainly, for some years now, some marketing departments have begun to implement new practices to assimilate change, but the adoption of a culture in which mass markets no longer exists, and therefore customers have left being seen as a source of income and now have become a power of prescription and a source of information. Message between lines: the construction of brands through traditional marketing has lost effectiveness, so new tools and 360ยบ strategies that incorporates the consumers in the process are needed.

This change, undoubtedly, is based on technological development, and above all, on the "democratization" of access to it. Today, an African child with a smartphone has more information in his his hands than the President of the United States, 15 years ago. The world is facing more advanced technology than NASA had when it put a man on the moon, more than 40 years ago.

Companies, and their marketing areas, face a "perfect storm" that must be overcome through a maxim: to understand that the process of adaptation leads to errors, but the future is to risk and support an entrepreneurial approach. Where to start? To build bridges between the old and the new world.

This is translating into the enrichment of both, and the diversification and specification of supply. Currently, offering variety is key to the online experience, but relevancy could be the priority in the future. Yes, offering a product that is relevant to a particular customer can become the best source of trust and loyalty in a brand.

The new, more competitive, more global reality implies building and maintaining a closer relationship with all customers, to differentiate themselves from competitors by developing strategies in which brand content and giving voice to the consumer are key pieces. So, the future is in the proper management of the interaction with the user.

The future of any brand in the current environment passes through brand content, which serves as a tool for building segmented audiences; as well as a generator of trust, facilitator of interaction and element that influences the purchase decision.

In short, content allows brands to present their identity, values, personality, but also connect with the consumer in a "non-advertising" way to integrate it into the strategy of communication and brand creation.

In a few words, today more than ever, telling stories and be in permanent contact with the consumer it should be prioritized, understanding the consumer as a participant, creator and issuer of communication and brand values.

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