Credibility Matters - More Than Ever!
And Heed The Six Drivers
In today’s Internet-driven world, customers have more power than ever. Through what interactive marketing expert Pete Blackshaw calls "consumer-generated media"—blogs, social networking pages, message boards, product review sites—even a single disgruntled customer can broadcast his complaints to an audience of millions.
This creates enormous challenges -- and potential liabilities -- for major companies and brands, but it also presents unprecedented opportunities, as he outlines in what Publisher's Weekly describes as an "informative, energetic, and entertaining" book. Pete outlines upfront three truths that inform the entire book:
- Businesses no longer hold absolute sway over the decisions and behavior of consumers
- The longer companies refuse to accept the influence of consumer-to-consumer communication and perpetuate old ways of doing business, the more they will alienate and drive away their customers
- To succeed in a world where consumers now control the conversation, and where satisfied customers tell three friends, while angry customers tell 3000, companies must achieve credibility on every front.
Blackshaw shows managers, marketers, and business leaders how to establish and maintain credibility for their brand by being authentic, listening and responding to customers, and forming relationships built on openness, transparency, and trust. Filled with stories based on his experience working with and studying Fortune 500 brands such as Toyota, Nike, Sony, General Motors, Unilever, Nestlé, Southwest, Lexus, and Bank of America, Blackshaw offers a clear strategy to sustain a competitive advantage by creating enduring, loyal relationships with today's consumer.
