Manners for the Modern Brand™
August 14th, 2008 | by Dion Hughes
There is only one rule that approaches advertising etiquette, and it goes something like “you appear uninvited in the living rooms of your customers – don’t be a boor.”
We all know how well observed that one is.
But brands are social now. They no longer sit behind a glass wall, talking loudly about themselves. They move through the world just like the rest of us. We gossip about them, spread warnings about the brands to avoid, we introduce brands to our friends, we choose the brands we are seen with. The rude or thoughtless or plain dull brand today can easily find itself with a very public shunning.
It stands to reason then that brands need to sign on to the same social contract we humans have all been living by for aeons. How helpful it would be to have a common set of guidelines for successfully navigating this complex world.
I’m calling it Manners For The Modern Brand, sort of an Emily Post-style primer for brands and the people who guide them. Here is the bare scraping of the surface. I’d love any suggestions.
Apologize – quickly, and graciously. Even if it wasn’t really your fault.
Avoid disturbing others with unnecessary noise.
Help those in need.
Behave in a manner suitable to the occasion.
Do not pry.
Do not interrupt.
Thank your customers for their loyalty.
It goes on and on.
August 14th, 2008at 8:48 pm(#)
Hi Dion
Very interesting thoughts.
I would like to introduce a reference to some statements of Dan Ariely concerning the Social Norm and the Marketing Norm. From his book Predictably Irrational.
The social norm seems very close to the bare scrapings you present here. While the Marketing Norm is very close to the “traditional” state of running a business.
Now Ariely claims that if a company is to enter the Social Norm this would put immense expectations and demands on EVERYTHING the company does, it’s not enough to just unleash a blog or behave nicely in some arenas.
Connecting this with what I perceive to be the main point of Seth Godins book Meatball Sundae, in which he states that the “new marketing” isn’t for everybody. It demands changes to everything the business is concerned with, not merely slapping on “some nice” in some of the interfaces between the business and the customer. It needs new business models and new employer cultures.
So, as much as I love the contributions of excellent thought such as yours to this debate, I still feel that some more attention should be put on the businesses that are in situations where the Social Norm just don’t apply. Who are these businesses, what defines them, why are they or their business category different. Are they really stuck and why?
Good luck on you SXSW :o)
August 26th, 2008at 9:39 pm(#)
Helge, Thanks for your thoughtful response. I’ve probably done the blogger equivalent of bad manners, and left your comment unreplied to for far too long. The silence has been me wondering about your challenge. Are there businesses that do not need to concern themselves with ‘manners’?
I’m thinking this thought because to me it seems inescapable that if we can and do all talk about our good and bad experiences with businesses, experiences, people, etc etc, then there is a lot less anonymity than before. And so, no matter what type of business, you are forced to conduct yourself a little differently.
So on that level, good manners are for everybody, whether you’re a mass brand delving into social media, or a highly specialized b-to-b.
True, there are many, many businesses that do not need to publicize themselves in the larger social realm. Perhaps for them, anonymity still exists (I wonder though).
I guess my overall point is that it doesn’t seem to be a matter of choice. Because WE are social, so are the things we discuss.
Thanks again for your comment and your best wishes. I’m interested to hear more of your thoughts.