Connecting With Customers or Marketing and PR?

When I first read the title to Chapter 10 in "Real-Time Marketing & PR," this was the first picture that popped into my mind. The chapter, entitled "Connecting with customers is marketing and pr,"talked about the importance of interacting and pleasing current customers. With the uprise of social media, customers are more able to spread their opinion, whether it be good or bad. In order to keep the opinion positive, helpful interaction must be made between the customer and the company. David Meerman Scott then goes into detail about the four key components of making or improving connections between the consumer and organization.

Working for a family-owned business, I know how important word-of-mouth advertising is. Because the store doesn't have much expendable income, television advertising is not the ideal place for the store. Even if television advertising was a possibility, it wouldn't make sense with the atmosphere of the store. Word-of-mouth is truly our most effective way of advertising. People are welcomed in, listened to and cared for whenever they enter. Because of this connection with customers, many have recommended our store to others. Many new customers enter saying they heard about us from another customer. The fact that I know many of the customers by name is a true testament to the connections we build with those that visit our store.

All of this fits well because it sits in a small town. If we were in a different location, a new approach would need to be taken. No matter what, connecting with customers would still be very close to the top of importance, if not first. The fact still stands that many people rely on those around them for opinions on products or businesses. Scott was definitely right when he said connecting with customers is a way of marketing your business.

The People Don't Stop Talking, So Neither Should You

Chapter seven in Real-time Marketing & PR talks about a crisis situation involving a company called Eurostar. From what I've gathered, Eurostar is one of the only trains that connect London to Paris and Brussels. In December of 2009, a train shutdown, leaving hundreds of passengers trapped in the Channel Tunnel, as well as thousands wondering why their train is late. Instead of letting the public know exactly what was happening, Eurostar stayed completely silent. But their audience wasn't. The author found one tweet was being sent per minute bashing Eurostar. They didn't understand the problem, so they became angry, and who could blame them? Their mode of transportation was not working, they didn't know why, and they didn't know if anything was being done to fix it.

If I've learned anything about public relations (and trust me, my professors have taught me much about it), it's that the job never rests. If a crisis happens during the night, you have to jump into action from your couch, or wherever you may be. The public wants answers. If you don't have your side of the story available, then they'll start making their own side, a side that probably won't be great for your business.

It is also vital to keep your audience happy. Can this be done all the time? Of course not. However, explain what your company is thinking and why you think it'll be the best for your consumers. Make them see the big picture. In times of a crisis, let the audience know step-by-step what happened and what is being done to fix it. Let them know it was a slight mistake. Even if it was a huge mistake your company should have fixed a long time ago, fess up to it. Sooner or later, your consumers will figure out how you could have prevented the crisis, so it's better to be upfront and honest than lie.

I was astounded that Eurostar stayed completely silent in a crisis situation. They seemed to slightly monopolize the long-distance transportation system, but you never know when another business will have the resources to do so. When that day comes, don't you want customers to continue coming to you instead of immediately switching to your competitor? If you keep them in the dark on a crisis, though, they'll be happy to leave your company.