WAY TO F&$#@ IT UP 3M
In the grand scheme of things 3M is a great company. Great product. Fairly good brand. Not flashy, but solid. So when they awkwardly
tried to get into to get into the viral business, the wheels of their “Jag” came off.
Melanie Phung’s article pretty much nails it. But I’ll add this: AUTHENTICITY.
I harp on authenticity with my clients all the time. Especially in today’s Web2.0 world. You can’t pull off all the subterfuge of old. 3M, if you’re going to do it, do it right. In 3M’s case, they could have taken advantage of the fact that this idea was somebody else’s and built upon it, embraced it, admitted it wasn’t theirs and celebrated it.
From Melanie Phung’s post: “If you’re a corporate marketer interested in getting into social media marketing, viral video promotion, link bait, etc., I suggest consulting with people who know the communities you’re targeting. Any of us could have told you that stealing photo ideas from the community and using them to pimp your office supplies is not a good move.”
Instead, you stomped on the little guy. Authentically acting like the insensitive billion dollar company that you are. What makes you think that anybody in cyberspace wants a piece of that?
Stomping on the little guy feels yucky. It’s the kind of thing people criticize you for in cyberspace where you have no control over what they say. Your behavior is in fact your brand. So if you really want to come across the way you did, then more power to you. Good luck in winning hearts and minds. If on the other hand your intentions were what I guess them to be (generate buz, seem hip and fun in an otherwise no nonsense category) then I estimate you missed the mark by a couple of light years.
Being authentic and headed in the right direction with your brand isn’t easy. It takes massive effort and vigilance. It’s a long haul to change someone’s mind, to build trust and loyalty. And with the transparency company’s face and the fickle audience and the saturated market space, the question really becomes: How many stupid 3M-type moves can you afford before it’s too late?
Marketers Beware. This web2.0 thing is messy. It’s a bee hive meets a wild west frontier town. Stick your hand in, you’re gonna get stung and run outta town by a posse you never saw coming. The flip side of course is that if you’re not a bee already, you better bust-ass to think like a bee… and make sure and strap a six-shooter on.
