By Daniel Brooks

03/28/2020

Brands are constantly struggling with the desire to sell their products yet do so in a way that is authentic to consumers.  This balance can be delicate, as consumers do their research and are sensitive when a company violates their trust.  More on that last issue though… what happens when a brand violates consumer trust?  The number of brands offering similar products and capabilities leads to a fragile consumer/brand relationship that can be shattered with one misstep.  Companies strive to build a strong bond with their consumers, because let’s face it, no one’s perfect.  Companies are prone to make mistakes and its important that brand loyalty is strong enough for most customers to give the brand a “do-over”.  Brands need to take steps to gain back consumer trust when they mess up.  One of the novel strategies’ brands can use is user generated content, which is all thanks to social media.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8560938

“Here is a discussion forum on Apple’s website complaining about the bad camera quality on the iPhone 8/8+”

Selena Gomez music video ShotOniPhone

Apple ran into an issue with consumers complaining about camera quality in low-light situations, and user generated content was their solution.  With a strong brand loyalty in place, yet angered customers, Apple decided to launch the #ShotOniPhone campaign.  The premise of the campaign was to showcase photos taken by Apple customers on Apple’s social media platforms (specifically Instagram and YouTube).  These photos were all beautifully artistic low-light pictures displayed in an effort by the brand to say, “hey our camera quality is actually super good”.  The campaign was extremely successful, because it not only gained consumer trust but also drew people to engage more with Apple online.  Their social media platform gained a tremendous following because people were drawn to look at these incredible photos.  The campaign was successful enough to become a pillar of Apple’s overall marketing strategy for the last three years.  This has translated to a concept used even in their traditional T.V. advertisements.

What this example showed for me is the power of authenticity, and the need for brands to embrace their customers.  In the age of online reviews and YouTube unboxings, the theme rings through that customers have a voice!  And not just any voice, they have the biggest voice in determining how a brand is perceived.  Even influencer marketing doesn’t always produce the desired authenticity, because people know that the video is sponsored.  User generated content allows a brand to leverage their reach and scale but put forth a message that potential customers will see as authentic and raw.  These messages are what saves a company when they screw up, and also showcase the endless possibilities of their product.  Think about the people that you trust in your daily life.  I mean, there are levels to this stuff.  I don’t really care what someone says about my shirt or pants on the street, but if my best friend tells me its ugly… to the trash it goes!  The reality is brands deal with this issue on a much larger scale, how do we reach people but still come across as humble and authentic?  User generated content is an awesome way to achieve this balance and is a strategy that should be a pillar in any strong brand’s marketing strategy.