Advertising has been democratized, consumers now wield the power- Experts
By Zion Rufus
Consumer sovereignty has evolved beyond just the consumer buying power or their influence over the number of goods that are produced. Now, consumers also wield the power of communication which can make or mar a business.
Procter & Gamble Director, Scott D. Cook once said: “a brand is no longer what we tell consumers it is—it is what consumers tell each other it is.”
This sovereign power has allowed consumers to be able to influence not only their own purchase decisions, but also the buying behavior of others.
“Brands do not have the autocratic power anymore. It’s now communication for the people, by the people and for the people, just like you have it in government” said Ozone Mbanefo, CEO 02 Academy Lagos.
Describing how advertising used to be about brands speaking to the people and telling people what they want them to hear, Ozone noted that now, brands cannot decide what the consumers should think about their brands anymore.
Continuing he said: “Brands have been forced to speak to the people through the people, and that has changed the dynamics of communication. Consumers are now producing communications by themselves and that’s why somebody will just go on Instagram and film something about a brand that he feels very cool with and put it out there and people start sharing it and the brands get free media. And the same way it can happen on the negative side. You see something in a bottle of a Carbonated Soft Drink brand, and you say ‘these people are poisoning us’, you put it out there, it goes viral. So, you can see that consumers are now producing communications by themselves.”
Leveraging digital technology tools, consumers now set trends or hop on trends to promote their favorite brands, products, personalities, and celebrities by making viral pictures, videos, and retweeting posts that pique their interests; the same way others utilize such platforms when they feel a social responsibility to alert other consumers on certain errors of these popular brands. The communication chains therefore becomes strengthened.
In agreement, Dolapo Otegbayi, Specialized nutrition’s director at Friesland Campina opined: “The challenge we have as marketeers is that we always try to listen to our own voices, if you are too close to what you do and you don’t step back from time to time you might make mistakes. It is important for brands to drive that distinctiveness in the minds of consumers.”
Ace journalist and integrated marketing communications industry powerhouse, Mr. John Ajayi, the MD/CEO of MARKETING EDGE in his contribution explained at the core of any successful brand marketing strategy is the consumer while noting that brands have come to realize the hard way that it is no longer about them and how good their products are, but about their positioning and perception in the minds of the consumers.
He said: “In the sellers’ market of old, consumers were practically at the mercy of product manufacturers and suppliers. They had no options than to accept whatever products they were offered. But today, brands no longer distance themselves from the consumers. Gone are the days of distancing, they would rather do all in their powers to connect, relate and even customize.”
Beyond positioning and value propositions of brands, marketing strategies have now evolved to be planned around what the consumers want, how the brand’s message will be received, the perception of the brand in the mind of the consumers, and the metrics of reach amongst others.
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