Let'em have it! Everyone can be a Brand Director

A marketing revolution is at hand with customers building brand communities across a wide array of products from Mac computers, BMW mini, Harley Davidson and much more. Many companies are now asking and receiving marketing contributions from the grass roots through their customer base. Like it or loath it customers now control the pulse of brands, in the world of social media everyone can be a brand director. One such example which is noted in the New York Times was of a computer animation of flying iPods made by a California teacher and distributed without any input from the makers of the product.

Brilliant what's wrong with it?

The rise of consumer-generated advertising can be viewed as a god send (outsourcing marketing to loyal customers) or a huge threat to the brand image (handing marketing over to a bunch of  'uncontrollable amateurs').

Why do customers want to get involved?

Because they can. Some consumers are brilliant at it as well - take a friend of mine, she can whizz up an interactive advert in seconds and have it up in you tube quicker than you can say 'co-creation'. This form of expression highlights the emotional connection people now have with products and acts as a loop of feedback to companies. Co-creation may be compared to rebellion - a real modern day revolt where consumers seek to subconsciously relinquish power from 'gatekeepers' to reign and bask in the freedom of shaping the brand in a way which best reflects them.