I love “Super Hero Training Day” with my sons. It’s one of the few outings of free time that I have with my sons that I can share my love for geek/comic lore with practical knowledge. Call it nerdy if you want, but you should see my son’s face light up at Puzzle Zoo.
As most people who really know me, I’m a huge fan of Batman. Even though he’s not quote unquote a “super” hero, he’s a self-made hero and those are the best if you want to create tangibility. One of the things that made Batman the world’s greatest detective is his utility belt. I remember watching an episode of Batman Brave and the Bold and watching Batman literally escape the clutches of the Riddler’s laser trap by using a laser of his own in his utility belt. But I digress.
The rise of the social web has given everyone a utility belt. There have been self-made super heroes created because of social media. But have we forgotten about the core of what we’re doing? In other words, we got all the gadgets but don’t know how or when to use them. Some recent posts by Chris Brogan (When All this Gets Cool) and Kyle Lacy (The Only Thing That Matters is Your Story) got me thinking about how brands should use these “tools”, and when is the right time to use these “tools”.
1- Know your situation.
As brands find themselves in an awkward transition for mindshare, you have to know where your brand stands with the people who not only support it, but who advocate for it. This does not call for a new focus group or an email blast or a survey. This means you stop talking and listen. Ask questions and engage. Trust me, a week of this will tell you where you stand.
2- Don’t Monologue
You ever notice that when the bad guy has the hero trapped they just start talking? Most marketing and brand managers are monologuing and monopolizing the conversation. You are deliberatley allowing your advocates a way out. And trust me, when they escape, they aint comin’ back.
3-Know How to Get Out of a Jam
The beauty about connection is your realize that the we’re more alike than we think we are. Despite cultural differences and approaches on philosophy, we all share a common thread; humanity. This rule applies to brand development as well. Engaging in conversation means that your are realizing that the people you used to see as an end to a means, are human. You begin to realize that they have opinions and ideas on how to make their lives better. When you engage, you innovate. Social media allows you to do just that.
Lesson: My father is notorious for having the latest and greatest. He often gets caught in the hype. “Man I gotta have that!”, he says. Then he gets it and doesn’t know how to set it up or use it. Many agencies have yelled “Man I gotta have that!” when it comes to social media, and don’t know how to use these new tools. Get to the core of why you need Twitter or Facebook. What are you trying to accomplish? What story are you trying to tell?
