Subscribe
for just...
plus
You should always listen, but how you act is not defined by what people say. It's defined by what people feel, and the true purpose of your brand.
We all hear about the many social backlashes like the ones about Nestle (deforestation), Toyota (stuck gas pedals), Domino's Pizza (unsanitary behavior), Gap (bad logo), Loft (use of models), BP (oil rig disaster), United Airlines (broken guitar), Ann Taylor (photoshop retouching), Amazon (deleting books people have paid for), Netflix (hiring actors to pretend being excited customers) etc.
The question that always follows is: Is it good for brands to really listen to what people say? Isn't it better just to plow ahead, instead of appearing weak and undeceive?
The answer isn't that simple. You should always listen, but not that what people say. You listen to what people feel.
Before we can even start to discuss why or how you should listen, it's important to know what it means to be a brand.
As a brand you can be one of two things. You can either be a brand that finds ways to fulfill people's needs-as in creating something they want, or invent new "needs." That, or your brand can be about making it happen: You are providing the framework, the infrastructure, the tools, or the connections.
Nike is a company that finds ways to fulfill your needs, while Rackspace makes it happen. Ford innovates how we drive, while Amazon finds ways to give you stories.
You cannot be a brand that doesn't know what it want, or where it should go. It's your job as a brand to define the path. It's your job to find the solution, and to make it happen.
You never want to put yourself in a position where you have to ask your customers for direction. That's your job. People follow your brand because you provide the answer. If you don't have the answer to their problems, then why should people follow you?
Register to try out Baekdal Plus completely for free for one week.
Baekdal Plus is your premium destination for trends and analysis for the media industry. Every year you get 25 reports about the future media trends, business and editorial strategies, monetization analysis and insights about how to use analytics specifically for publishers.
As a subscriber, you also get full access to all the Plus reports (more than 200) published over the past 8 years, as well as the ability to share what you read.
Yes, of course, please write to plus@baekdal.com and I will send you a regular invoice that you can pay via your bank. I will need your company name, address and VAT number (if within the EU). Also, please note that due to this process being manual, this will be for an annual subscription only.
Yes, please write to plus@baekdal.com for details. But for 25-99 users: the price is 20% off the subscription price ($79/year per user), 100+ users is a fixed price at $5,000 (for all combined).
Yes, please head over to Baekdal Media to read about consulting where I can help you with strategy reviews, trend and strategy reports, and strategic guidance for you media company or a specific publication.
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
The advertising is slowly slipping away from publishers, so what do we do to change that?
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
How we can rethink the role of curation to be more than just a filter.
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
When publishers discuss young people, they often forget that they live in a world of choices.
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
Why publishers shouldn't rely on consent dialog boxes, but need to rethink their overall structure.
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
Most publishers define trust in terms of facts, but real trust is about value.
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
Founder, media analyst, author, and publisher. Follow on Twitter
"Thomas Baekdal is one of Scandinavia's most sought-after experts in the digitization of media companies. He has made himself known for his analysis of how digitization has changed the way we consume media."
Swedish business magazine, Resumé
free
plus
plus
plus
plus
plus