In response to Pete Blackshaw’s pointed questions:

“Are we as marketers over-using or abusing the term conversation?

Are we truly credible in putting that term to use?
Is ‘conversation’ as we see it synced up with how consumers truly view that term? What will it take to ensure the term works for the long term?”

“Yes, we’re overusing the term...it’s the latest catch phrase for the cool-kid marketers, most of whom have never really engaged a market in dialogue.

As marketers, we’re masters of the crafted message, disciples of the branded monologue. We’re the last people consumers/customers would trust, since the perception is that we’re slick, biased shills. What we need to be successful long term is to help the C-team understand this massive volume-level increase in the voice of the consumer, i.e., their voices are as loud or louder than marketing and the marketing budget.

Once they understand and get over it, management must grant us the authority to actually engage our customers in true conversation—one that’s not vetted by legal and PR.”

-- Erik Weaver

“Marketers aren’t using it enough, and most of those who use it aren’t really trying to create conversations with consumers. There are some, like Dell, who do seem to really want to hear what their customers and constituents have to say, while many others just give it lip service. Just because it’s thrown around a lot meaninglessly doesn’t mean we should kill it off before we really understand it.

Yet consumers aren’t going to talk about having conversations with marketers, products, or brands. As a consumer, I don’t want to engage in a conversation with Tropicana because I drink its orange juice every morning or J. Crew because I shop there. Heck, people don’t have time to have all these conversations. They just want value, performance, style, utility, or any of the basic attributes that the brand or product is designed to give them.

Once in awhile, for some brands that truly matter to them, the consumer will take the time to engage in a conversation.”

David Berkowitz
Director of emerging media and client strategy
360i

Via Pete Blackshaw of ClickZ