Consumer: Hi Brand, how are ya !?!?
Brand: Good Consumer, you?!
Consumer: Great.
Brand: Swell. Say, pretty nice day out today, huh??
Consumer: Just gorgeous. What do you say we get together at the Park?
Brand: Love to, but I kinda have plans already with another Consumer.
Consumer: …… What? I thought you and I were pals? I really enjoyed the ad you injected right into the flow of the social media interaction I recently had with some friends. It showed me how interested you were in me, and how well you knew me.
Brand: Hold the phone… I often jump in the middle of a conversation that people are having with their friends. That doesn’t necessarily mean they all want to be my friend.
Consumer: Hey whatever, no sweat off my back. I have enough friends anyway.
Brand: Sorry I gave you the wrong impression. It’s just that I’m not used to Consumers actually caring as much as you do. Did you know that a survey by The Harris Poll of 2,000 consumers finds that 74% of Millennials and Gen Z object to being targeted by brands in their social media feeds? In fact, 56% of these digital natives report cutting back or actually stopping use of social media sites entirely due to advertisements in their news feed. You’re obviously one of the few exceptions to the rule and I should have been more considerate. You know, on second thought… Let’s you and I go to the park!!
Consumer: Hey – it’s cool… but maybe we’re taking things too fast. Maybe we should slow things down a bit…you know…get to know each other a little better first…
Brand: I’m all for that.
Consumer: So, any plans for the weekend?
Brand: Nothin’ really. I think for ONCE I have nothing going on. I need a break too. It seems like there’s always a birthday party or a BBQ or a Christening, or a Shower… It never ends.
Consumer: I hear you. The best plan is NO plan, I always say!
Brand: LOL. What about you?
Consumer: Actually, I’m going to the Taylor Swift Concert!
Brand: No way?
Consumer: Yep. Can’t wait. I won the tickets in a Nacho eating contest.
Brand: I LOVE Taylor swift.
Consumer: You know what? I think I was a little stand-off’ish before. I understand that the promise of social technologies is about connecting people and that you were simply doing what you thought was the Nobel thing to do. Tell you what – why don’t you come to the Taylor Swift concert with me and my friends!?
Brand: For Real ?! Um… OK – I’m in!!
Consumer: Nice!
Brand: I thought it was so cool how Kanye was respectful of her during his 2015 VMA Vanguard speech.
Consumer: It was totally the right thing to do.
Brand: You know, pushing out ads is hard, because the last thing I want to do is alienate consumers, especially the younger generations who make up more than 50% of the population. But if my social media interaction can touch just one consumer in a way which fosters loyalty and advocacy, then I feel it all was worth it.
Consumer: Wait, what? Advocacy? Are you using me !?
Brand: Now… wait.. ur…um… what I meant was… I didn’t mean it like that. You’re putting words in my mouth.
Consumer: If I can foster, and I quote – “loyalty and advocacy, then I feel it all was worth it.” How is that putting words in your mouth???!
Brand: Look, Social media is a place for us to connect with our friends, not be attacked by advertisements, I get that, But….
Consumer: “But” nothing. You’re trying to change the conversation. Come to think of it – What the hell am I doing having a conversation with a Brand anyway?! I must have been out of my mind to ever think that this relationship would go anywhere.
Brand: Yeah!? Well I must have been out of my mind to think that I, A Brand, could go to a Taylor Swift Concert!!! Just go on – get out of my life!
Consumer: You know, we could have had something together. We could have Had It All. To quote the 1 and only Whitney Houston, “the ride with you was worth the fall, my friend”.
Brand: Oh – I’m flattered.
Consumer: Yep – And what a short ride it was.
Brand: If you really felt that way.. then maybe you’d realize I’m not the only one that’s capable of making a mistake! You’re only Human you know!!
Consumer: Actually, I have a confession to make.. I’m really a Bot!
Brand: Oh… ……………..really? How much for 1 Million IMP’s ???
