Brands Are Not People – really?

Conventional social media wisdom says that a brand’s Facebook page shouldn’t be any different from yours or mine.  Ultimately that means that Brands have to act just like real people, but according to a CEB survey, customers don’t want brands acting like people.  

According to the survey conducted last year, 23% of customers have a relationship with a brand, whether subscribing to their newsletter for ‘like’ them on Facebook.   The rest have no interest in building a relationship with a brand.

“What about all those Facebook fans of the big brands,” you ask?  They come for much more tangible things.  61% came for discounts and 55% for offers from these brands.

In an Ad Age article by Corey Mull titled, “Brands Are Not People – and Customers Don’t Want Them to Be,” Corey argues:  “Brands’ strategy of imitating people – and spinning out content designed to drive brand engagement — can ultimately add to consumer cognitive overload. This isn’t helping.”

So, are we wasting our time engaging, relationship-building, and focusing on engagement?  I would argue no.

What I take from CEB survey is brands should continue their efforts in the social sphere; make sure to offer plenty of exclusive incentives to their fans; and maintain a focus on long-term goals.  Truth is, “fans” are fickle – not bored.  They are motivated by incentives – not republished copy.

Perhaps people “just aren’t that into” brands, or maybe their relationship status is ‘It’s complicated.’