Last updated: Fit for engagement: Emotional rescue, Part 2—What’s missing from social?

Fit for engagement: Emotional rescue, Part 2—What’s missing from social?

10 shares

Listen to article

Download audio as MP3

Brands with emotional intelligence don’t stay quiet, they use the right words for the situation and express their KPIs through action

Way before the days of dress down Friday and over-CCed emails, David Ogilvy—aka the Pope of Modern Advertising—shared some fascinating insights on the fundamentals of his industry. Not just on how to write and how to sell (favorite line: “combine the tenacity of a bull dog with the manners of a spaniel. If you have any charm, ooze it”) but also on how brands work.

You have to decide what image you want for your brand, he said. “Image means personality. Products, like people, have personalities, and they can make or break them in the market place.” This is what I meant in part one by the importance of brand authenticity. Now though, customers expect some sort of engagement with a brand. They want to see depth of character – personality rather than image – as well as great product.

The market place has room for all sorts of personalities, from the sober to the outrageous. There’s no absolute ‘right’ way to be – it takes all sorts, after all – but get it wrong and you’ll stick out like a sore thumb. The big difference is that while it’s understandable you might want to reserve a certain dignity, you can’t afford to be mute.

There are reasons why some businesses sound more authentic than others. Old behemoths, with a legacy of command-and-control culture, have had to adapt to a social world. They’ve understood the power of social and use it to extend conversation, but some find it hard to do this naturally or credibly. So how do you express the spirit of your KPIs and show emotional intelligence?

The answer is to keep it real. Stay true to your self rather than changing or adapting. Ask yourself: “What would I do if this was a face-to-face situation?” As a young songwriter in Glasgow and London, comparing my slum landlords to Shakespeare’s Shylock was a useful coping mechanism that allowed me to express the things my mother told me never to write down – and make a positive out of a negative.

One company that gets this right is UK gym chain Virgin Active. As well as offering training tips, its twitter feed is an entirely transparent exercise in service. Instead of emotional exhibition, it simply fixes issues for disgruntled customers – without flinching from their criticism. In social, the point is that you’re all equal. But when social goes wrong, it’s usually either because companies either talk down to clients rather than being inclusive – or simply over-stretch and sound like try-hards.

Shine in the moments that matter.
Join us for the best of CX solutions HERE. 

Share this article

10 shares

Search by Topic beginning with