The T-Mobile Welcome Back
*Courtesy of YouTube
This ad reminds me of a cooler version of the ending of the film Love Actually.
It is a new T-Mobile ad from the UK that's been circulating my office due to its catchy tune, awesome concept, and of course, the flash mob. We can't get people to stop whistling!
Why don't more companies do more feel good campaigns?
Many people believe that the giant corporations of the world really don't care about making people feel good, but there has to be something said about corporate responsibility. With all the money corporates have, shouldn’t they be accountable towards the public or at least their customers? For most of capitalism as we know it, companies exist for monetary benefit and issuing temporary customer satisfaction. The real winners are those who look for long term relationships.
With the rise of social media, the voice of the customer has grown stronger creating a power shift away from the historically dominant corporations. Now, the public can publish news or comments within minutes (both positive and negative) without the company’s knowledge leaving companies vulnerable. Companies are now answerable to not only their shareholders, but the entire world, an audience who act as gatekeepers for the last judgment. Will the company survive or perish?
When I worked at Altria, parent company of Philip Morris International and USA (otherwise known as The Tobacco Giants), the company had undergone a transformation from Philip Morris Companies Inc. to Altria Inc. The change occurred perhaps to stronger FDA regulations or the rising negative perception of cigarettes. The company stands firm that these external factors were not the stimulus for the brand revamp, but because the company no longer focused solely on tobacco products. It had stakes in beer (SABMiller), processed foods (Kraft) and other non-tobacco related ventures. Knowing very well that branding can dictate perception, the company went through a branding makeover. They chose the name Altria from the Latin word altus – reaching ever higher – a more appropriate name for a company compromised of different non-tobacco entities and strived for higher pursuits. Sounds like they have a God complex huh? Nevertheless, I applaud the Philip Morris branding team because they understood that the public isn’t dumb and that risk management should be taken seriously.
More and more companies today find the practice of risk management a top priority due to social media’s influence. If they mute out comments, photo and video posts and blogs, companies will become muted out in the conversation taking place across social networking platforms. It is far riskier to not participate in the conversation.
Rather than shy away from it, companies need to embrace social media for customer engagement. Two-way communication is an idea of the past. Today, companies should forget the call-centre mentality and communicate with customers as if they were friends - constant engagement.
The bottom line is, companies’ priority is still the almighty buck. But in order to get it, at least provide the public with something to look at and smile. You might get some positive comments or even go viral!
What are some memorable feel good campaigns?
It is a new T-Mobile ad from the UK that's been circulating my office due to its catchy tune, awesome concept, and of course, the flash mob. We can't get people to stop whistling!
Why don't more companies do more feel good campaigns?
Many people believe that the giant corporations of the world really don't care about making people feel good, but there has to be something said about corporate responsibility. With all the money corporates have, shouldn’t they be accountable towards the public or at least their customers? For most of capitalism as we know it, companies exist for monetary benefit and issuing temporary customer satisfaction. The real winners are those who look for long term relationships.
With the rise of social media, the voice of the customer has grown stronger creating a power shift away from the historically dominant corporations. Now, the public can publish news or comments within minutes (both positive and negative) without the company’s knowledge leaving companies vulnerable. Companies are now answerable to not only their shareholders, but the entire world, an audience who act as gatekeepers for the last judgment. Will the company survive or perish?
When I worked at Altria, parent company of Philip Morris International and USA (otherwise known as The Tobacco Giants), the company had undergone a transformation from Philip Morris Companies Inc. to Altria Inc. The change occurred perhaps to stronger FDA regulations or the rising negative perception of cigarettes. The company stands firm that these external factors were not the stimulus for the brand revamp, but because the company no longer focused solely on tobacco products. It had stakes in beer (SABMiller), processed foods (Kraft) and other non-tobacco related ventures. Knowing very well that branding can dictate perception, the company went through a branding makeover. They chose the name Altria from the Latin word altus – reaching ever higher – a more appropriate name for a company compromised of different non-tobacco entities and strived for higher pursuits. Sounds like they have a God complex huh? Nevertheless, I applaud the Philip Morris branding team because they understood that the public isn’t dumb and that risk management should be taken seriously.
More and more companies today find the practice of risk management a top priority due to social media’s influence. If they mute out comments, photo and video posts and blogs, companies will become muted out in the conversation taking place across social networking platforms. It is far riskier to not participate in the conversation.
Rather than shy away from it, companies need to embrace social media for customer engagement. Two-way communication is an idea of the past. Today, companies should forget the call-centre mentality and communicate with customers as if they were friends - constant engagement.
The bottom line is, companies’ priority is still the almighty buck. But in order to get it, at least provide the public with something to look at and smile. You might get some positive comments or even go viral!
What are some memorable feel good campaigns?
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