No one will ever confuse me with a shopaholic, but it doesn’t mean I’m so oblivious not to quickly recognize what makes the Gap...well, the Gap. When you go into a Gap, you know what you're getting.
So while the pundits are dissecting the minutia of Gap’s ill-fated attempt to change its logo, I’m more focused on what the last week’s events mean in the bigger picture – namely, that the era of “Poof” PR is officially over.
Remember “back in the day” when a company could keep a secret and unveil something new and fresh with lots of fanfare and hype? With all the instant-information tools available to virtually anyone, those days are just nostalgia. And THAT is where the Gap screwed it up.
I equate death of “Poof” PR to the plight of a good friend of mine – we’ll call him “Kyle”. Kyle is a solid guy with good intentions and a great heart but has trouble getting dates. Recently, Kyle decided he was going “all in” with some changes...in clothing and cars. He went out and bought about $500 worth of new shirts, designer jeans and shoes. “Dress well”, he thought, “and the girls will love me.” In Kyle's mind, he was re-launching himself with a big coming out party that was all about “Poof!; Shazam!; and TaDa!”.
Problem is that Kyle’s grand unveiling was sort of a one-shot deal. There he stood in a corner looking great but talking with no one. And because his “Poof” didn’t go quite as well as he hoped, he was left wearing the same “new” clothes to the same “old” beach clubs time after time where they don’t fit in at all.
Granted, Kyle’s new look didn’t get slammed on Facebook like Gap, but there is one similarity between the two that is directly oppositional to social media – a failure to communicate.
In Gap’s case, they went "poof" then started conversing after-the-fact. Attempts to be cool by “crowdsourcing” logo ideas was nothing short of desperate. In Kyle’s case, he changed the look but didn’t bother becoming more conversational with the opposite sex.
And that’s what Social Media is all about...conversation.
It’s not about broadcasting or bragging, but instead a process of forming a dialogue that involves listening, answering questions, and ultimately building relationships. Yes, it’s lots of work, but your business has access to a 24/7 networking party that can actually take some of the fear out of yesterday’s anxiety over “Poof” moments.
Gap came to the party late yet finally listened, learned, changed it's mind about the logo, and in the long-run, will be well-positioned to enhance its brand over social media. My friend Kyle? He's saving thousands to buy a sports car for cruising.
What choice will your business make?
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