The Smell of Online Success, Part II
Shortly after publishing the blog post below, I had an additional thought. One of the most fascinating parts of the whole story is the larger theme of a loss of control by the fragrance companies. Up until a year or so ago, they could virtually guarantee a successful product roll-out by spending a lot of money on advertising. And those advertising dollars, in turn, all but guaranteed positive editorial coverage in the beauty trade press. Fragrance companies knew all of the players and how to influence them. And then along came the blogs and other online media.
With the hyper-democratization that the blogs bring media and the Internet, how do companies influence the new influencers? Bloggers are not only taking on a larger role in journalism; they’re also taking on a role as experienced critics, wielding an amount of influence that used to only be affected by the companies, not the consumers.
When it comes down to it, the real message is clear: Control is what is at stake in the Internet revolution.
May 1st, 2008 at 2:32 am
You do pose a very interesting topic here. As a graduate student, the complex problems presented by the changing landscape present an enticing challenge. Strategic communication and a company’s ability to place themselves on the level of the consumer will be critical to success. It is easy to assume a great product and excellent customer service will be rewarded in the blogosphere, but the world is not that perfect. It will be interesting to track this growing trend.