• by Laurie Petersen , December 4, 2006

Letting consumers in on brand creation has a positive effect on how they perceive a company. Compared to companies that use only professional advertising, most adults feel that a company using customer-created advertising is more customer-friendly, creative and innovative than one that does not.

That's one finding of research fielded by the American Marketing Association.

"More and more companies are giving control of their brands to their consumers," said Dennis Dunlap, CEO, American Marketing Association, in a statement. "The increase in resistance to all forms of marketing has led many organizations to rethink their strategies and focus more on involving the customer in the marketing process to build a sense of collaboration and reciprocity."

AMA's survey revealed that compared to a company using only professional advertising, most adults feel that a company using customer-created advertising is more customer-friendly (68 percent), creative (56 percent), and innovative (55 percent).

"Allowing consumers to contribute to brand message demands two things," said Nancy Costopulos, CMO of the AMA. "First, you must know your audience base and what influences and motivates them. Second, you must be clear about what success for your organization looks like--companies need to have measurement that shows how this impacts the brand."

Young adults, for instance, are generally more skeptical than their older counterparts, the research found. Respondents between the ages of 18 and 24 are more likely than those between the ages of 25 and 64 to say a company that uses customer-created advertising is less trustworthy (21 percent vs. 10 percent, respectively), less socially responsible (20 percent vs. 10 percent) and less customer-friendly (13 percent vs. 5 percent).

"Young adults' skepticism may be rooted in their desire to distance themselves from company-sponsored messages," Costopulos said. "Organizations need to find a way to give this audience even more control and autonomy in the process."