• by Lydia Loizides , Op-Ed Contributor, March 21, 2007

So, the latest buzz concept to fall into my lap is this idea of "generous" brands, the crux of which is that brands need to be more human and generous in their relationships with their customers.

Sigh. Where to begin?

First, while I appreciate our need to compartmentalize, identify, or label in order to make sense of our world, come on, people!! After all this time in the business, you mean to tell me that this isn't what we have been striving for -- or at least were pretending to be striving for? If not, then there is a larger fundamental problem in our business.

Second, please, for the love of Bob Kahn and Vint Cerf, resist the temptation to think that technology alone is the silver bullet here in stabilizing the customer/brand relationship. What technology can do is facilitate a dialogue, create a continuous line of communication between a brand and its constituency but it is not the end-all-be-all to solving a troubled relationship. That takes work, dedication and focus.

For example, just because the flavor de jour is user-generated content doesn't mean that it is for you. Heresy, you say? Stop and think for a moment. As a brand, what are you looking for? A "pop" in popularity or to create "buzz" around a single campaign or product? If indeed that's what you want, what do you do after the sizzle has fizzled? I would argue that just like a record label or a movie studio or television programmer, a brand marketer should be looking at user-generated content as a way to get the "pop" it needs in the short term, but also aggregate all this content into an archive of perception and sentiment that can be referenced for years to come. Most of the initiatives I have seen to date are squandering the vast amounts of insight lying at their feet.

And finally, now that I have droned on and on, if I could leave you with this: a chart from the American Marketing Association's recently released "The State of the Brand Report," in which the 100+ U.S. marketers surveyed said their biggest "challenges" were dominated by traditional business mechanics: competition, demographics and psychographics, and brand awareness.

Leading Challenges to the Brand of U.S. Marketers, 2006 (ranked order)

1. Rise of strong competitor(s)
2. Changing customer demographics and psychographics
3. Pricing pressures
4. Lack of brand awareness
5. Lack of brand and product focus
6. Decrease in customer loyalty
7. Shrinking market and quality/trust perception issues
8. Acquisition and merger issues
9. Other

Source: Luth Research and MiresBall, commissioned by American Marketing Association, January 2007

Why can't I find any reference to customer relationship development anywhere on this list? You tell me.