I seem to be finding a common thread in the various conversations going on around the Marketing though leaders' blogs lately. One that my wife echoes every time she goes online to find out information about a product... or a movie... or a service. The democratizaton of global communications technology and the growth of social networks in the digital world have extended the close-knit word-of-mouth networks we once relied on. Instead of asking your neighbor or colleague family member or salesman about a product, people can now prowl the dozens of forums that discuss the pros and cons of everything from rechargeable batteries to $100,000 sportscars.

This isn't to say that advertising doesn't work or that companies should jump on the blog bandwaggon. Quite the contrary. What it does mean is that people have a voice now, and if companies want to thrive in the new people-powered economy, they must learn how to get in-tune with the reality that is created every day by a very vocal army of users who can be their best allies... or their worst enemies.

Spin and pretty marketing don't cut it anymore.

Instead of getting pulled into a long, boring diatribe about all of this, I am going to share a few tidbits I found in some of my favorite blogs today, and let you connect the dots. Enjoy:

"14%: Proportion of people who trust advertising information. 95%: The failure rate for new product introductions."

From Connected Marketing, via the Brains on Fire blog.

"Companies whose marketing includes dialogues with customers increasingly have an advantage over companies whose marketing messages are expressed in monologues. Consumers are tired of being told what’s best for them. They want to decide for themselves what’s best. With the information advantage (over company propaganda) the Internet gives them, they no longer have to depend on marketers for information to decide what’s best. Almost anything they want to know can be found on the Internet from sources they trust more than companies selling products they are interested in."

David Wolfe - Ageless Marketing

"For consumers, online review sites offer a valuable storehouse of information to help with daily tasks such as choosing an electrician or a dinner venue. For small businesses, these sites have the potential to revolutionize marketing and promotion -- creating unprecedented opportunities but also (...) some unfamiliar risks.

"(...) In this day and age, there's nowhere to hide," said Melinda Lucas, owner of Paneless Window Cleaning, a Seattle business that has attracted a significant number of customers through positive reviews on sites like Judy's Book and Angie's List. "Anyone can give you a review that can totally make or break your business. It's made it so you have to be A+ on the ball all the time."

"(...) Other business owners agree that online reviews can be an invaluable tool for customer feedback and improvement. Most small businesses can't afford consultants to analyze their service, but they can get immediate feedback for free from reviews. "The bad reviews helped us get better, because we listened," Fars said. "

Ilana DeBare - The San Francisco Chronicle

This is great news. Companies choosing not to listen to their customers will find themselves at a distinct disadvantage. Companies that choose to cut corners when it comes to design, quality, user-friendliness, relevance and customer service will be replaced by companies that choose not to make wrong decisions.

Some shifts are bad. This one is good.

Have a great Wednesday, everyone. ;)