Once upon a time, companies had control over their brand communication – served up in perfect bite-sizes and full compliance with the positioning statement. Now, brands are built up and broken down in a turbulent online universe at the mercy of users and media. The most popular brands are always in direct line of fire, if they slip-up or make the slightest misstep.

Bad news has a tendency to surface, and the harder you try to cover it up, the bigger the risk of exploding in your face. Exaggeration promotes understanding and indignation is splendid click-bait. Especially, if it has to do with popular issues, like pollution, child labour and tax fraud..

Everybody will share their good news, while keeping the messy blunders to themselves. That’s understandable, but maybe not wise. It is positive that the telephone company, 3, comes forward and admits a hacker attack, even if they hadn’t known the full ramifications yet. It shows good intentions and makes us confident, that they will handle the situation. If you have a real stinker, it’s better to air it out than holding your breath. By going public at an early stage, you can stop the ball from rolling, gaining the upper hand to control the process, counterbalance critism and reduce misinterpretations. And when you out yourself, scandals are never quite as sensational.

Can transparency prevent shitstorms and restore a tainted image? Taking responsibility is sympathetic and confidence inspiring, and certainly both Nordea (Panama papers) and VW (emissions) would have been better off, if their executives had stepped up instead of sticking their heads in the sand.

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I was about to give up and hang up, when the message changed: “Please hold for personal service”. YES! Exactly what I need. But lo and behold, a new (still pretty dull) recorded voice now started ranting on about how I am all important and they are always trying to improve the customer experience, so if I’d please press 1 to participate in the customer satisfaction survey. I didn’t, so I pressed 2 only to have the voice ask me to press 1 or 2 depending on the kind of help, I was in need of. Answering this left me hanging for another 4 or 5 minutes with lovely music until I was finally serviced by a lovely and very helpful SAS employee.

This is hardly a unique experience, and SAS is probably no better or worse than most. I, however, fail to understand why companies that recognise customers as their most important asset has to make simple contact SO COMPLICATED.

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The third wave of the sharing economy was kick-started in 2008 by some young lads, who couldn’t afford the rent increase on their pad in San Francisco. They came up with scheme to put up a couple of design conference participants on air mattresses in their living room, as the same design conference had reserved every hotel room in the city.

Supply and demand always create business opportunities, as long as the parties are able to find one another. It takes it’s app, certainly, but the sheer genius of AirBnB – what has made your, mine and everybody’s home part of the world’s largest hotel chain – is the social factor in both concept and experience: A second to none, unique, authentic and community oriented experience. So completely different to the tourist traps most hotels can muster.

This is customer engagement in full bloom. That, which makes us return for more, put up our own home, and spread the good news in social circles and via good rankings.

AirBnB doesn’t threaten the establishment directly, like the black sheep, Uber. To the contrary, many argue that this initiative actually expands the cake, increasing tourism by attracting new segments.

With full transparency, flexibility and easy smartphone access, the sharing economy keeps the traditional companies on their toes. And it takes quite a lot to keep up with the bliss of sharing, which is not only economically sound, but often also environmentally, practically and socially superior.

Legislation might upset the apple-cart in favour of the establishment. But not for long, like the 12 km/h speed limit the horse carriage industry manged to get enforced at the emergence of the automobile.

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It’s hardly news that the internet has transformed customer buying behaviour. To meet the new and ever-changing customer requirements, companies must adapt and reorganise. This is a huge challenge for most – not least for the well-established.

The danger of doing nothing is very real and present. Every day traditional companies lose terrain to web based startups, who are able to focus fully on building loyalty and customer engagement with cohesive experiences.

Customer centricity and creating cohesive customer experiences is not just about letting the customer continue their journey regardless of platform and channel. It’s more about knowing your customer’s needs, wants and behaviour, so you can deliver the right message in the right moment and context. The snag is being able to act on the customer’s premise and predict upcoming needs – whether it for is inspiration, product information, a concrete offer, quick follow up, recognition, personal service or a video on how to check the oil.

Timing is everything and shouting BUY a little too soon may turn interested instantly off – and possibly straight into the arms of the competitor. Buying a car is rarely a here-and-now decision. Kindling the customer relation carefully, inspiration should be offered in the early stages of the decision making process. Later, when the customer is ready, we offer more solid information on the specific model, a test drive to experience the car and only when a lead is burning hot, we push the sales message. After purchase the relationship is consolidated, as satisfied customers with a positive brand experience are more likely to buy again, trade up and recommend in their own network.

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While personas no doubt are a prerequisite for precise and targeted communication, it is important to accept, that no one considers themselves or wants to be treated as a type or category. We must face the fact, that we can never know, understand or predict everything about an individual. And maybe we even want to feed our curiosity and leaving room for surprise.

For me, it is a showstopper, when someone (especially a stranger) says: “I know exactly what you need!”. Hell no, you don’t… It may in fact piss me off to the extent, that even if he or she nailed my need head on, it would magically vaporize for good.

By understanding or assuming to understand too much, we are in danger of being lead astray by false assumptions and prejudices. Our curiosity in other people is often the very thing that makes them feel special. And this last piece of individual mystery may well be best foundation for a trusting and equal customer relationship.

My point is just to stay open and inquiring, as we make our mesh finer. Take care not to kill your curiosity and keep wanting to know your customers better – even if you have already labeled them. Strive to know your customer better than your competition, but never think for a moment, that you know them better than they know themselves.

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Doesn’t most of what do boil down to routine? Remember the 80’s Rubik’s Cube. Only around 1% was able to solve it without cheats, while anybody could learn the few routines required to solve it in minutes or less. Much like learning how to drive. In the beginning, we would reach our destination all sweaty from concentrating on keeping pedals apart, remembering to signal and calculating collision courses with approaching vehicles. A few trips later, we only lose our orientation momentarily, when texting while driving.

What makes me indispensable?

If everything comes down to patterns and routines, what makes me indispensable? So, I’m in my self-driving car, not on my way to work, but to a concert, while… playing Candy Crush. Is it even my car? Probably not. More likely a shared car of sorts (not Uber). What kind, or do I care, if it’s not my own? That’s it for the car industry, unless they manage to do a Rolex. We still buy expensive watches, although we no longer need to look at it to know what time it is. In fact, this classic piece of “man jewellery” is doing very well, and perhaps “regular” cars can ride the same wave of nostalgia, until human driving is banned on public roads for safety reasons.

Why bother?

Back to the concert. Or can we actually be bothered? Standing there, uncomfortably squeezed in between all sorts of weird people, lining up for restroom and the less than perfect sound of live performance. Can we be bothered with other people in general? A recent study shows that the Danish youth prefers playing on their tablet to playing with their friends. And grown ups aren’t much better. 29% of the Americans would rather give up sex for 3 months than be without their precious mobile phone for a week. And it’s not just the Americans. Every year, the Institute for Futurology asks the Germans, what they like to do in their spare time. Only 30% says ”sex” – a 10% drop since 2011. On the other hand, 75% want to go online – a smashing 56% increase over 5 years. In Britain, they are not only experiencing Brexit, but a regular ”Sexit”, which according to Telegraph will lead to no couples having sex in 2030, if the trend continues. The Brits would rather watch Game of Thrones and Friends reruns.

Will lack of sex end us before global warming?

In this gloomy perspective, lack of sex will end us before global warming has a chance to. Fortunately, it seems we get to hang on to the steering wheel a little longer, while the Council on Ethics work out to what extend self-driving cars should be programmed to take out senior citizens before toddlers.

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Your keywords must be highly relevant to your particular target group, and hit them right where their needs are.

1. Define personas

Have a look at your existing customers: What are their needs and challenges? What are they searching for when they are looking for your product or service. You might also check industry forums, social media and online FAQs to find out about different personas, their problems and objectives, how to answer their questions, and what terms and language to use when communicating with them.

2. List relevant themes

Find recurrent themes that would be relevant in searches for each of your products or services. This list of themes can be used to brainstorm for keywords that specify each theme.

There are lots of tools to help you come up with common terms and niche words to expand the list of keywords. For starters Google automatically list a number of related searches which is great for keyword inspiration. Other great tools for finding long-tailed keywords are http://answerthepublic.com/, http://soovle.com/ and https://ubersuggest.io/

3. Use long-tailed keywords

The shorter the keyword, the harder to rank high. Long-tailed keywords of 2-3 words will narrow the field. There’ll be fewer searches, but the targeted keywords will be much more relevant to this smaller, but better defined and more qualified audience.

With a list of focused keywords and a clear understanding of your personas, it’s time to start producing relevant content.

Addressing needs, interests and challenges, a steady flow of content must be produced to engage (potential) customers in each phase of the customer journey. This will attract hot new leads to your site and keep them coming back.

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Communication supposed to engage our target group is often systematised and automated. Content is mapped, tone of voice guide and strategy developed with a meticulous plan for where and how often to post content that is assembled externally and without real feel for the company. Hardly very engaging.

Our commitment is directly proportional to the yield in terms of effect on our target group.

And if we want to captivate them with our passion, it takes more than x posts on planned weekdays. It’s not something you do in the passing, but an actual job to be prioritised with proper time allocation.

Some may settle for mediocre commitment, and fine. Good for them! But if you are tired of posting crappy content, ask yourself:

• Do you enjoy making content? If not, stop. It’s unlikely to be very fetching or effective
• Why are you not exited or what stops you from sharing it?
• Are you lacking inspiration? Remove your blinkers, change your perspective and have another look with fresh eyes
• Do you know your audience? It’s hard hit a target, if you can’t see it
• Do you know what works and what doesn’t? Maybe it’s time to give your content production routines an overhaul

The more (you think) you know about your target group, the less curious about them you become. Remember it’s constantly changing.

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Why is B2B so boring, humorless and cold? My inbox is crammed with B2B inquiries that reveal an alarming lack of understanding of me and my business. It’s the same old business bullshit. Traditional letters, so detached and deadly drab that most of them, fortunately are discarded by good old miss Outlook before reaching my delicate eye.

Personas are increasingly used to develop relevant content for business customers. But why then is the actual person then given such low priority? It’s people, we are communicating with – not companies. And even as business customers, most of us are guided by unconscious impulses. We may be really good at rationalizing our choices and preferences afterwards, but the fact is, that even business people act on emotion.

B2B no doubt will become much more engaging, effective and enjoyable, once we start communicating to and as people rather than detached companies.

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Like sheep

Like sheep, we stood there, while a huge bearded man yelled for us to stay on the yellow line and warned us not to take photographs. Quite unpleasant, come to think of it. A bit like being reprimanded for slouching in kindergarten. But at the time, we had a feeling of “Waaau! We’re actually here. At the Supreme shop, man…” I was one of them – a Bro :)

A few hours later, all pieces in the new collection were sold out, despite the one-item-per-customer policy. We got a hoodie and a hat, and my son almost peed himself when they generously through in some free stickers. When we finally came out of the store, he sombrely warned me not to throw away the branded bag. Or crease it.

What’s the trick?

What is Supreme’s trick? They have a lousy webshop. Service sucks, and the products are kind of mediocre and almost always sold out. I’ve never seen any marketing, and as far as I know, they’ve never done anything to engage their customers. Yet they somehow manage keep their customers for decades and recruit new generations, who find them – like newly hatched sea-turtles find the ocean.

They are simply THERE! That’s their trick. They are out there on the ramp, where the users are – along with all the pro-skaters, who of course already got a piece of the latest drop. The shops are manned by skaters, who are obviously better at skating than customer service. But they are authentic, full of integrity and a courage their target group identifies with. Daredevils, fearless of scratches and broken limps. Sticking to what you believe in is also courage. Not trying to expand your target group or selling out to sell more. And playing hard to get is also known to have a certain effect…

Most of us would be in awe to find our logo portrayed in a fancy magazine on a hoodie worn by Justin Bieber or Rihanna. Even if we’d paid for it. Rumour has it, that Thrasher (another skater brand) has actually asked Bieber and Rihanna to quit wearing their clothes. Of course, I smell a rat, but nevertheless… It’s far more effective and authentic than what we usually see.

And I must admire a brand, who can actually sell their used stickers on Ebay.

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